Thread: Honing Help

Would crox calm down an edge that was finished on .25 diamond paste? I have several razors that were finished on the .25 and my face won't tolerate it. I get bad irritation.

Yes it will, you want to strop about 20 laps on the .50 Cr then go back to yer linen and leather 50/100 that should SMmmooooooth her right up...

I just had to do the same thing on a W&B for myself, the Sheffield steel would not handle the .25 whereas I find most American and Solingen steels I like with that fine of an edge... .25 diamond works on some razors just great, and on others creates a very harsh shave for me....

Thanks Glen, That's why I'm keepin' a log....

+1 on what Glen said...but you don't have to limit that routine to just harsh edges. I finish every honing session with 25 cr, 25 linen, 50 latigo, and 50 leather. If you don't have a pasted strop then 50 linen, 100 latigo, and 100 leather will still get you in the smoothness ballpark.

I was talking to Randy about that the other day. Bart had posted about going back in the progression 1 grit level to smooth out a sharp edge if it is too harsh. Randy said that he had done that too and it was a good approach.

I had sharpened a Heljestrand with a natural coticule. Blue with slurry followed by yellow with water. Stropped and shaved with him and it was a decent shave but nothing to write home about. The following day I received a 16k GlassStone and took the Helje to it and did 30 laps. Stropped and shaved and it was better but not "there" yet.

Following day back to the 16k for another round of 30 laps and shaved. Super sharp but felt like a Feather in a DE slant feels for the first shave. I could have hit it on the chrom ox or the 0.5 diamond spray but I wanted to see what happened if I followed Bart's advice and used a good yellow coticule.

The following day I did 30 round trips with water only on a Deep Rock coticule with just the weight of the blade. Smoothed the harshness right out of it but it remained super sharp. Point being it can be done with the hones too.Just another arrow in the quiver.

Thanks Jimmy, I'm having great success with my Coticules and Barber hones. My skin will not tolerate the .25 Diamond Paste. I haven't used my other 1.0 or .5 either. I'm wondering if I'll be OK with those, I may sell my pasted flatbeads, or re leather them. Not sure yet. I'm really getting away from the pastes, except CRO2, I have an array of hones and I really enjoy them, especially my vintage barber hones. I have some vintage barber hones and I have no idea what they are, but they give phenomanal results. I mean, there not Swaty's or anything, just little handheld jobs. They work great.....

Originally Posted by AusTexShaver

+1 on what Glen said...but you don't have to limit that routine to just harsh edges. I finish every honing session with 25 cr, 25 linen, 50 latigo, and 50 leather. If you don't have a pasted strop then 50 linen, 100 latigo, and 100 leather will still get you in the smoothness ballpark.

That's pretty darn close to my routine....with the Cr, then cotton, then latigo 50, 25 on honey leather...

A lot of times the chromium oxide will make an edge finished on the .5 diamond feel better too. Really depends on the razor. Most are fine on the .5 diamond, but when they are not just there the chromium brings them around.

Lynn