honing (a gift i've yet to recieve)

:gthIt looks like the more I try the worse I get. or it just seems that way. I have 3 old razors I have found that I hone as practice. I shave with the ones lynn has honed for me. I know that they will shave. I have the 1k 3-8K combo and the 12K naniwa stones. I am living proof that quality tools don't help. I have honed all kinds of blades in my life knives axes cross cut saws but the razor is a different animal. I am getting better last time I honed one of these test razors and shaved with it the tears weren't quite as big:boohoo:. what i'm trying to say to new comers don't give up . i'm not maybe some day. what I don't understand is the HHT . the razor cuts the hanging hair (very thin light blonde should be harder to cut) then gets dull quickly. am I over honing?

Again, I'm no expert but you just might have hit the nail on the head. I am sure none of my razors would pass a HHT, never done one, but they do shave well enough. Maybe you are staying too long on the intermediate and finishing hones after the bevel is set? Hardest thing I had to learn was to stay on the bevel setter till the bevel was set and then less time on the higher grits. It took me a year to get that through my thick skull so you are looking at one slow learner here too.

Bob

Send one to me. I will look at it and send it back to you shave ready. It will only cost you postage. May be able to see if I can help you. Pm me if interested.

Get the HHT out of your thoughts, I've never attempted it; after reading posts on it for 3 years, it seems to cause more confusion than good, that's my opinion.

Don't let honing frustrate you; there won't be a test on it next week.

Quality tools do help, when you learn to use them for a particular job.

I sharpened several types of edged tools also in my life, after 3 years of studying razor honing & reaching a level of success that I'm happy with,,,it dawned on me that my past experience with honing other edged tools was highly over-rated & lacking quality results. I have been for the past 6 months, re-visiting my other tools & producing much better results.

Practice. practice, practice ........ and then practice some more ........ some 'get it' quicker than others but everyone has to overcome the learning curve. Just remember you're not a loser until you quit. :gl:

Just a thought from another honing newcomer:
There can be quite a different level of skill (and frustration) with different blades. If I take a new blade or an older one in great shape and dull it , I can get very good results, even if it takes a couple of tries.
Now take one that isn't perfectly flat down the edge or maybe even a little smile, and can become considerably harder for a novice, at least IME. Do the sharpie test and make a couple of strokes. If you're not getting the entire edge, you know already you're going to have to shift gears to accomplish the task. There are tons of variable in this whole art, but for me, this was one that immediately stands out as a precursor to how you're going to have to tackle a particular razor. Some I just can't seem to get period, and send those out :) All will come in due time.

As far as HHT, I really only use it to get an indication if the bevel is set the same across the length of the edge.

For sure, that is another big factor in learning to hone and that is learning to deal with blades that are not perfect. You have to learn how to deal with warps, twists and smiles which rquire changes in what strokes you use. I also always use a sharpie to help me guage my progress and that really helps too.

Bob

since I read these reply's I went to my stash of razors and dug out the genco that a friend gave me. it had been on the wall of his shop for a little over 30 years. I cleaned it up when he gave it to me and was surprised at what good shape it was in. anyway I spent more time with the 1K and less with the others. this time I was able to shave with out the first tear:o. now you mentioned using a sharpie. do you coat the side of the spine then hone to see if it is warped?

there's this one razor I practice with more than others. my wife keeps telling me to through it away. never. I will keep trying until I get it or it gets me. now she says I have all the patience I was born with because I've never used any:p

OP

No, I use black marker on the bevel to see if it is getting set all the way along the edge and tape the spine. If you do have a warped/bent/twisted blade you will have to use a different stroke to be sure to get all the edge going.

Bob

Forgot to add congrats on achieving the improvement.