why wont my razor sharpen!?

hey guys i have a crappy b&b razor i got for doin exactly this. PRACTICING HONING! i have a 1000/4000 grit norton waterstone that i try to sharpen it with. i worked witht he 1000 then when i thought it was sharp enough i went to the 4000 but it just wont sharpen! its not even close to shaving sharp. def didnt work with the hanging hair test. i followed the techniques of a bunch of videos i saw and i thought i did everytihing right it just wont get sharp i worked on it painstackinlgy for like an hour checking it constantly and it never got sharp?!?! : ( pelease help

Welcome to SRP. Is it your first time honing a razor ? The 1k is the bevel setter and the 4k sharpens. To get shaving sharp usually in conjunction with the 8k in a pyramid or progression. Learning to hone takes some practice. The condition of the razor to start, knowing how to set the bevel properly and using the TNT along with some magnification to see the condition of the edge as you go along.

The marker test for starters to see if your edge is making contact all the way across the hone with the stroke you are using..... the amount of pressure you are using. There is a lot to it and it is hard to say without seeing the blade.

Post a photo and that may help us help you. Have you read the honing tutorials in the SRP Wiki here ? BTW, the HHT is the last thing you need to worry about right now. Will the edge shave arm hair for the full length ?

+1 Jimmy . I want to say what is B&B razor ? is that name in our don't buy list on wiki / if yes then forget about to get that blade shave ready but you can make it sharp.
at first and most important is set the bevel. then you can move up. go to 1k stone for setting bevel and move on to 4/8k so on.Gl

Exactly what Jimmy said!

You really shouldn't try to learn "honing" from a video. At best you can only learn a good stroke. In my profession we call that an enabling objective.

You need to study up on honing with these questions in mind:

• What am I trying to achieve when I'm honing
• What is the 4K supposed to do?
• How do I test to decide if the razor is getting sharp?
• What is the objective in moving up in grit?
• What does my razor look like under a microscope?
• What does a correctly sharpened blade look like?
• How much stropping do I usually need to do to get an already sharp blade shaving?
• If the razor is shaving, what do I need to do to make it really, really sharp?
• How do I apply an appropriate bevel to a dull razor?
• How do I hone the bevel tighter and tighter so that the edge is uniform and will support additional sharpness?
• What does sharp really mean?
• What amount of smoothness do I need to get a good shave?

Just as an aside you really, really, need to get passed the idea that "you did everything right". Break out your epiphany stick, hit yourself on the head, and say "I must have done something wrong!"

It will not ever actually POP an edge...

The B&B is one of "those" razors compares to a Krieger / Master

You can still practice the stroke, but if you get an edge to pop on one stone it will disapear on the next....

Sorry :boohoo:

However some great advice posted above for another razor,,

BTW I know I have at least one real razor at the house you can practice honing on, send me a PM if ya want one...

hey i posted this before but now i have pictures. but basiccaly i have a crappy B&B razor that i wanna sharpen and i have a 1000/4000 norton. ive watched every video there is and read every article and cannot get it to eve come close to shaving sharp get a straight edge. my edge goes farther up the blade is some places and lower in others! i cant get it even and this is the second blade ive tryed it on. the edge is always higher (as in closer to the spine) then it is anywhere else andt hats the only place is ever becomes remotely sharp. i do X patterns and sometimes i also just do straight down. here are some pictures as u can see if u look closely ther blade is not even at all and i dont kno why this happens. however the side with the lettering the blade IS even? my stone is brand new, just received it yesterday and the way im holdinjg in the pic is not how i hold it while honing it was simply to show u the blade and how it rests on the stone. please help a newbie! i would like th shave witht his thanks : )
3 picture by BScott1122 - Photobucket
2 picture by BScott1122 - Photobucket
1 picture by BScott1122 - Photobucket

three things come to mind...
your hone may need lapping
you are using uneven pressure
and you will not get shaving sharp off a 1k/4k

if you are holding it while honing as you are in the first picture on the 1k side you will definitely be applying way too much pressure... you barely need more then the weight of the blade.

i would recommend that you view Lynn's youtube video some more.

i think the biggest problem is your razor. i'm pretty sure it's a letter-opener type

I'm not familiar with the razor but the general consensus of those that are is that it isn't a quality tool and won't ever be satisfactory. You might want to go back to the other thread and reread what was suggested to you in that thread. I doubt if you're going to get better advice opening the topic in another thread. :shrug:

Sorry as you mention crappy razor don't waste your time please.

I have merged your two threads together for you... To keep all your info in one place....

I have a complete set of hones and still have trouble getting my razors shaving sharp simply because I don't have a ton of experience. My advice is to read up in the wiki on how to best use your norton, and just keep trying. Don't burn yourself out trying to get it super sharp three days in a row, but just give it time.

Also, if you have any money to spare invest in some CrOx (the green paste) to use on the linen/canvas side of your strop. I've seen numerous posts about people shaving just fine with nothing but a pyramid on their norton and a good finishing on a treated strop.

However, that straight razor brand is pretty much junk and listed as an avoided brand here at SRP - so you'll probably just want to get a new one instead of wearing down your hone and ending up having to lap earlier then you would have with a nice straight.

thanks to my new best friend gssixgun lol i have another chance. we tlked a little and hes nice enough to send me a razor i can practice on and he is absolutely selfless and helps me to get to kno how to hone and use straight razors so i can one day do what hes doing and help newbs like me! thanks a ton gssixgun!