Thread: Getting honing on the right path.

Have you asked your honer what he uses? I imagine their finisher would be finer than 10k.
I have a 10 and 12k naniwa, along with some Welsh slates.
I am new to refreshing but I have found that sometimes I test my razor and it is no good, so I try again the next day and it comes good.
Sorry I cant be more help than That as I am waiting for some coarser stones to play around with.

Originally Posted by bobski

. I am finding that I can get a bevel (I can cut arm hair) and it feels good on the thumb. But when I give it a go on the 8k, by the end of the x strokes (10 to 12) I feel it is a little less keen that it was on the 4K. Why?

It is not uncommon in the least for the "Feel of the Sharp tests" to disappear as you go higher on the Naniwa SS hones

Confused me to no end when I first got them had positive signs coming off the bevel set then it seemed that I lost everything after that, finally I just tried honing through and learned that it was part of the way Naniwas worked out for me..

My theory as I have never tried to prove it, is that at the lower grit the Naniwa leaves enough "Tooth" to feel sharp but they polish so well that that "Tooth" disappears..

Regardless they work and they work quite well in the end

Thstd s good point too Ed. I've found that after honing, I feel it could be better and I come back toit in a day or so, and by magic it is better?My honer reckons the 8k should be enough, but it never gets ;'keen' enough. I'll keep trying thanks lads.

Seems to be the nature of the stones but have you backed your pressure right off at 8k.
If not you could be smooshing the edge or at the other extreme not even contacting it.
Sometimes 2 or 3 strops on canvas will reveal the edge you think disappeared.

Thankyou fellas,
As mentioned, I honed the 5/8 prima klang to a point that It felt reasonable but not as good as the pro model. BUT, when I stropped it two days later, by magic it shaved lovely and grabbed my thumb AFTER I had shaved. I tend to believe what gssixgun said about the 'tooth' dissapearing with the naniwas, and the fact that a few days seem to 'cure' the metal..I guess there is a metalurgist out there who'd make fun of us. It's our hobby, we should be confused and by trial and error get it right. I honed the bismarck 6/8 today and I'll wait 2 days before trying it out. Cheers and thanks men.

Originally Posted by bobski

Thankyou fellas,
As mentioned, I honed the 5/8 prima klang to a point that It felt reasonable but not as good as the pro model. BUT, when I stropped it two days later, by magic it shaved lovely and grabbed my thumb AFTER I had shaved. I tend to believe what gssixgun said about the 'tooth' dissapearing with the naniwas, and the fact that a few days seem to 'cure' the metal..I guess there is a metalurgist out there who'd make fun of us. It's our hobby, we should be confused and by trial and error get it right. I honed the bismarck 6/8 today and I'll wait 2 days before trying it out. Cheers and thanks men.

Just curious. Did you strop the razor before the 2 day lapse i.e. straight after honing ? If you did, I'm suitably confused.

G'day Os, No I only stropped it at the time of the shave. It sat for the two days, whilst the rotation went on, but no stropping until the morning of the shave itself. I'm keen to get the physics of this right, I tend to trust progression method before any pyramid style just as my practical side won't let me use the thumb nail test. I feel it's like taking arsenic just to make sure it kills you. I have ordered a combo 1k/6k hone which I'm waiting to arrive. It should compliment my existing stones (Naniwa's 4k, 8k and 10k. I like to get things right so I'll read and learn as much as I can. As I mentioned it seems a tad weird that after the honing, the edge improves after a few days. Puzzles me. If you have a theory I'd like to hear it, given your reputation in this field. Cheers Bobski

Originally Posted by bobski

G'day Os, No I only stropped it at the time of the shave. It sat for the two days, whilst the rotation went on, but no stropping until the morning of the shave itself. I'm keen to get the physics of this right, I tend to trust progression method before any pyramid style just as my practical side won't let me use the thumb nail test. I feel it's like taking arsenic just to make sure it kills you. I have ordered a combo 1k/6k hone which I'm waiting to arrive. It should compliment my existing stones (Naniwa's 4k, 8k and 10k. I like to get things right so I'll read and learn as much as I can. As I mentioned it seems a tad weird that after the honing, the edge improves after a few days. Puzzles me. If you have a theory I'd like to hear it, given your reputation in this field. Cheers Bobski

G'day Bobski.
First up, gotta defend the TNT & pyramid honing. Even tho I don't use them either atm I've used them enough to know how & why they work.

Just to clarify you stropped 2x & shave tested 2x but the second shave was good & the first useless. ?

I don't own the Nanis to say for sure but maybe 10 -12 strokes on the 8k is not enough ? Still doesn't answer why it comes good 2 days later.