Shaved Off the Naniwa 3K

**LawsonStone** · 09-23-2010, 01:57 AM

I know there is a thread here somewhere on what the lowest grit hone various folks have shaved off of.

I have just finished my first razor honed for someone else--one of my students who is about to start straight shaving. He has a razor honed by Lynn, but had another from a yard sale--it's an "O.B. Special" and the other side has "Nashville Barber Supply" stamped into the metal.

It looked pretty nice, though he was worried about the spike point and the edge had some minor dings. I offered to hone it for him to see what I could do.

Used a DMT 325 to smooth out the rough spots on the edge and round off the spike slightly. Then I went to the DMT 1200 to set the bevel, using one layer of tape to protect the spine--I guess it not being my razor made me concerned. I decided to stay on the 1200 until I knew the bevel was right, and eventually it easily shaved leg hair.

Then I went to the Naniwa 3K and when I was done, I stropped it on leather and did a full-face WTG pass. I was amazed! This must be a nicer razor than I thought. The WTG pass was the closest I've ever had, with no pulling except one spot near my mouth where all my razors pull. It felt very comfortable and smooth.

So I gave it a few more on the 3K then up the line, the Naniwa 8K and 12K, then Chromium Oxide on fabric, then linen and leather strop.

All of which dramatized to me that yes, if the bevel is set right, if the work on the lower grits is done right, the main part of honing is done.

Every time I enjoy a razor I've honed, i think about these forums and how much I have learned from all your generosity and knowledge.

Now my student will gain from your encouragement as well!

**holli4pirating** · 09-23-2010, 02:18 AM

Cool! It was my thread, but I don't remember where I put it. I don't have the Naniwa 3k, but I shaved off my 5k. Glad to hear you can go one lower. Also, congrats on the honing success, and thanks for sharing the story behind it.

**M Martinez** · 09-23-2010, 01:53 PM

It’s all about pressure. Awhile back someone took a few photos of a piece of chalk that he was watching his kids draw on the sidewalk with.

The photos showed simply and dramatically the difference in the striations on the chalk after varying the pressure on the same piece of sidewalk with the same piece of chalk. That tread should be in the wiki, it says it all.

Marty

**Stubear** · 09-23-2010, 02:03 PM

Nice job!

I did actually try shaving off the 3k on a razor I was honing, and I too was suprised at how good the shave was. I'd been thinking it would be like dragging a saw blade across my face but it was pretty smooth and comfortable.

It just shows that by the time your razor comes off the 3k its basically as sharp as its going to get. All the higher grits are just further refining that edge.

Thanks for sharing!

**Utopian** · 09-23-2010, 03:08 PM

For those of you who are a little older, you may remember the game show, "Name That Tune!"

These types of threads are reminding me of that show. Maybe eventually we're going to find out this guy wasn't kidding and he actually gets nice smooth shaves!

YouTube - Straight Razor Honing on a Brick (This is a joke)

**Fbones24** · 09-23-2010, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by Utopian

For those of you who are a little older, you may remember the game show, "Name That Tune!"

These types of threads are reminding me of that show. Maybe eventually we're going to find out this guy wasn't kidding and he actually gets nice smooth shaves!

I completely lost it with the milk! Amazing. As a honing beginner, this video will become my inspiration and a reference for all future hone jobs.

**LawsonStone** · 09-23-2010, 05:53 PM

This really dramatized to me what you guys always say--the main work is on the 1K and 3/4/5K stones. So I decided I wouldn't leave the 1K (actually a DMT 1200) until I liked how the razor shaved leg hair...now my legs do look kinda funny…

Originally Posted by Stubear

Nice job!

I did actually try shaving off the 3k on a razor I was honing, and I too was suprised at how good the shave was. I'd been thinking it would be like dragging a saw blade across my face but it was pretty smooth and comfortable.

It just shows that by the time your razor comes off the 3k its basically as sharp as its going to get. All the higher grits are just further refining that edge.

Thanks for sharing!

**LawsonStone** · 09-23-2010, 06:00 PM

This is utterly hysterical! I wonder if the brick+milk method would make honing stainless steel any faster...or easier...or maybe both...

**MODINE** · 09-23-2010, 09:08 PM

Why in the wide world of sports would you want to try and shave off 3000K hone? I’m not drinking that Kool-Aid. I guess you could shave off a dull deer antler if you wanted to. I can see it now, a dull deer antler quaintly poised on a shave scuttle posted on SOTD. It’s the best shave ever!!! Wheeeeeeeeeee.

**LawsonStone** · 09-23-2010, 10:03 PM

Think of it this way. If you can get a decent shave off the 3K stone, you've really done the job of setting the bevel and sharpening the edge quite well. There was a long thread elsewhere dealing with the importance of the lower grit stones where folks were trying this to learn something about the stage at which the razor transitions from being "pretty sharp" to almost shave-ready. I'm only a rank beginner at honing, so it's important to me to know how the edge performs at different stages of the process.

This AM I shaved with that same razor, having gone up the chain to the 8K, 12K, CrOx, linen and leather. It shaved very well, in fact, one of the best razors I've shaved with in my vast…months…of straight shaving.

But it was not hugely better than what I got off the 3K stone. I really saw the reality that 90% or so of the work is actually done by the time we move from the sharpening stone to the polishing and finishing stones.

Originally Posted by MODINE

Why in the wide world of sports would you want to try and shave off 3000K hone? I’m not drinking that Kool-Aid. I guess you could shave off a dull deer antler if you wanted to. I can see it now, a dull deer antler quaintly poised on a shave scuttle posted on SOTD. It’s the best shave ever!!! Wheeeeeeeeeee.

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