Thread: Sharpening Experiment, anyone?

Leighton,

Thanks for the vote of confidence! Shipping to Taiwan isn't all that expensive, you know.... I have reed knife customers that ship them here from all over the world. Shipping from NY is about $10, and there is also the Priority mail small international flat rate box, which is $12.95 for up to 4 lbs.

I would love to take you up on your offer, but only after I conduct my experiment with the cheapo razors. First, it will give me some practice on some brand new blades. Second, even if they don't last for a shave, I should at least be able to get them "sharp". Thirdly, I am very curious about the difference the directions of scratch marks make in a shave - I will be posting a thread asking that soon.

My ebay knives are on the way, and I am anxious to begin! Oddly, no one else bid on those razors.......

I have conducted experiments like you are talking about with thousands of razors for quite some time and with virtually every stone or hone that has been introduced. Others have as well with maybe not as many razors, but there is a ton of information out there on all these stones already. Never hurts to repeat and some folks, particularly our HAD addicts really have fun with this.

Feel free to call me any time after the hip surgery to talk about all the fun.

Good luck,

Lynn

I have seen many comparisons between hones and most of them always try to create one stable factor, the number of strokes. The number of strokes on every hone is the same.

I've always thought that was the silliest way to compare hones I could ever think of. Always makes me wonder if the person doing the testing knows anything about hones or honing at all.

Its like, lets drive 10 cars at 55 mph and see which one is the fastest.

I guess I have been doing something similar in that I hone many different razors with various different combinations of hones. I haven't approached it from a scientific point of view. Just trying to learn to hone well and get a better shave. I tend to go for quality new and vintage razors though and no knives. Look forward to reading of your results.

Lynn, I didn't know you were going in for hip surgery. Best of luck and I hope all goes well and you're back on your feet in no time.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I have seen many comparisons between hones and most of them always try to create one stable factor, the number of strokes. The number of strokes on every hone is the same.

I've always thought that was the silliest way to compare hones I could ever think of. Always makes me wonder if the person doing the testing knows anything about hones or honing at all.

Its like, lets drive 10 cars at 55 mph and see which one is the fastest.

I like to shoot for the number of strokes on a hone Alan. Even though most times I get a ball park and the different hones produce a different amount of strokes, I like to see if I can get some consistency with each particular hone. Personal opinion only.

Lynn

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I guess I have been doing something similar in that I hone many different razors with various different combinations of hones. I haven't approached it from a scientific point of view. Just trying to learn to hone well and get a better shave. I tend to go for quality new and vintage razors though and no knives. Look forward to reading of your results.

Lynn, I didn't know you were going in for hip surgery. Best of luck and I hope all goes well and you're back on your feet in no time.

I missed this one. No knives for me either.

Yep on the hip. 11 AM tomorrow morning. Be out for about a week.

Have fun and thank you!

Lynn

Good luck Lynn!

Hope the new hip works better than the old one!



Back on topic,
While I can understand that different hones require different strokes, pun intended. The number of strokes is still another variable. By limiting the number of strokes, the experimenter can determine the agressiveness of the hone. However, I do agree that the testing should not end there. Once the agressiveness of the hone has been determined, the "final polish" ability of the hone should then be tested. The edge should be examined under microscope and pictures taken so that us amateurs may oooh and aahh at the pictures and make our unscientific determinations as to how "smooth" the edge looks.

In the end, it probably just comes down to personal preference. For the average person, the 12k requiring 3x as many strokes as the Shapton or whatever stone you want to compare it to, will work in the end. Whereas the person who hones more than one razor a week will definitely want something more agressive.

Actually, I'm sort of interested in which stones offer the best compromise between agressiveness and smoothness. I know, its probably like everything else in life, 3 options, choose two.

edit:
There is also only so much comparison that can be done between natural hones. They aren't exactly identical to begin with.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I have seen many comparisons between hones and most of them always try to create one stable factor, the number of strokes. The number of strokes on every hone is the same.

I've always thought that was the silliest way to compare hones I could ever think of. Always makes me wonder if the person doing the testing knows anything about hones or honing at all.

Its like, lets drive 10 cars at 55 mph and see which one is the fastest.

That is so true!

I have come to the conclusion that the answer to everything sharpening is "it depends".

There are so many variables, as mentioned in the posts thus far, and many more, including folklore (which includes curses, voodoo, amulets, potions, etc...), nationalities, the phase of the moon, wind speed and blood type (both of the user and sharpener).

And don't even get me started on political and religious affiliations vs. sharpening...

This is why I love the art of sharpening so much. Every tool requires it's own solution, and you can't get complacent, no matter how much you think you know. (I suppose I say that because I think I look like a sharpening fool when I post questions, blog entries that show my incompetence or want to do my little experiments)

BTW, I hope your procedure goes well, Lynn, and that you have a speedy recovery! It would be funny if you brought your own razor for them to shave the area....(maybe they have wireless in the hospital, too....)

Joel on B&B has extensively written about his honing experiments, IIRC he bought 12 identical DOVOs and started honing them on various mainly natural hones.

Joel on B&B has extensively written about his honing experiments, IIRC he bought 12 identical DOVOs and started honing them on various mainly natural hones.

Kees,

I checked that out before. It is an excellent, objective post, and it answered a lot of questions that I have. But, as a sharpener, nothing compares to what I will learn by doing it myself. I also have the luxury of choosing between Shapton pros and glass, which is really what I want to know. How will each blade respond, and is there one better suited for this specific task?

Thanks!