Quote Originally Posted by RonPopeil View Post
how do i know which stone to take the edge down to? my impression was that under 4k would be to bring a completely dead or damaged edge into a bevel and then sharpening takes place. at the moment i stay away from damaged edges and opt for things with damaged scales or minor cleaning duties required. if i could bring back some damaged edges that would greatly increase the amount of razors i could purchase.
It depends on the condition of the edge. IME vintage ebay and/or antique shop razors frequently have micro chipping or worse. Sometimes it is visible to the naked eye and sometimes it is not. Often an eye loupe or microscope is the best way to assess the condition of the edge and decide what to proceed with. A bevel can be set with a 4k but it is a lot faster with a 1k. If you are buying these vintage pieces you will learn through experience how to judge which hone to begin with and when to move on to the next grit. I said fun because I find it to be an enjoyable pursuit. Honing that is. I do it when I want to and I don't do it unless I want to so it is still fun for me. If I was under the gun honing to a deadline for a customer I might not find it so. Dunno.