Speed honing....

[kaptain_zero]

OK, I eluded to playing around with a speed honing technique in the "Hone of the day" thread, so I thought I should post what I'm playing with here.

This is not a method to produce a traditional edge... this is for lazy or busy people, like myself, who can hone the old fashioned way, but just can't seem to find the time to do it!

With that out of the way, here's what I do right now:

1 layer of tape, set bevel on 1K Naniwa Professional (utilizing the brown turd slurry if needed) until the bevel is fully set and then joint (often called *kill* on this forum) the edge so it's straight with no burrs left behind.

I then remove the tape and reset the bevel on a cleaned 1K hone and bare spine until it's good and sharp again.

Now I add 2 layers of electrical tape and go straight to a 12K Naniwa SS or a 16K Shapton or one of my natural finishers and hone until I have a tiny but smooth and sharp secondary bevel equal to what I can produce the regular way. It shaves the same as a traditional honed edge, it's quick to touch up (just remember to use 2 layers of tape) and seems to work just as well for my daily shaves.

It can also be a handy trick for those razors you can't seem to get shaving sharp and you're wondering if it's the razor or you? You can quickly get a great shaving edge to prove the razor is fine, then go back to doing it the old way until it comes together for you as you now know it just needs more time on the hones.

I would never suggest this method for honing a razor for someone else as it would be impossible to touch up quickly without the 2 layers of the same tape. But for the lazy, short of time, kind of guy that I am.... it works pretty good!

Yes, before you say it... I AM aware that when my secondary bevel gets to maybe half the width of the 1K bevel, I will have to start over again and spend more time on the bevel set... but, it does go quick on the brown slurry and not having to use all the intermediate hones, makes for a quick day at the hones to get back to shaving sharp.

I should point out that at this point in time, I ONLY do this with my daily, cheap and grungy, razors... not my prized possessions.


Regards

Christian