Thread: What is Your Current Honing Set-up?

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

You're a brave man Steve. I have done the 1k challenge and I get the point but that was enough experimenting for me. I have shaved off of 8k many times and done correctly it can shave pretty nicely but not much lower than that.
That is definitely interesting test though

Thanks Paul, That Washita gave me a shave I could live with without too much trouble if that was all I had.

The hinge on that Kinfolks that I am using as my test razor has a really loose hinge, I've cut myself twice just taping the spine.

I did go at the pin with my 1oz ball pein hammer and it worked but I honed it again and a few minutes later it was loose again.

I guess I will have to order some rod and washers then try to re pin it. It can't be that hard, you and just about all the other experienced guys do it so it's high time I rounded off my education a little bit.

You know, it just occured to me.
If i got such a decent edge off of that Washita, maybe 5k or so, what can a hard/med do.
I wouldn't want my edge to go backwards, that would of course be counter productive and sad.
I can't help wondering whether i should go straight to a Trans and skip the medium, any thoughts?

OK, My Ark edge razor is done.

Because my 600 Washita edge was so decent I decided in my infinite wisdom to skip the Hard/Medium Ark.

Three reasons for that decision really.

The Washita edge was at least 4k maybe a bit more and i was worried that a Hard/Med might not be able to improve it and might even degrade it.

I only got a Washita and a Trans to start and I was advised at the time that I didn't need more if I got a decent edge off the Washita (to build on I guess).

I wanted to make the Ark method, sort of mine.

Anyway I did 10 x 10 half strokes with smiths on the 400 side of my Tans then lightened the pressure for 10x sets of 5. I then diluted the smiths with water for 50 light Xstrokes.

I then repeated the above on the 2k side except I did very light strokes, very light for the entire time and only used plain water.

I'm looking forward to shaving this afternoon, if it's the business i have another razor (a Sheffield) that needs some love so I will put an Ark edge on that too but maybe try something like glycerin or mineral oil instead to see if it makes a difference.

Finished Ark Edge Stropped 40 on cotton, 40 on leather and 30 on Cro Ox, would like to try with out CroOx next time maybe.



Thanks for your advice Paul.

My experience has been that an Ark finisher ("true hard," translucent, hard black, black translucent) will leave a coarser edge in a dedicated progression off Washitas or soft Arkansas stones. The higher claims for Ark finishers are generally off an extended synth progression, where I suppose they have a calming, tempering, burnishing effect rather than a sharpening effect from a dedicated progression. But hey, I'll be happy to be proven wrong. Oil is the only way I've used them.

I am a firm believer that a method works well when you find your own nuances. Plus your stones are different from mine. I have heard great things about the Norton #1 while mine is a multicolored swirl and much smaller. You can probably reliably skip by the mid range with what you are able to do with that larger Norton. Hope you find the best way to make it your own Steve.

Bronto, I can't speak to the specifics of your experience but this method has worked quite well for me, especially with Smith's and water dilution. Norton honing oil with WD-40 dilution also works well.

I got crickets when I posted about this method before but all I can say is, "try it." I shaved with one I did this way this morning and it was crisp but still as smooth as silk.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

I am a firm believer that a method works well when you find your own nuances. Plus your stones are different from mine. I have heard great things about the Norton #1 while mine is a multicolored swirl and much smaller. You can probably reliably skip by the mid range with what you are able to do with that larger Norton. Hope you find the best way to make it your own Steve.

Bronto, I can't speak to the specifics of your experience but this method has worked quite well for me, especially with Smith's and water dilution. Norton honing oil with WD-40 dilution also works well.

I got crickets when I posted about this method before but all I can say is, "try it." I shaved with one I did this way this morning and it was crisp but still as smooth as silk.

I just shaved with my new Ark edge, what can I say. It was laser sharp, make sure you can hear the wife watching telly downstairs so she won't come in and talk kind of sharp.

Final words, sharp, damn sharp, I don't know how much i like the feel yet, I need a few more shaves with it. I might even give it a couple of laps on a Coticle to see what that does. Stupid sharp and buttery smooth, I would like that a lot.

Sorry, I haven't followed the most recent posts leading up to the current discussion. I'm not saying that a Washita to finishing Ark or a dedicated Ark progression doesn't lead to a decent shaving edge, it does; but from my experience, that edge is not as sharp or close as is could be, although it is smooth. In the current case, the finishing Ark was followed by crox leading to perceived sharpness during the shave, so it appears to be crox that is contributing to this sensation, not the Arkansas stone. Following the paste with a coticule or a return to the same Ark finishing stone for a few passes may impart smoothness to the perceived sharpness, resulting in a hybrid of the two.

In my recent case ("like 'Grandpa' used to shave" above), I followed a fine India to translucent Ark progression with a red-pasted strop to get that sharpness and closeness. If I would subsequently return to the trans Ark or a coticule used with oil, that again would create a hybrid between the pasted edge and the smoothness imparted by the natural stone. This, I think, is similar to an extended synth water-stone progression where the edge can be "calmed" by returning to a natural, trans Ark or coticule at the end, or what I was referring to in my last post.

Originally Posted by Brontosaurus

Sorry, I haven't followed the most recent posts leading up to the current discussion. I'm not saying that a Washita to finishing Ark or a dedicated Ark progression doesn't lead to a decent shaving edge, it does; but from my experience, that edge is not as sharp or close as is could be, although it is smooth. In the current case, the finishing Ark was followed by crox leading to perceived sharpness during the shave, so it appears to be crox that is contributing to this sensation, not the Arkansas stone. Following the paste with a coticule or a return to the same Ark finishing stone for a few passes may impart smoothness to the perceived sharpness, resulting in a hybrid of the two.

In my recent case ("like 'Grandpa' used to shave" above), I followed a fine India to translucent Ark progression with a red-pasted strop to get that sharpness and closeness. If I would subsequently return to the trans Ark or a coticule used with oil, that again would create a hybrid between the pasted edge and the smoothness imparted by the natural stone. This, I think, is similar to an extended synth water-stone progression where the edge can be "calmed" by returning to a natural, trans Ark or coticule at the end, or what I was referring to in my last post.

Coticule honers often take an edge that has been made very sharp with synthetics to a coticule to make the edge more comfortable. I’m still trying to get my head around how using a coti “softens” the edge without losing sharpness.

Science of Sharp talks about the difference between an edge being sharp and it being keen. I have read that several times and am still trying to get my head around that distinction as well.

At any rate, I like my coti edges very much and only go back to my synths to reset a bevel or restore an abused blade. I still finish with a coticule after 8k Norton and follow up with a polisher.

I don't know the science behind it and I have no research based evidence, only observation to go by. I do use the hard Arks, particularly a black to finish after synth progressions and it is probably my favorite edge after synths with the possible exception of a thuri depending on the steel. However, the Ark progression is smoother yet still very keen. The biggest caveat is that there is a noteworthy investment of time to get it right. For a production schedule it would not be practical but if you are one who likes meditative repetitive motion/activity it is cathartic. Personally I prefer it to Ark finish only but as we all know each natural stone is different as are the hands of the honer who works them.

I took my new super sharp Ark edge that i finished and shaved with yesterday and gave it 10 laps on a Coticule with plain water before I shaved today.

It's still stupid sharp but also smooth and lovely to shave with

I will say that my experience with a Coti is that it needs the strop in a big way so it got 60 on cotton and 100 on leather which made it super keen again and i also adjust the razor angle when I use a Coti edge. I don't know if it's steep or shallow, never understood really but I hold the spine closer to my face than with other edges.