Thread: finishing straight razors

I have problems been over hear in the uk sourcing these brands like norton

OMG my Mrs has just told me she broke my lapping plate!!!!! Is there a cheap way I can lap my stones untill a new plate can be ordered?

Any decent diamond plate will work to lap a stone, and now day there are several good inexpensive plates available even EBay, Wet & dry will smooth out the stones or lap them but it is a hassle.

I suspect your mid grit stones are too soft for razor honing and finishing so in essence you are making a 1k to 12k jump. You need a good 4 & 8k stone.

What brand is your razor? Post a photo of the razor and your stones, it would be helpful.

I will send pics later when I get home. The stones are very hard to slurry if that means a thing. I am on a budget atm. The blade I am working with is a cheap creative edge. My dovo is still really good

The blade I am working with is a cheap creative edge

Well that, may be your problem and the steel may not be properly heat treated.

Some of those can be honed to shave, but the edge will not last.


Yes, photos would help.

When 8 first brought the razor it was honed by the source company and they stated it the time it was surprising how well it had honed for a cheap razor and while the shave was never as good as the dovo I was still able to get a comfy shave so that's what I am hoping to achieve before I need to start working on the dovo

If the steel is soft you might* be able to improve with spine leading strokes. I've seen where others have had success with that method. Usually soft stones are viewed as better for a razor, but if it were me I'd order a diamond plate, grab some 320 sand paper and give them a once over while I wait for the plate. Give the razor another shot on the same hones before condemning either razor or hone. Often times we're quick to fault equipment or tools rather than the operator. As a mechanic, I've found more often than not it's operator error. There have been times I thought I was doing it all right, and a tiny change made a world of difference. YMMV.

I will give this a go. I too am a mechanic. I don't feel that the stones are entirely at fault they may be a little hard but at the end of the day is it not the grit rating that counts more so than anything?

No, all 8k synthetics are 8k grit, but what the grit or grits are, the shape and more importantly the binder, how or if it releases to produce fresh cutting edges or if it releases too easily, will determine the finish.

There are tons of synthetic stones in grits that we use, but only a handful can produce consistent edges on razors.

The formulation and consistency is what you pay for, in a quality stone.

Not always. There's a pretty cheap Chinese brand of hones on ebay, can't remember the name off hand. They're great for kitchen cutlery, but I've heard nothing but bad things from people that have used them on razors. I couldn't find anything on the hones you have, so it isn't outside the realm of possibility that those arent good for the purpose.

But you're also new to razor honing (like me). Which means there's probably something you're just slightly off on that will make a big difference. Whether it's stone prep, pressure, form, or simply using the wrong stroke for the blade. I'm still working through it myself, and passing on tips that were given to me that helped my honing improve.