Thread: Tales of the Nippon Honing Miracle Worker

Hello thebigspendur,

your experience with honing the japanes razor is like mine. After honing with the soft arkansas hone it was possible to shave the hair of my forearm.
So I started with my blue belgian hone. I think I need a lot of patience but more and more surface looks polished. But a couple of peaces aren't polished.
How did I hone? 25 times at the convex side, 2 times at the concave side. So it doesn't disturb the symmetrie. Wenn it looks polished, then about 12 times each side with turning over the spine. I learned this from someone from the german forum.
So far my experience. I will go on. The steel takes a lot of my faith because of its hardness.

With kind regards, Paysbas

Nelson, what is the standard ratio for Japanese blades; 3:1?

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Nelson, what is the standard ratio for Japanese blades; 3:1?

Yea thats about it though after this experience I'm starting to wonder if it really matters.

Originally Posted by Paysbas

Hello thebigspendur,

your experience with honing the japanes razor is like mine. After honing with the soft arkansas hone it was possible to shave the hair of my forearm.
So I started with my blue belgian hone. I think I need a lot of patience but more and more surface looks polished. But a couple of peaces aren't polished.
How did I hone? 25 times at the convex side, 2 times at the concave side. So it doesn't disturb the symmetrie. Wenn it looks polished, then about 12 times each side with turning over the spine. I learned this from someone from the german forum.
So far my experience. I will go on. The steel takes a lot of my faith because of its hardness.

With kind regards, Paysbas

Your honing ratio's are off from the recommended ones however if you have to redo the bevel the normal ratios for general touchup and minimal honing are out the window. You have to hone until you get the result you need to get. As far as the uneven polished areas thats because with japanese razors the Convex side is in full contact with the hone at all times and any uneven honing will be really accentuated and/or the razor is not even and so it gets polished like that. Actually I have some foam polishing blocks I use for watch polishing which can be used to even the polish when your done if your looking for brushed or satin type polish finish.

Hello thebigspendur,

I read more times what you wrote but I heaven't seen what is the recommended ratio of strokes. Can you write me about the ratio of strokes?

with best regards, Paysbas

Originally Posted by Paysbas

Hello thebigspendur,

I read more times what you wrote but I heaven't seen what is the recommended ratio of strokes. Can you write me about the ratio of strokes?

with best regards, Paysbas

Its about 3 to 1. More strokes on the concave side to fewer strokes on the convex side but thats for touchups and minor honing. If your doing some edge restoration I wouldn't worry about it. Notice I say about. I've learned that nothing is written in stone and like honing western razors people starting out follow pyramids and other rigid regimens but as you do more you adapt and its the same here. But thats the recommended ratio using a 12K Hone and back and forth strokes with considerable downward pressure on the hone.

How about taping the spine or use a metal U-shaped spine cover?

Originally Posted by Kees

How about taping the spine or use a metal U-shaped spine cover?

the problem is on the convex side the entire razor comes in contact with the hone and you have to use some pressure as you hone. So you have to actually tape the entire razor not just the spine and that really changes the angle. I tried it and quickly got tired of changing the tape every few strokes, and you have to do a lot of strokes. Also the razor surface is usually not even which creates its own problems. Then because of the asymmetric sides do you tape say one layer of tape on one side and multiple layers on the other? It almost becomes a Rube Goldberg problem.

Hello thebigspendur,

I honed a couple of hours on the soft arkansas hone. The convex side is even after a couple of hours. I think this is important when I have to hone or to strop in the future. The steel is very hard and the convex side completely touch the hone. So I think I must hone like a wedge razor. The other concave side should be hone like a complete hollow razor. The concave side needs only a few strokes.
Now my Kiku Hiro razor looks good an the convex side is even. So I can go on on my Blue Belgian an my Thuringian Hone.
After the Hones the japanese razor becomes a Balsawood stropping. At first with a chomoxid paste, after these the natural balsawood side.
I'm sure this razor will be very good.

with best regards, Paysbas

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Its about 3 to 1. More strokes on the concave side to fewer strokes on the convex side but thats for touchups and minor honing. If your doing some edge restoration I wouldn't worry about it. Notice I say about. I've learned that nothing is written in stone and like honing western razors people starting out follow pyramids and other rigid regimens but as you do more you adapt and its the same here. But thats the recommended ratio using a 12K Hone and back and forth strokes with considerable downward pressure on the hone.

thebigspendur,

this was very helpfull for me. Today I honed my japanese razor like your description. While honing at the 4000 grit it is already sharp.