Thread: Honing newb...Feels like my blade "bit" the hone

Trying to ge a satisfactory sharpness from the small 3/8 Filarmonica blade ($40 semi-practice investment), and it most certainly needed honing.
I started with a pyramid, but during one of my last runs on the 8000, the blade seemed to have caught into the rock. I did not feel I was putting much pressure, but who knows.
Does this sound like overhoning or perhaps just an unsteady hand/angle?
I started getting the blade to the point it feels like it's cutting into the nail just slightly, but never get it to the sharpness my Theirs-Issard came shipped at.
Is it typical for a new blade to require a heck of a lot to get it at the ready-to-strop sharpness? (I mean a 10/10 and lower then second pyramid starting at 8 strokes either didn't do the trick or overdid it).

On average, would it be uncommon to have to go 20+ strokes on the 4000? Is it safer to stay at 8000 and go more slowly?

(btw I did order Lynn's DVD, I accept the option of just waiting on that :P)

I am not a honing expert but I might suggest you re-lap your hone, assuming you lapped it before you started. What were you using to lubricate your hone? Water?? Make sure you keep it nice and wet. I have found that a little shaving lather works better and creates a "slicker" surface.

Just my $.02

I think the size of the blade factored in, I'm no putting pressure on the blade, and that 3/8 Doble-temple might not be providing enough weight on itself to provide notable results soon enough to give me confidence.
I tried the larger 7/8 Doble-temple and I can see an improvement as I do a pyramid then strop. I'm gonna shave with it as it is now, and see if I gotta hone and strop again.

The little blade's a pain in my neck though, I can't seem to get a feel for how it's coming along.

btw I'm using a new Norton 4000/8000 w/ water. I also have a barber hone for what it's worth.

I had a very similar problem to you and just recently experienced some great success. You should definately lap the hone befory you use it. There should be instructions that came with your Norton on how to do this as well as lots of info in the honing section. Also make sure that you round the edges of the Norton stone because sharp edges make it easier to damage your razor's edge.

I do not think that a new razor should need anything close to a 10-10 pyramid to get it sharp. My problem was that I was not using enough pressure on the hone. In my experience some light even pressure is needed in order to make sure that the razor stays on the hone the whole way through and also remove a small amount of metal in order to shape and polish the bevel. If you have Lynn's DVD you can see that when he hones he is removing a small amount of metal from the razor on both the 4K and 8K side of the Norton.

So my advice would be to use light pressure, but just enought to make sure that the razor stays on the hone and removes a small amount of metal throughout the stroke. Some people may dissagree with me; however, this small adjustment made all the difference in the world to me and I am now getting very sharp edges and smooth shaves. You are probably experiencing more success with the 7/8 blade since it is heavier and easier to keep even on the hone. You will probably have to add a little pressure to the smaller blade to compensate for it's lack of mass.

If you are still having problems feel free to PM me or give me a call and I can try to help you through it. I am definately not an expert yet; however, your problem seems very similar to the one that I was having not too long ago.

By the way. How do you like the 7/8ths blade. I am very tempted to order one.

David

I think the 7/8s will be my favorite once I get it sharp as my TI Super Gnome currently is. I thought I'd prefer the smaller size of the 3/8(#10) but the size and weight of the 7/8 is actually making my new hands feel more sure-handed and smooth as I shave.

I should take a day off.

A new razors bevel should be just fine. Usually I use no 4K strokes at all. Sometimes I like to add 2 or 3. Starting at 10/10 then moving to 8/8, while not wrong is probably too much. After all, did you look at the bevel first?

Since this is a 3/8 I would suggest you send it out. There is precious little blade to work with. If you want you can send it to me and I'll look at it and send you a PM with exactly what is going on first, then fix it. That way you'll know what was happening.

Otherwise, just try and fix the bevel and get back to it.

I can't say I've ever made the intuitive leap that a blade that bites a hone is overhoned. Maybe you lifted the blade a touch.

I like to try, try really hard to let everyone do whatever they want. But trying to judge the sharpness of a blade with the thumbnail test is really asking a lot from yourself.

A thumbnail test would be good to do now so you know if its overhoned or not. Your better off using a thumb pad test to check for pure sharpness. Its true, bite is pretty important against the nail. But its hard to read against your nail, takes experience.

New razors come in varying degrees of sharpness. Some are very close to shave ready and some not. I have about 10 TIs I bought new and all save the damascus were very good shavers out of the box. Unless you got a really bad sample my opinion is you should NEVER have to use the 4K on a new blade. The 8K or higher is all you should ever have to use. On average I use about 60 passes on the belgian coticule with most of my new razors. Some a little more and some a little less. It depends how much pressure your using.

If you hit the stone with the blade your technique is off. Either there is too much pressure or your stroke is uneven. I hope you first practiced with a junk razor before starting with a good blade.

I got it!
I think my major setback was lack of confidence and fear of the overhoning I'd heard of and my inept handling of that small paddle strop, undoing the work I'd done on the hone.
I got the 3" hanging strop from thewellshavedgentleman.com and it's excellent.
After 30-40 passes on that thing the shave is a completely different experience after the hone.
(the bonus beginner strop is appreciated as well).
...think about what's happening to the blade as you hone, strop pretty much went through my head.

I stuck with 8k and finished with a few strokes on a barber hone and my TI Super Gnome and Filarmonica 7/8 Doble-Tempe each shaved so-so on first try then much improved after honing on the barber stone and stropping once more. Each finished 1/2 of my face just fine. Now I get to hone lightly and try again until it stops improving, which is where I was hoping to be. I like the 7/8 a lot.

I go have the 3/8 to contend with, the bevel isn't evenly sharp, and an old ebay buy with a spine that isn't very even, probably out of my hands but it's gonna be fun seeing where I can get with it.

Lynn's DVD is excellent btw, indispensible, IMO; dollar-for-dollar the best investment I made in this endeavor. With the DVD, some time, facial cells, and finally a self-honed blade or two I shaved comfortably with, I finally feel like Im catching on. Since I feel like I'm learning, I will be sure to send out future acquisitions to be honed by th resident experts. (sometimes I like learning the hard way I guess).