Thread: is shapton the way to go?

Hi, I have a Norton 4/8 k stone, and the flattening stone, also a Dovo strop. I'm not new to the art of the edge but just can not seem to get the shave I want. I'm using a old razor that has no name, and a Dove 5/8 stainless that seems ok but I feel like I can get a better edge on the carbon so I'm thinking about buying a 16k and a 30k shapton. So..... can stainless realy shave well?
and is the money for a set of shaptons well spent.

thanks
5ACLOCKSHDW

Originally Posted by 5ACLOCKSHDW

Hi, I have a Norton 4/8 k stone, and the flattening stone, also a Dovo strop. I'm not new to the art of the edge but just can not seem to get the shave I want. I'm using a old razor that has no name and a Dove 5/8 stainless (ok I'm not using the stainless but my wife got it for me and well I don't seem to be able to get the edge on it I want) so I'm thinking about buying a 16k and a 30k shapton. So..... can stainless realy shave well?
and is the money for a set of shaptons well spent.

thanks
5ACLOCKSHDW

If you cannot get a decent edge off of the Norton 8k, then the Shaptons are not going to fix that. Buying your way out of poor honing is not going to solve the problem. When you say you are "not new to the art of the edge," how much experience do you have with honing straight razors as opposed to some other tools?

Yes, Shaptons are good stones. But no, I don't think a 16k and 30k will solve your problem. You should be able to get a pretty good shave off of the norton 8k, so I think getting any higher grits would pointless until you max out on your 8k.

I don't intend to sound mean, but I really do suspect that you're not getting the most out of your Norton, and I don't want you going spending a lot on higher grit stones when I don't think you need to at this point. My advice is to keep practicing with the Norton 4k/8k until you can get a good shave off of that, then invest in higher grit stones if you choose so at that point. i.e. don't fall into the HAD trap quite yet!!!

You could always get or make a cheap chromium oxide strop if you really wanted something higher than the 8k, it'll probably also help sharpen up the 8k edge if it's a bit lacking.

you have already some good advice i will add alittle. Can you get a good edge from ss blade? Answer is yes.would you be able to get similar carbo n blade edge,i doubt it. Gl

+1 on the advice given.

If you cant get a good edge off the 8k, adding in more stones wont make the edge better it'll just make it more shiny!

A bit of advice I found very useful when I first started honing is to make sure that you spend the time getting the bevel right. You should be able to pop arm hair at skin level off the 1k stone with absolute ease and if you cant do that, your bevel isnt set. Dont move off that 1k stone until you can pop arm hair at all points along the edge.

Once you can do that you'll find that the rest of the honing process is much easier and pretty much falls into line on its own.

Good luck and keep us posted!

I just noticed your join date so congrats on your long-overdue first post! Hopefully we did not chase you away with our responses.

If you truly are able to get a decent, but not quite there, shave with the 8k, then a much more economical option would be the Chinese hone. You can get them at Woodcraft in two sizes for something like $20 for the smaller size and $32 for the larger one. It's a slow hone, needing in the range of 100 strokes after the 8k, but it can produce an excellent edge.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

you have already some good advise i will add alittle. Can you get a good edge from ss blade? Answer is yes.would you be able to get similar carbo n blade edge,i doubt it. Gl

Just to emphasize what Sham said. I bought two stainless dovos for traveling. While they have their place, they do work, I missed my Carbon blades for a whole week. If their is a trick to getting them to shave as good as a carbon blade, I have not found it. I would call it an OK but not the best, even when professionally honed.IME YMMV. Buy another carbon razor, hone it up with what you have and see.
Maybe other stainless blades are better, but since I have two really nice ones, I thought you could relate.

I have been able to get a edge that has givin me a good shave for 11 or 12 months now and dont get any nicks or bad burns from the edge off the norton and strop that I'v been using. it is just not that "perfectly" close shave that I alway wanted. It's sharp, but no, I am by no means the master of the art of straight razor hone. Im sure I will be learning a lot, and thanks to the men here.
cheap chromium oxide strop? is this the balso wood and past or is it one of the strops that the leather is glued to a wood base?

thanks again you guys
James

It could be either if I'm reading correctly. Crox can be applied to Balsa, Leather, even newspaper. That would be a fine follow up to your Nortons. If you are getting good edges off your Nortons, A shapton 16 is nice, as is a Naniwa 12k, and many others.
You can buy a Chinese 12k. They are very inexpensive, and a good hone, just slow...
There's lot's of choices out there for finishing....Even Diamond Pastes/Sprays....and the Expensive J-nats....

Originally Posted by 5ACLOCKSHDW

I have been able to get a edge that has givin me a good shave for 11 or 12 months now and dont get any nicks or bad burns from the edge off the norton and strop that I'v been using. it is just not that "perfectly" close shave that I alway wanted. It's sharp, but no, I am by no means the master of the art of straight razor hone. Im sure I will be learning a lot, and thanks to the men here.
cheap chromium oxide strop? is this the balso wood and past or is it one of the strops that the leather is glued to a wood base?

thanks again you guys
James

OK, thanks for clarifying. Sometimes people come on here and declare themselves to be experts of honing plane blades and chisels and insist they are experts at honing razors. I really couldn't tell your level of razor honing experience from your first post.

You've got lots of options above 8k. Cost can vary greatly, with Shaptons on the high end. Chrome ox on balsa, felt, linen, or even cardboard are on the low end. You can also consider a barber hone, the Chinese hone, a Naniwa Superstone 12k, a coticule, an Escher/Thuringian, a Spyderco UF, and the Shapton 16k. If you want to go the Shapton route, I'd start with just the 16k and see how that goes first. The 30k is a lot of money and several people (I've never used on) say they don't care for the edges off the 30k.

I have a question for you. Are you confident in your stropping? Have you experimented with stropping more to see if that alone improves your edge? I ask because stropping is a critical factor in shaving comfort.