Thread: Ebay Gamble

Originally Posted by AlienEdge

Maybe some one should open a new thread called right way wrong way because I feel like we have hijacked this poor guys thread.

No worries, it's loosely related to the topic at hand and a good read if nothing else.

I don't think the value of stropping is understated really, but the options aren't as varied or interesting in my humble opinion. I guess there are different kinds of leather, and hanging vs paddle but I'm rather content with the piece of linen and bull hide I have now, with no urge to experiment on that end of things.

Originally Posted by Marshal

No worries, it's loosely related to the topic at hand and a good read if nothing else.

I don't think the value of stropping is understated really, but the options aren't as varied or interesting in my humble opinion. I guess there are different kinds of leather, and hanging vs paddle but I'm rather content with the piece of linen and bull hide I have now, with no urge to experiment on that end of things.

Did we get on stropping ? I thought this was about lapping and burnishing

Originally Posted by AlienEdge

I am not so sure we are in a different boat . I agree with what you are saying except that you shouldn't use a new stone with a straight razor . I have and I would again. I believe they are good to go.

You can (use them without doing anything), the word "shouldn't" reminds me of an old lady with a ruler wagging their finger at someone. Some of the stones will not give what we expect, though. a razor sharpened on a dan's stone should shave fine. One sharpened on a brand new NW black trans stone would probably do a fair amount of tug and pull. That's why it's nice to sharpen a chisel on a stone first. If a large wire edge is rolled up with little effort, then it's helpful to knock a little of the snot off of the surface.

I hate to use the words "shouldn't" or "can't". It's more something I wouldn't do...preference.

I've shaved off of a washita, and once the linen establishes the very edge, if the washita is used sparingly (and doesn't remove the work of the linen), the shave is fantastic. If it's used heavily to remove the entire edge, not so much.

“The one thing that I think is lost on this forum is the art of maintaining an edge with linen and leather and never actually removing it with a stone, but instead only using the stone to keep the bevel geometry above the edge from getting too fat.”


So true, I have set a bevel on a 1k, then strop on a sailcloth stop loaded with Maas or Mothers and removed all the stria from the bevel. You will have a ragged edge.

Joint the edge on the 1k and re-set in a few light laps or on any high grit stone.

Now strop on Chrome Oxide until all the stria is removed…and shave. Once the bevel is flat and meeting, you don’t need another stone.

CBN is a bit faster than Chrome Oxide and you can go to .10um /160K grit, but .50um/ 30k or the Chrome Oxide, (also .50um/30 edge), is plenty sharp and comfortable.

Leather and linen will do the same thing to the edge if done enough and properly.

Yes, for hundreds of years’ razors have been maintained on just leather linen and an occasional high grit natural, which is why so many still exist in great condition, for their age. I find razors almost 200 years old, with almost no hone wear.

This thread was hi-jacked…long ago…

Sorry about the hijack I hope that was not my fault. Some how we have gotten on linen and things I would not put on a strop. I use a fine translucent Arkansas. The stone is a great finisher. There is no damage to the straight razor. I shave with all of them finished on the trans unless I am playing with a barber hone. I have never lapped or burnished the barber hones either.

Yeah, I'm not worried about the thread wandering. The original topic is settled, we know what the eBay lot contained. Where it wanders from this point doesn't make much a differenice one way or the other.

On the topic of barber hones, one of mine got lapped and burnished. The good thing about ebay is finding deals - I got 2 B. hones for 30 bucks, not too shabby. The bad thing is that I couldn't see how scratched up the edge really was on 1 of the 2. So it had to be cleaned up and resurfaced. In any other case I'd rather not run the risk of messing up a hone.

In the case of the translucent stones, both sides of my large stone and the banded one were out of flat. The banded hone was normal dishing from use, I think the large trans was simply not flattened properly to start with. It's high in the middle on both sides. If I were to take a picture of it now, I think it would be an argument in favor of surfacing a stone. You can clearly see the oval band where I've been working it that is glassy and smooth, and about an inch on either side that is clearly pitted and rough. I think most of us would agree that glassy surface is the preferred one, whether the owner would take it beyond the initial flattening is obviously individual preference.

Originally Posted by Marshal

Yeah, I'm not worried about the thread wandering. The original topic is settled, we know what the eBay lot contained. Where it wanders from this point doesn't make much a differenice one way or the other.

On the topic of barber hones, one of mine got lapped and burnished. The good thing about ebay is finding deals - I got 2 B. hones for 30 bucks, not too shabby. The bad thing is that I couldn't see how scratched up the edge really was on 1 of the 2. So it had to be cleaned up and resurfaced. In any other case I'd rather not run the risk of messing up a hone.

In the case of the translucent stones, both sides of my large stone and the banded one were out of flat. The banded hone was normal dishing from use, I think the large trans was simply not flattened properly to start with. It's high in the middle on both sides. If I were to take a picture of it now, I think it would be an argument in favor of surfacing a stone. You can clearly see the oval band where I've been working it that is glassy and smooth, and about an inch on either side that is clearly pitted and rough. I think most of us would agree that glassy surface is the preferred one, whether the owner would take it beyond the initial flattening is obviously individual preference.

I'm glad you got some barber hones to try out . I have not found a bad one, but some of those on e-bay look like people play hockey with them before putting them up for auction. The good thing is emery paper can help some and others like the carbo (not carborundum) never need resurfacing. Sorry about the arkie being damaged maybe some one on here can look at it and help you come up with a plan to save it . Your friend AlienEdge

It isnt too bad out of flat now, I've been slowly working it here and there with a flattening stone, I think it's responding as well as one can expect a stone this hard to.

I try to avoid anything that looks like it may have been used as a hockey puck. But photos can be deceiving, so I view anything purchased off there to be a gamble, and I try to 'hedge my bets' so they aren't a loss. So far the strategy has paid off.

Originally Posted by Marshal

It isnt too bad out of flat now, I've been slowly working it here and there with a flattening stone, I think it's responding as well as one can expect a stone this hard to.

I try to avoid anything that looks like it may have been used as a hockey puck. But photos can be deceiving, so I view anything purchased off there to be a gamble, and I try to 'hedge my bets' so they aren't a loss. So far the strategy has paid off.

I have a thread about leather hone cases . If you want a case for your hones it is "free" shipping and handling as well if I have enough scrap leather here to do them. If you pull up the thread you can see them. It is another little hobby I hate to just throw away the small pieces of leather.