Bevel setting

Hi all,
I just joined this forum today and look forward to being apart of it.
as of right now, I have one question regarding bevel setting.
im buying the Norton waterstone kit 4K/8k 220k/1000k with flattening stone and I think I have a very good idea of how to begin learning hones. (But I'll be practicing on one of my cheaper straight razors until I get the hang of it)
I recently purchased a dovo best quality that was "shave ready" but still took it to get honed. Twice. Both times there was absolutely zero improvement. It won't even cut hair off my arm. So my QUESTION: once I'm ready to sharpen this razor, how do I know if I'll need to set the bevel or not before I hone?
thanks!

If it was professionally honed it might be your strop technique. Even the angle you are holding the razor and pressure applied.

Not an expert but I do not leave my bevel setting hone until it will cut my arm hair along the edges entire length. So I'd say if your razor does not cut arm hair now it needs to be bevel set and then honed up through a progression to a finishing hone. Someone more knowledgeable will be along likely with a better answer.

Bob

Welcome!

A great place to get started is over in the honing section (Honing). There are a bunch of getting started threads to read, and useful videos.

Regarding the Dovo, if it is truly shave ready, like what Straight Razor Designs and others vendors mentioned in this forum, you should be able to shave with it immediately (which is the true test of whether or not it is shave ready).

Some manufacturers say their razors are shave ready, but they are not. My first razor was a Dovo and it was made shave ready by SRD, and I used it right out of the box, as suggested. Worked great.

Who is honing the razor for you? Some sharpening companies may not really know how to sharpen a razor. There are places in the classifieds that you can use, to get honing done.

I'm sure others more experienced will chime in here.

Welcome to an older but better way of shaving.

I 'think' that if you take the time to carefully read this thread you will find many of your questions already answered!

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...holm-sons.html

I would also offer that you check out the Beginners Tips for this month.

It's a long strange trip but well worth the journey! :tu

Sanfte Rasur, mein Klingenbruder!

(Smooth Shaving My Brother In Blades)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pcm

Welcome!

A great place to get started is over in the honing section (Honing). There are a bunch of getting started threads to read, and useful videos.

Regarding the Dovo, if it is truly shave ready, like what Straight Razor Designs and others vendors mentioned in this forum, you should be able to shave with it immediately (which is the true test of whether or not it is shave ready).

Some manufacturers say their razors are shave ready, but they are not. My first razor was a Dovo and it was made shave ready by SRD, and I used it right out of the box, as suggested. Worked great.

Who is honing the razor for you? Some sharpening companies may not really know how to sharpen a razor. There are places in the classifieds that you can use, to get honing done.

I'm sure others more experienced will chime in here.

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This is what I was thinking. If the guy sharpening your straights doesn't shave with them, chances are he doesn't know how to sharpen them. There's a pretty large difference between sharpening a knife or tool and sharpening a razor. I thought it would be an easy transition, but here I am a year later just starting to get good, repeatable results.

If the bevel is set, it will easily cut the skin of a tomato. Cut into the tomato at a 45 degree angle with the barest whisper of pressure. Do this up and down the blade. Do not make big sideways slices. Just push the blade in with just a hint of a slicing action. When the entire blade passes this test, the bevel is set.

First off, welcome. Second, I would suggest that you send your razor to someone that sharpens razors, maybe srd or whipped dog. That way you know what a shave ready razor is supposed to be like. It may be a good idea to pick up a cheap used razor to practice your honing on as well. As stated earlier, many people end up rolling the edge while stropping as they learn so lots of practice with a used razor will help that as well. With my experience, honing is definitely an art. I have had many failures with my successes at it. Don't get discouraged and have fun.

Welcome! Setting the bevel is the most important thing to accomplish going forward. You MUST have it popping hairs along the entire edge on your 1k hone before moving forward. SOMEHOW! :rofl2:
Get Lynn Abrams CD and pay close attention to his Norton tutorial using pyramids.
You will be on it in no time. At least that is what I did several years before I knew about this forum.
Also, too much info is at your hands doing a forum search on honing with Nortons.
All these years later, still with Nortons, my pyramids have drifted away to what I like personally. Yet I still use them. And a layer of electrical tape on the spine!
JMHO

To answer your question, just look straight down on the edge with magnification. If you see any shiny spots, the bevel is not set. Depending on what you see and the degree of damage will determine how low of a grit stone you need to re-set the bevels.

Here is a video demonstrating the technique.

As said, if the razor was honed, not sharpened by someone that knows how to hone razors, the edge was most probably damaged by stropping.

