Thread: still frustrated but still workin on it

So...me n my wife who also has some experience with straight razors...we both tried for 3 hours yesterday to get an good bevel set on one my razors..tried everything Glenn did on youtube...went on 1k for 2 hours..then 4k thinking the bevel was there..yea the whole razor looked shiny and pretty..though that was probably from the 8k polisher..I get "the idea" of what to do and how its done but..feels like a "middle step" is missing..make sense?..I can shave with a properly honed razor by a pro in about 15-20 minutes..so thats not an issue..its "getting" to that end result
about halfway into a full test shave..my razor would get dull completely

ST

Just looking at the bevel you will not be able to tell if it was set correctly or not. when you are done on the 1k level how do you determine the bevel is set?
Apart from bevel setting issues, usually those kinds of problems are related to the edge being too fragile and not being able to last full shave, if this is the case you can add a layer of tape and see if that will solve the problem.

ohh...forgot to mention..I ALWAYS use black electrical tape with my razors before honing ;-)

Originally Posted by smalltank

ohh...forgot to mention..I ALWAYS use black electrical tape with my razors before honing ;-)

What kind of razor is the one in question?

5/8 Henn Swedish Steel razor

Without watching three hours seems way too long.

Hone for five min a grit only (average).
Use a light touch...

Strop with care. Light and smooth...

The magic marker test can often tell you if you are honing evenly.
Wipe some marker ink that is easy for you to see and let it
dry for a min. Then one hone stroke then inspect under a
bright light.

went 5 minutes with double tape on 1k..made sure the stone was clean and smooth n flat..the light that I see down the edge and blade is perfectly shiny..but still isnt sharp..still feels prickley and doesnt grab my fingers like a SHARP edge

Originally Posted by smalltank

went 5 minutes with double tape on 1k..made sure the stone was clean and smooth n flat..the light that I see down the edge and blade is perfectly shiny..but still isnt sharp..still feels prickley and doesnt grab my fingers like a SHARP edge

Try one lap with magic marker ink on the edge and no tape.
You should see a thin ink line.
Next add tape and all the line should vanish.

This is one place where a cats whisker or hair can let you
notice the areas where there are differences. It will skate
on dull and slightly catch where sharp is close.

And yes a thumb pad or thumb nail touch can do
the same thing at 1K.