Thread: Interesting Blog about Edge Development.

Glenn, I just received notification from YouTube that your videos have been pulled and are being reviewed for statistical accuracy.

This has been an interesting thread and I have learned something. But either way the pics are cool. Thanks Ken for the link

From his updates this year it seems that he has done quite a bit of honing since he started the blog. The images will help most people, provided you read the descriptions with them entirely and the comments from the author at the bottom. I tried his theory with microconvexing the edge after a 4k stone with Flitz on denim, then a 0.5 or 0.25 paste on leather. It does provide a good quality shave without much honing to begin with. It's nice to see what actually happens at each grit with both edge-leading and edge-trailing strokes, and the effect of stropping on the micron level.

I am fairly new to straight razor honing, so I may still be somewhat ignorant on the subject. But I do know that over the past year or so, I found myself watching many videos and studying various methods of honing, and nothing seemed to give my razors a decent edge. I became very frustrated. Then I stumbled upon the Science of Sharp Blog and used the "Simple Straight Razor Honing technique" (title outlined in red on the blog). I must say this technique of back honing, denim stropping with polish compound, and .25 diamond stropping gives absolutely fantastic results!

So my advice to any people new to honing and having difficulty, is try the "Simple Straight Razor Honing" technique described on the blog. I wish I had stumbled upon the blog a year earlier, because it would have saved me many hours of searching for various honing methods, none of which seemed to work very well. The Simple Straight Razor Honing method is such a simple method, and I can now produce an edge just as sharp and shave just as well as razors that I have received from SRD, Livi, and other professionals.

Good job finding a method that works for you, Vivaldi. Part of the fun of honing is discovering and developing a repertoire of techniques and tricks that give you a great edge.

As I like to say, there are many roads to sharp.

Originally Posted by Vivaldi

I am fairly new to straight razor honing, so I may still be somewhat ignorant on the subject. But I do know that over the past year or so, I found myself watching many videos and studying various methods of honing, and nothing seemed to give my razors a decent edge. I became very frustrated. Then I stumbled upon the Science of Sharp Blog and used the "Simple Straight Razor Honing technique" (title outlined in red on the blog). I must say this technique of back honing, denim stropping with polish compound, and .25 diamond stropping gives absolutely fantastic results!

So my advice to any people new to honing and having difficulty, is try the "Simple Straight Razor Honing" technique described on the blog. I wish I had stumbled upon the blog a year earlier, because it would have saved me many hours of searching for various honing methods, none of which seemed to work very well. The Simple Straight Razor Honing method is such a simple method, and I can now produce an edge just as sharp and shave just as well as razors that I have received from SRD, Livi, and other professionals.

Glad you found a method that works for you. Personally I don't care for the idea of intentionally putting a burr/foiled edge on the blade, but that's just me. Long as you're happy with the results that's what matters at the end of the day.

Part of me wonders what's simpler - a good 1 > 3/4/5 > 8K > Linen > Leather progression, or his 1K > 6K > pasted denim > Diamond paste progression. Might depend on your skill with a strop VS a hone? I certainly know I'm better with the latter than the former, but I'm improving both skillsets slowly.

I know I'm coming very late to this party, but there is a point being missed that Marshal above hints at. We have all learned to avoid overhoning and creating a wire-edge, and we do that by using edge-leading strokes, accepting that while no burr will form the edge will be chipped in accordance with the abrasive in the hone. Hence the progression to finer hones. Child's play! This guy is simply saying there is an alternative - cut your bevel, create a tall, thin burr deliberately, break it off and then burnish the very apex with a paste. This is going to consume more metal, but does it work? Over the years I have come across a few razors that were simply awful to hone. Maybe half a dozen out of the hundreds I have ( I know....but many of you followed me down that road!). So I have been trying it out, and I have to say that this is something you might try out when a razor is being difficult. Even the TI 8/8 damascus (one of five made for the old Yahoo SRP group) that I could never get to shave, and which was sent to Lynn with success, seems to have responded. I don't believe in miracles either, but, you know - gift horse/teeth etc? If it works it's another tool in the box.

Chris