Thread: Trouble setting a bevel

OK, thank you for catching what I missed.

In that case the question is how often is he replacing it? The typical beginning honer puts too much pressure on the spine relative to the edge, which results in the rapid wearing away of the tape. This leads to the progressive lowering of the spine closer to the hone and raising the edge away from the hone. Only the full thickness of a fresh piece of tape will ensure that the very apex of the edge is touching the hone.

Thanks all. Okay, the razor did shave off a patch of leg hair. Not like butter but after a few strokes it did the job so I'm assuming the bevel is set. Great! Now- should I go to pyramid honing starting at 25, 35 laps And work down? And what kind of pressure should I use? Should I use laps or "x" laps?
I'm doing it on a Norton 4K/8k.
Thanks!

And yes, I've been using tape. Should I continue to do so or quit?

Continue on the tape, refresh regularly. The razor should make clean cuts along the entire edge

Great if you got the bevel set. It might be that you have to go back if it is not complete. At the bevel set I look for an edge which is not only shaving arm hair, but are catching and popping the hairs above the skin all along the edge.

Try a pyramid and see where it takes you. You can also go just to the 4k and refine the edge as much as you can before moving on. Put on a new piece of tape. Ease up on the pressure compared to the 1k and keep focused. You want to make very even strokes and get to the stage where the edge undercuts water easily. Don't count, just hone and look and feel how the undercut gets better and the feedback from the stone gets more even and smooth. Check under light or with a loupe that the 4k scratches replaces the 1k scratches all the way to the edge. You should see a clear improvement in polish on the bevels. When you're done on the 4k you will note that the edge is markedly sharper then on the 1k (shaving armhair smoothly, popping hairs midway with ease).

Then move on to the 8k and change tape again. Repeat above with very light finishing pressure. When you think you're done, finish with some superlight finishing strokes, really the lightest and most even strokes you can manage. Strop and shave and see how you did!

Enjoy the time with your hones!

If it took a few strokes to remove some hair on your leg I,m not sure it's ready at the bevel, should cut the hair at skin level evenly and in a stroke, but go on up if you feel it's there ,, but from all that's ever said here , the next few stones are just polishing the bevel,to steal one of Jimmys lines I was wrong once , so hope someone else will chime in. Tc

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

If it took a few strokes to remove some hair on your leg I,m not sure it's ready at the bevel, should cut the hair at skin level evenly and in a stroke, but go on up if you feel it's there ,, but from all that's ever said here , the next few stones are just polishing the bevel,to steal one of Jimmys lines I was wrong once , so hope someone else will chime in. Tc

I was thinking that too. I would do some further light X stokes on your bevel setter and see if it cuts leg hair easily in one go all along the blade.

Bob

Iam using tape

Should I just continue with x strokes until it gets sharp enough? And how much pressure?

If it helps, here are a couple of better, up close photos of the razors current condition