Swedish 4/8" Wedge

Won this Swedish Gufstasson 4/8" smiling face wedge on the Bay and hoped it would be shave ready. It wasn't even close. I was a bit worried as it looked really refurbished and polished to the nines. I was hoping the temper wasn't affected as it didn't want to lay quite flat on the hone. Add in the full wedge, plus the smile, PLUS hard ass Swedish steel and I knew I was in for some work. I was. I also noticed there were NO hone marks on the spine which made me suspicious. Old blades, especially wedges, are notorious for having lots of hone wear on the spine.

The old timers never taped their blades to sharpen them.

First I just tried to touch it up on the Oozuku with some slurry, yesterday but that didn't seem to help at all so today I started over and decided to tape it, with TWO LAYERS FROM THE START to acquiese to the Wedge gods which seem to always demand the damn things get taped to hone.

So two layers of tape and onto the BBW Nouvell vein coticule. NOTHING! Lots of circles and half strokes and X strokes and I could tell the blade didn't like the stone. SO

Onto the Cretan hone with DMT slurry and the same circles and half strokes. Better but not making good contact with the stone so I decide I need to start from the start. Took off all tape and soaked my Chosera 800. Get it right from the start.

Chosera 800 for half strokes with slurry. Lots of swarf and lots of reps. starting to shave arm hair. Now we're getting somewhere.

Cretan hone on slurry. advanced the edge. two refreshes.

Welsh Thuringian; something told me it would like this so I brought it out. DMT slurry and the blade DID like it. Went well but I had to focus on working lots of individual sections of the blade as it must have some warp in it.

then I went to Oozuku with soft uchi, then tomonagura then hard uchi slurry and the edge declined.:((

So I went back to WT and slurry and brought it back the keenness. SInce it seems to like Euro slate I took out the Chinese 12 k on water and it worked well there. Definitely advanced the edge

Then finished with Uchi ( more slate like)on water for 40 laps of X strokes
then 35 on linen
50 on leather
25 on palm

I don't think it's perfect yet but it should shave decently. There are still some spots near the  toe that aren't right but we'll  see.

SHAVE REPORT


MUCH MUCH BETTER BUT STILL NOT PERFECT. I THINK IT WILL TAKE A FEW TRIPS TO THE HONE TO REALLY EVEN THIS OUT BUT I GOT THROUGH MY WHOLE FACE AND IT WAS A DECENT SHAVE. FINISHED UP WITH THE 13/16 W& B Chopper.