Hello! and Is it supposed to be this terrifying/thrilling?

Okay, I've been trolling this site long enough; time to get my feet wet.
And all ready I'm in over my head!
I bought a shavette just to see if I had the nerve to shave with it. Thank you all for the expert advice! Working slowly, the first shave only had a few nicks, and over a week, I worked up to the WTG,XTG,ATG three-pass technique.
Loved it! Went to the antique store. Bought a Dame & Stoddard "Hub" with a good hone, but kind of pitted blade. Brought it home, and couldn't wait to put a mirror polish on it. I should have waited. Nicked the blade with the dremel.
After cursing, saying a few Mea Culpa's and spending an afternoon learning how to remove nicks, I accomplished this with a diamond hone, 1200 wet/dry sandpaper on an aluminum honing block, 200 grit, 15 micron, 3 micron and .3 micron. Then stropped it on latigo leather. It WILL shave the hairs on my arm, but doesn't really want to.

I shaved with it. It cut the hairs, didn't nick too bad, but it feels like it's capable of more. I PVC-taped the spine while I was honing it. Would that hone it at an incorrect angle? I used about 100+ strokes on each grit. Was that too many? Not enough?

Any suggestions would be great. You don't know what a great resource you have been to a guy still nervous about the idea of fighting my hairy reflection with hard steel and hot lather! Thank you all!

100+ strokes on each is over kill. Taping the spine is fine. The key to honing is to get that bevel set on a 1k hone (it should be shaving arm hair with every part of the blade with out presure.) Everthing else is just polishing the edge up to a comfortable shave. Nomally 10 strokes is more than enough on each polishing hone (down the length and back is one stroke.)
And Yes its Terrifying/thrilling the first dozen times. Keep at it you will get the hang of it in no time.

Colin

100 on each you probably overhoned the crap out of it in my opinion, but I'm far from being an expert! For a rough guesstimate, once the edge looks clean (just scratches, no visible nicks) on the coarse try the pyramid method described in the library here starting at 10 or 15 strokes, maybe using your 15 & 3, followed by 20ish on the .3, strop & shave. if it isn't right go back to the pyramid. Do remember the fewer strokes you use the better. You're less likely to overhone & the razor will last much much longer.

I would recommend investing in a norton 4x8 and maybe a 12k or so water stone. That's what I have & I'm very happy with the results so far.

Thank you! I think the Norton 4+8 and a 12k are just what the doctor ordered! I'd feel bad killing a 100-year old razor.

I would recommend investing in a shave ready straight razor from the vendor of your choosing. Then spending the next month MINIMUM on shaving with it, and stropping it everyday. After that I'd say you still have a long way to go to a shaving sharp edge. But since I couldn't wait longer than a month to start trying to hone, I can't really tell you to wait any longer. Guess what? It still took me another 6-8 months to get it right. So I'd say in all honesty, pull in the reigns a little, and learn to use the equipment first. One week with a shavette is nowhere near enough time to have a clue about evaluating a razors edge for shaving. I do enjoy your enthusiasm though. :)

If I am reading your post right you:
1. You honed out the nick on a diamond hone.
2. Went to 1200 wet/dry paper
3. Then 200 grit
4. Then 15 micron paste
5. Then 3 micron paste
6. Then finished on .3 micron paste

If that is the case you have a couple issues.

First when you are finished on the 1200 wet/dry sand paper your bevel should be set and the blade should glide right thru arm hair at skin level.

Second you don't need the 200 grit

Third your paste are to spread out and a little high. Don't know if it will work but with what you have. Once the bevel is set. I would try 50 laps on the 15micron paste. Then 700 laps on the 3 micron. (at this point you probably could shave this would be like shaving a 6k stone not the best option but will work). Normally with a paste as fine as .3 I would only say 10 to 25 laps at most but with the jump between microns you are making I would probably go with about 100 laps.

A couple suggestion if you plan on continuing to sharpen with paste.

1. Get a low lvl stone around 1k for setting bevels. If money is an issue a norton coarse/ fine stone will do but will leave some scratches on the blade. If using the norton use the fine side to set the bevel.

2. Get a 9 micron paste to use after the bevel is set. Get a 5 or 6 micron paste to use after the 9. Then use your 3 micron. Get a 1 micron paste to use after the 3 and then finish on the .3 micron paste.

Here is a like about how I do it http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...ugh-guide.html

Mr C-Cat,

Getting the Norton 4x8 is great! I'm still green to shaving, but have been sharpening knives and tools for years. With everything there is a learning curve, I would suggest watching videos, and there are many to watch. One thing I've noticed, and I have done the same thing for years, is sometimes, for the sake of not driving people nuts with manusha, small things are left out of explanations because they are obvious. But not obvious to someone who have never seen/done something. NOW, my example. I was told to pick up a 4x8 stone, I did, never had one before. To me, it didn't feel right, it felt courser than it should have been. Bought a Norton Lapping stone and lapped it. Holy crap!!! It turned it into a different stone!! Then, whilst watching one of Lynn's videos, he mentions that Norton 4x8's come rough sometimes and require lapping before use. I guess in a long winded I'm trying to say, don't just watch one video and think that's all you need to know. Lynn's video was the only one I have seen that mentions the new stones being rough. I'm glad I didn't just pop that 4x8 outta the box, soak it and start dragging a blade around on it.

Good luck, and, happy honing!!!

I concur that all you'll ever need is a Norton 4/8K and a Nani 12K. I wish that someone had told me that when I first started. It would have saved me a ton of money and a lot of headaches.

Awesome advice! Thanks! I'll check out the guide. I do leatherwork and knifemaking as a hobby, so making my own strops will be something I'll do. It's nice to have some direction from those with experience! Thank you.

Glad to help and since you have a knife history. I will say this for when you are setting a bevel. It's a different method then when you start out sharpening a knife. If you haven't yet I would read up on that.

Good Luck!

Check the posts by mrsell63. He posted a blog about honing for beginners on another straight razor forum and may have posted it here. It is a concise ~2 page thesis on bringing a razor to a shave-ready edge with minimum strokes, from setting the bevel on a 1K stone to progressing to a 4K and finishing on an 8K. I've watched a LOT of honing videos and read lots of posts since I started my straight-shaving adventure, but nothing has helped me quite as much as his blog did, and that's the honest truth.