Thread: Naniwa SS from 3k to 8k

Sachiya,
I think you are getting caught up in a lot of theory and you are getting lost in it.
Just hone strop and shave, HHT does not indicate shave readiness. The razor can easily pass the HHT, but if the shave is harsh what good is it?
If the razor does not pass HHT , that does not mean that it does not shave well, only a shave test will tell.

+1 with Stefan. Everyone has different procedures they use for various blades. A wedge may be different than a full hollow. Some guys use every grit in a series, I've done with Naniwa with great results. I do follow a pattern. I'll do 10-20 back strokes, followed by 10-20 Full X strokes, followed by 20 circles. Then, I feel the edge, look at it under a loupe (sometimes), and test it on my arm. Once I'm satisfied, I move on to the next hone, and the Naniwa's do have trouble with the hair popping. I don't know why...

Some razors, for whatever reason can take forever on a 1k to set a bevel. I guess it has to do with how hard that particular steel is, but the edge has to be correct coming off the 1k, that's your foundation for everything to come..You can't make it up later on another hone...Quite a while ago, I had lot's of trouble with a DD Satinedge, at least I think it was, normally, these razors take an edge quite easily. I wound up sending it off to Max, because I thought I was crazy...

It took Max over a 1/2 hour on his 1k before he could get the bevel right, My point is, every razor is different...It'll take you a bit of time to get comfortble honing and know when to do what. As I said, get some old junk razor to practice with.

Rich

Probably the lack of hair popping is due to the smoothness of the edge--striations aid in hair grabbing. I just got mine in yesterday (400, 1K, 3/8 combo), so I'm still playing, but for me, I could only pop arm hair after stropping right next to the skin. Not really worried as it was pretty effortless. We will see what the shave test brings. I'm purposely not going to any finishers after the 8K so I can be sure I'm getting the max out of it 1st.

After coming off the 3K, I've been doing 15-20 light x-strokes on the 8K. Again, we'll see if that's enough or not. Still experimenting.

OT, but that P1 strop I also picked up is amazingly solid!

Update: test shaved off of 2 & the edge wasn't quite there. Did more on the 3K side & arm hair shaving was much better. Tried a pyramid from 15 on 1 razor just for fun (I normally don't do them, but when figuring out new hones, I usually end up trying everything to see how they behave!), but haven't tested yet. What do you think about 40 circles or Japanese strokes/side & 10 x-strokes--1st w/ light pressure, then w/ no pressure. I think that's what Lynn recommends for the 5K, but not sure.

Has anyone found that the 8k side can be overdone like the Norton? On that, I usually did 15 & then checked every few laps w/ a TPT. Still figuring out tests for these--I've definitely found they feel different (smoother) from the Norton so far. Love to here from experienced Naniwa users!

Originally Posted by gssixgun

...

+1000.... HHT God I am sick of reading HHT...

Seriously until you have honed razors sucessfully that you have shaved with, and know they are shave worthy and even how shave worthy they are the HHT doesn't mean diddly squat...

True dat.
I am a serious novice in honing, and have honed maybe 100 razors, am happy with the results I'm getting though I still fall short of the edge that the honemeisters here can get--but I can "see there from here" as it were.

Ironically, I still can do the HHT. Gave it up. If a razor will cut arm hair floating off the skin, I don't care about the parlor trick of cutting a single hair.

And if it shaves, I don't care what tests I can't make it pass. I want close, smooth, comfortable, fun shaves and I'm getting them.

My honing is passing the "fun" test too!

I hone with Naniwas-1K, 3K, 8K and 12K. Sometimes after the 3K I will go to the coticule because I'm playing with that on the side.

I find on the Naniwas that I'm going for fewer and fewer strokes. Once the bevel is set, I only seldom go past 20 strokes on any of the stones past the 1K.

The pyramid razor was not ready, but it was very smooth--almost coticule smooth. I did Lynn's recommendation (I think) for the 5K (40 circles or equiv./side followed by 10 x-strokes--1st w/ light pressure, then w/ no pressure), then 15 ultra-light x-strokes on the 8K. The pyramid razor then felt great on the TPT, before & after stropping. Nice & sticky--almost as much as the Nakayama finished Randall Hall I did today. Should be a nice shave test tomorrow...

Originally Posted by LawsonStone

I hone with Naniwas-1K, 3K, 8K and 12K. Sometimes after the 3K I will go to the coticule because I'm playing with that on the side.

I find on the Naniwas that I'm going for fewer and fewer strokes. Once the bevel is set, I only seldom go past 20 strokes on any of the stones past the 1K.

Just to clarify, you're doing something like 20 x-strokes on the 3K & then moving to the 8K?