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Increase final bevel angle?

Toff

Well-Known Member
I read a little about changing the final bevel angle to a greater included angle to better support an edge or to possibly increase the edge distance from the skin.. I can not find the thread which suggested that possibility.
I have tried that idea with an extra layer of tape on a difficult to sharpen razor and it seems to hold promise for the future.
When I renew a razor, I usually will hone the razor tapeless, and then add one layer of tape to the spine for final honing. On the difficult razor I then added an additional layer of tape before another final honing which seemed to help its shaving qualities.
Has anyone else tried the idea?
Respectfully
~Richard
 
I use this method quite often. Before I started honing straight razors I had some experience honing kitchen knives. Japanese and others that is. These blades are honed free handed which requires you to keep the correct honing angle without any support. The whole thing gets a bit easier if you increase the honing angle slightly when you get to the polishing stages. By doing so you basically put a secondary bevel on the edge.
So when I got into straights it seemed logical to me to transfer this technique to my razors. I put on the tape only before the very last polishing stone. This makes this last step much easier and facilitates the job quite a bit. I usually use a very thin tape for this. Just enough to lift the spine ever so slightly. Only for unicot I use a "thick" electrical tape.
I recommend this approach without reservations - especially to the novice honer.

Cheers
BlueDun
 
richmondesi said:
I've found that to be a necessary technique on a few razors :thumbup:
I've been notoriously experiencing strange shaves from this razor (it's a Swedish one). I don't know if this is because of the grind, the lack of stabilizer, or steel. HHT is just fine, but then it just doesn't cut as it's supposed to do. I plan to hone it using some steeper angle, and I'll let you know if it helped.

best regards,
Matt
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edv_neistrom.jpg
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I own one of these "Bartputzer 1930" razors, produced by Tuckmar (I'm a sucker for razors with "Bart" in their name :) ).

Here's a picture if exactly the same razor:
attachment.php


This is, as the one Matt showed, one of these lateral grinds, which is an unorthodox way to grind a razor. Instead of using abrasive wheels that revolved towards the spine, they used wheels that rotated with the spine. The results is a sort of easy to produce, faux-frameback. There is no transverse stabilizer and no longitudinal stabilizer either. I don't know if they needed to formulate the steel and it's temper for greater inherent stiffness, but it's not the greatest of shavers, in my opinion.

I don't think them Germans went though all the trouble grinding stabilizers for nothing...;)

Kind regards,
Bart.
 
Hello Bart et All,
Perhaps, that is the reason they were known as "Rattlers." If they had an equal width, thinner, sub spine ground toward the edge below the spine, those were known as "half rattlers." They were also manufactured by many of the English razor houses in the 19th century and now have become almost a visual trademark of the Swedish firms. I have found the Swedes' difficult to hone a shaving edge upon; but once shaving, the edges are long lasting. A pasted stop does help after honing. They also corrode readily. Perhaps, the Steel they were made from has a grain structure that allows sub-micro chipping. They are certainly tempered very hard. I believe that the reason for their popularity as a grind was the ease of sharpening compared to the wedges and quarter hollows that were common in those times. Also, The Swedish folks made a great deal of money by export of their ores and steels. There could be a reason to use as little as possible at home??
11Sm.jpg

Respectfully
~Richard
 
Rattlers are supposedly called that because of the sound they make while shaving. I don't know first hand since I've never had one.
 
True, but probably depend upon one's type of beard. Same , I guess, for "singing" razors. My face scares them into speechlessness!:lol:
Respectfully
~Richard
 
Rattler, that's a very good description. Whenever I shave with it I have a feeling of shaving by means of a can lid. I Unicotted it yesterday using three layers of tape, but it did nothing to this thin metal strip sensation. It's such a shame this beauty doesn't get on with my stubble.

regards,
Matt
 
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