Thread: Next Hone Advise

I'm not keeping up....
Send Don/Lynn a note and ask about the tape/no tape since you have more than one razor.

Originally Posted by MJC

I'm not keeping up....
Send Don/Lynn a note and ask about the tape/no tape since you have more than one razor.

Yep. and, when honing, ask yourself how much hone wear do you really want. Translation. Taping your spines eliminates hone wear. That's where you it wears the most. the spine.

IMPORTANT: Know that if you are contemplating tape on/tape off, you need to know how the bevel was set. With tape or without tape. Why? Because you need to consistently maintain the tape on or tape off throughout each hone progression...(restoration honing may differ and is considered advanced).

cheers

The hone was lapped. I guess if the razor was honed with tape and I try to hone without tape it basically does no good because the decreased angle effectively lifts the edge from the stone right? That is the way I understand it if that is correct.

Originally Posted by Txshooter38

The hone was lapped. I guess if the razor was honed with tape and I try to hone without tape it basically does no good because the decreased angle effectively lifts the edge from the stone right? That is the way I understand it if that is correct.

In theory, you're correct that the geometry is changed and would effect the contact of the edge to some degree. However the difference with one layer of tape is so minute that you could do a set of 20 or so circles and then x-strokes, maybe less, and the difference is corrected.

However, I'm one who encourages taping the spine while learning to prevent uneven wear on the spine which is a real headache.

Unless something has changed, Lynn does not hone with tape unless, as has been mentioned, it's a decorated or fancy spine, or unless specifically requested to use tape.

Howard

Utopian made it clear that whether tape was used or not is not really the problem here, perhaps you waited to long to refresh the edge and need to go back 1 or 2 hones in the progression. Ultimately you will want a 1k, 4k,8k progression followed with your 12k. Perhaps a combo stone like the Norton4k/8k would be a good choice for you and it could be used as a bevel setter as well just takes more time.

I do like you approach, as opposed to the Scorched Earth, hog it all away and start over.

Firstly as Utopian said, the 12k is an amazingly versatile stone, capable of much more than most of us require from it.

If you are truly refreshing, not doing repairs, a 12k Super Stone will easily revive an edge. Do use tape, not that it will improve you edges, but commonly new honers use too much pressure and do too many laps needlessly grinding away perfectly good spines. The amount of angle alteration is very minimal, almost non existent.

Until you master honing and can do so with minimal strokes, tape the spine. If doing repair work use 2 layers of tape removing one layer of tape and resetting the bevel once it is set.

You can NEVER put steel back on a spine.

The most important skill you can learn is to recognize a set bevel. The easiest, most foolproof way is by looking straight down on the edge with magnification and just do more laps on the 12K Super Stone.

If you want to go to the next step in honing or towards repair work the 4/8k Norton is the second must have stone, it is really the only stone you need, and it can set a bevel and finish an edge.

The 4/8k Norton, 12K Super Stone and a Chrome Oxide strop you can maintain and do lite restore work on 90 percent of razors.

Do more laps on your pasted strop, for best results more in the 20-30 lap range. Chrome Oxide will keep you shaving for a long time.

Which grit Diamond are you using, .50 or .25 are great for refreshing followed by Chrome Oxide. You are correct not to use pressure but instead do more laps, especially with a pasted strop. Always use weight of the blade pressure when stropping.

The short answer is 4/8k Norton or 3/8k Naniwa, but I doubt you are using your 12K, paste and linen and leather to their full potential.

With three razors, a 12K, DIA/CrOx you are in or very close to, a pretty sweet spot in Straight shaving IMHO - and I envy you.

By the time I could maintaint my regular rotation (much, if not exactly, the same way you are now) I had amassed way more razors, hones and other "stuff". Not that I don't enjoy it - but some times I think about how it was in the golden days of the Straight, when you had two razors, a barbers hone and a pasted & regular strop, for decades.

It sounds like are on the right path and only need to tune your technique - some of that is just practice and maybe a visit with a Mentor.


Smooth Shaving...

Thank you all. There is so much info here and I will keep practicing with the hone and try all of the suggestions. You guys have me pretty much convinced on some tape. I agree....you can't put metal back....makes sense. I think I see a norton 4/8 in my future.