Thread: stainless steel

First you should buy a small microscope from Radioshack or Amazon.com. They help a lot, you can check the bevel at 1k and see if you're done or not.

when at the 1k level you should hone until ALL of the edge is beveled from heel to toe of the razor, the microscope comes in hand for this. Are you Naniwa stones lapped also? They should be flattened before you use them.
Once the bevel looks uniform and shaves your arms well, ONLY then do you move up in grit ranges. A 12k stone is there to finish the edge and that's it, no sharpening is needed at this level of hone.

As you move up from 1k all of the nexts hones just sharpen the bevel you set and replace their scratch pattern over the old 1k pattern. Again this is where a microscope is handy, you can see where your hone is missing the blade and adjust your stroke for that.

You basically just repeat this process all the way up the hones. I only use about 20 strokes on a 12K naniwa and then the razor is done, there's no need to be trying to sharpen on that hone.

SS blades are just harder to remove steel but they're bascially the same to hone, it just takes more time on 1k level. A short cut you can do is use tape on the spine for SS.

Also a question: why are you trying to hone when you're new here and may not know how to shave well with a straight razor (That takes 6 months of practice a lone, never mind honing edges)? I would send the blade out and practice with stropping and shaving over honing for a while until you can shave like a pro and strop without dulling razors. Hopefully our advice helps, welcome to the most addictive website ever!

Originally Posted by Disburden

SS blades are just harder to remove steel but they're bascially the same to hone, it just takes more time on 1k level. A short cut you can do is use tape on the spine for SS.

Also a question: why are you trying to hone when you're new here and may not know how to shave well with a straight razor (That takes 6 months of practice a lone, never mind honing edges)? I would send the blade out and practice with stropping and shaving over honing for a while until you can shave like a pro and strop without dulling razors. Hopefully our advice helps, welcome to the most addictive website ever!

May I ask if using tape is then required for all subsequent honings and touch ups (maintaining a constant bevel, etc.)? I just acquired my first hone and am completely in the fact-finding/experimenting stage, so please don't mind the questions...
A related comment: at this stage, I'm shaving consistently well and can recognize honing quality based mostly on shaving quality and smoothness. I use the microscope to see what's going on with the edge/bevel, but it is much harder to me to calibrate my thumbpad or thumbnail to determine what needs to be done next. I've had some of my best shaves on razors that did not seem particularly sharp by TPT or TNT, and forget about the HHT - never worked for me, even with freshly honed razors from experts. So, for me, this is the hardest part. Hope this isn't too far off the OP 's topic.

Originally Posted by Woodash

May I ask if using tape is then required for all subsequent honings and touch ups (maintaining a constant bevel, etc.)? I just acquired my first hone and am completely in the fact-finding/experimenting stage, so please don't mind the questions...
A related comment: at this stage, I'm shaving consistently well and can recognize honing quality based mostly on shaving quality and smoothness. I use the microscope to see what's going on with the edge/bevel, but it is much harder to me to calibrate my thumbpad or thumbnail to determine what needs to be done next. I've had some of my best shaves on razors that did not seem particularly sharp by TPT or TNT, and forget about the HHT - never worked for me, even with freshly honed razors from experts. So, for me, this is the hardest part. Hope this isn't too far off the OP 's topic.

if your blade have been used 3 layers of tape then while you strop you don't need. strop compensate (now it depends of course thickness of the tape. Genarally speaking i am talking about black electric tape). in case you are going to use any hones you have to match exact thickness if not then you will not sharpen the edge.
hope this helps.

Like Sham said you will need to use the same amount of tape everytime you hone the razor or touch it up. This also goes for stropping on pastes but not normal stropping. Have fun!

Originally Posted by Woodash

May I ask if using tape is then required for all subsequent honings and touch ups (maintaining a constant bevel, etc.)? I just acquired my first hone and am completely in the fact-finding/experimenting stage, so please don't mind the questions...
A related comment: at this stage, I'm shaving consistently well and can recognize honing quality based mostly on shaving quality and smoothness. I use the microscope to see what's going on with the edge/bevel, but it is much harder to me to calibrate my thumbpad or thumbnail to determine what needs to be done next. I've had some of my best shaves on razors that did not seem particularly sharp by TPT or TNT, and forget about the HHT - never worked for me, even with freshly honed razors from experts. So, for me, this is the hardest part. Hope this isn't too far off the OP 's topic.

Welcome to SRP. Have you gone to the SRP Wiki ? See the link below in my sig line for info on honing, hones and just about anything straight razor shave related. If you don't find what you are looking for there by all means post your questions.

The TNT is only used to determine that the bevel is set to the point where the razor is keen enough to 'pull' when run across a moist thumbnail with the weight of the blade. No pressure. Once it does that from heel to point the TNT is no longer used on that razor.

If you have a new DE blade you can get the feel of the TPT with that. Moistened thumb pad and holding the razor's spine in the opposite hand lightly touch the thumb pad to the edge from heel to point. A sharp edge will grab the pad. A dull one will have the pad slide along. There are gradients that are learned as you gain experience with these tests. Again no pressure.

The HHT is for later. I get good shaves with razors that do not pass HHT and with razors that do. It is always nice to pass but not necessary for a close and smooth shave IME.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Welcome to SRP. Have you gone to the SRP Wiki ? See the link below in my sig line for info on honing, hones and just about anything straight razor shave related. If you don't find what you are looking for there by all means post your questions.

The TNT is only used to determine that the bevel is set to the point where the razor is keen enough to 'pull' when run across a moist thumbnail with the weight of the blade. No pressure. Once it does that from heel to point the TNT is no longer used on that razor.

If you have a new DE blade you can get the feel of the TPT with that. Moistened thumb pad and holding the razor's spine in the opposite hand lightly touch the thumb pad to the edge from heel to point. A sharp edge will grab the pad. A dull one will have the pad slide along. There are gradients that are learned as you gain experience with these tests. Again no pressure.

The HHT is for later. I get good shaves with razors that do not pass HHT and with razors that do. It is always nice to pass but not necessary for a close and smooth shave IME.

Thanks for the welcome. Yes, I've been all over the Wiki. Great resource, however; there is no substitute for experience. For example, as I said, one of the most difficult things - for me - is to have some accurate tactile feedback from the blade. I've had razors come back from some very well-regarded honemeisters that shave beautifully, but don't pass the HHT at all - not even close (maybe it's my hair???). I typically do not feel the 'grabbing of the thumbpad' or the 'pulling on the thumbnail' with these same well-honed razors, so there is some tactile sense that I am missing. When I hone some 'test' razors, I have to shave with them and/or view the edge with a microscope to get an idea of what's needed next. Hopefully, my other senses will become more refined over time...

I just recently got a Frederick Reynolds wedge on the cheap that I am playing around with. That's a little more ambitious - we'll see where that goes...

Thanks for the info all, but I'm afraid I've hijacked here enough and shall retreat for now....

Originally Posted by DwarvenChef

Stainless steel = EVIL... RUN AWAY!!!!

I still hate the idea of honing a SS blade... I think I'd send it out if I had one ... But thats me

Lies!!!!

Seriously, stainless blades shouldn't be an issue. The hardest I've come across is a RW in s30v, but even that gave in.

It's a bit of a myth that they're harder to hone. They may take a couple more strokes, but that's about it.