i dont know if it was honed with tape initially but i used tape when i honed it
If you could post a video of you honing it'd be worth evaluating. I do use two hands, one finger on the toe, but very light.
You've done what you've done now, but I can't help wondering why you dived straight to a 4k? Of course, you might have shaved with it for a year without honing for all I know, but as tempting as it may be, one should (in my opinion) use the least 'invasive' option first. You may have found 20 laps on the 8k would have brought the edge back.
It sounds to me that maybe you're now right back to a bevel setting stage; and with all due respect that may at this stage be beyond you.
I would suggest sending it back out to be brought back to shave ready, and then next time it starts to tug, etc, just doing a few on the 8; or even buying a higher grit stone to refresh the edge.
I'm NO expert, but I've always honed my own razors, and have kept them all shave ready for two years. Generally, I only get the Norton 4/8 out once or twice a year, unless I get a new razor i want to set my own bevel on. The rest of the time (maybe every two to three months for each razor) it's a minimal (10 - 20) laps on the Shapton 16k...
I do hope this helps.
This is where I disagree with common knowledge.
I have never been able to get arm hair to pop on anything less than an 8k. I have however gotten it after the 8k and have honed several dozen this way, all great shavers.
I would not say pop, I mean easily cut a single hair using different points alone the blade. It is the only test I do and use it to see if my bevel is set when using either a 1K or 3K Nani as a bevel setter. I don't do any other tests of hair cutting at the higher grit levels. Each to their own way I suppose. Regardless I still would suspect an unset bevel. Then again being a beginner at honing what do I know.
Bob
The Bevel has to be set ... Period, there is no shortcut..
There are 3 tests that are used to check a bevel set from toe to heel
TNT = Thumb Nail Test
AHT = Arm Hair Test
TPT = Thumb Pad Test
You have to develop one of these to work ABSOLUTELY without doubt for you, having more then one is better, but not everyone can use all of them effectively, in my case the TNT and the AHT never fail me, the TPT is not reliable enough for me to use...
You can use a DE blade to test your tests and see what the feel should be like, but you have to get the bevel absolutely set otherwise you are doing nothing but polishing the sides of the bevel.. Once you learn how to set a bevel, honing becomes way easier, and more of a matter of learning when enough is enough :)
This is an entire thread dedicated to using only the Norton 4/8 to hone razors, there is more information packed into this one place then you will ever need or want :p
http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...on-2012-a.html
Good call, I have not been able to tree top arm hair with any blade, freshly pro honed or my own. Old or very fine hair may not tree top at all. I do get HHT flop overs though. But for the HHT, I use a human hair wig I picked up during a special at a beauty supply store.
YMMV
~Richard