This is not uncommon for new stroppers, and shave ready edge can be undone in one stroke.

Post a photo of the razors you plan to hone. You also may want to pass on the Norton flattening plate and opt for a Diamond Plate instead.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Charliebrian24

I recently purchased a dovo best quality that was "shave ready"

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From where did you buy it? I ask because it may inform us as to whether or not it actually had been honed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Charliebrian24

but still took it to get honed. Twice.

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Took it where it get it honed? Did you take it to a razor honer or a knife sharpener?

Have you successfully shaved with a straight razor yet? If so, then your face can be your benchmark, as an edge properly honed on the 1k can shave your face. If not, then you really should hold off on buying those hones. Actually, you probably should do that anyway, since the Norton 220/1k is not the best option, nor is the flattening hone.

Wow! So much helpful info. I think I came to the right place. Much appreciated. Thanks everyone! I think I'm gonna go with Lynn Abrams instructions. I've already read it top to bottom several times. Set bevel then pyramid hone.

I took it to a knife sharpening store in Nyc that supposedly hones straight razors as well according to various internet sources but the razor doesn't seem to work any better.
The razor is a 5/8 dovo best quality I bought brand new from pastuer's pharmacy in Manhattan so to be honest I'm not even sure if it was "shave ready" but assumed it was as ive read that usually dovos come that way straight out of the factory.

D*mn. Knife sharpeners don't know how to sharpen razors. Period.

The only exception is if they happen to shave with them. Otherwise, they hone them like knives and trash them. I strongly suggest that you either forget they ever existed, or else ask them if they actually shave with a straight razor. If they have a website, would you please send me a PM with the information? I'm just curious.

Well the store is Henry westphal in Nyc. I don't know The website offhand but the info and website is easily found on Google.

HAVE you been able to shave with any razor? I ask because the first step is to figure out of the honing is the reason you cannot shave or if the fact that you cannot shave (yet) is the reason you cannot shave.

If you have been able to shave with some other razor, then that razor probably is not shave ready, and so step one would be to get your money back from Henry Westphal and then send that razor and some of the money to someone in member services in the classifieds of this site or else use that money toward buying your own hones, but again I suggest that you hold off on that until you definitely have successfully shaved with some other straight razor.

No I have not been able to shave with it. I tried as soon as I took it home from the store (stropped it first of course) and it didn't even remove ANY hair at all. It glided along the whiskers fairly smooth I guess. And even after 3 passes it didn't do jack sh#t. After having it honed twice, it still performed the same way. No better, no worse.
And yes, I've been able to shave with other razors better but they too weren't quite shave ready and not honed, but at least did something unlike the current one. I know it's not my shaving or stropping technique.

From the sound of it you razor needs a proper honing from bevel set on up. I'd suggest you follow Utopian's suggestion from post #16. Once you get if back from a reputable honer I would not strop it before the first shave. That way you do not possibly damage the edge by improper stropping and can see what the edge is like as supplied.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Charliebrian24

I took it to a knife sharpening store in Nyc that supposedly hones straight razors as well according to various internet sources but the razor doesn't seem to work any better.
The razor is a 5/8 dovo best quality I bought brand new from pastuer's pharmacy in Manhattan so to be honest I'm not even sure if it was "shave ready" but assumed it was as ive read that usually dovos come that way straight out of the factory.

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Yeah, factory edge is not shave ready. As other's have stated, send it to a good sharpener (see classifieds or try places like SRD) and get it pro honed. Make sure to ask them to assess the razor, as they can tell you the condition of the edge (and the razor, since it has been honed by people who clearly don't know how to hone a straight razor).

Once you get it back, shave w/o any stropping. Note how it shaves, as that will be your benchmark. Any subsequent honing (which, once you've got things down pat, will be infrequent) should match that result.

It should be great, and if not, will likely be a technique issue. It takes quite some time to become proficient at straight razor shaving, and to become good at stropping. Just keep an open mind, if you encounter a problem with the comfort of the shave with a properly prepared razor.

You mentioned having shaved with other straights? If so, and you still have them. I would send them out too for pro honing. This way, you can keep one razor (assuming your other razors are not toast) as a reference, and then can also compare the shave feel of your other razor, after stropping. Also, when one becomes dull, you can send it out for honing (or hone yourself, once you learn how), and use the other razor.

Be sure to take advantage of the tips from members here, as it'll save you lots of time and trouble (I wish I had, early on :)).

You'll get it sorted out...