Thread: Setting bevel with wet & dry?

Is its possible to use wet and dry paper (on a piece of float glass or similar) to set the bevel on a razor and if it is, would it be a bad idea?

I've never tried it but I have heard of people doing it. I know at least one fellow who favors that method and says that the concentration of abrasive is much greater on 1k grit sandpaper than on the equivalent waterstone.

Perhaps that is why Lynn has said that some of the worst uneven wear he has seen on straights sent to him has been on those sharpened on sandpaper by a neophyte honer. So if you do it proceed with caution and check your bevel with an eye loupe or a microscope frequently. Just IMHO.

I have heard of people doing this, and have tried it myself. The grit runs out fairly quickly. The long term benefits of purchasing a Nani 1k, or a King 800 for example, far outweigh the short term costs.

Hones are better!

I used sandpaper to set bevels for about 2 years, but it's not something I'd recommend. When I finally got a stone I could set bevels with, I noticed an immediate improvement.

Thanks,

I used to use this method with wood working tools in the past but upgrades to a whetstone grinder but I don't fancy using a straight on that.

At the moment I'm just trying to establish what I need if I'm going to hone my own on a tight budget.

At present I've ordered a Dragon's Tongue Welsh slate, its so cheap it would be rude not to, I shall almost certainly get a Chinese 12k as well for the same reason.

But below that I'm not sure. I'm leaning towards a King combination 1000/6000 but it seems a big jump between the 2 so I think I would also need a 2-3K grit stone as well which is when my searching turned up 2500 grit wet and dry paper

Originally Posted by Jeltz

At present I've ordered a Dragon's Tongue Welsh slate, its so cheap it would be rude not to, I shall almost certainly get a Chinese 12k as well for the same reason.

I really like hones. I enjoy their diversity and like to play with them all. I don't have a Dragon's Tongue yet, but now I realize just how rude that is.
Thanks for sorting me out!

Originally Posted by Jeltz

Thanks,

I used to use this method with wood working tools in the past but upgrades to a whetstone grinder but I don't fancy using a straight on that.

At the moment I'm just trying to establish what I need if I'm going to hone my own on a tight budget.

At present I've ordered a Dragon's Tongue Welsh slate, its so cheap it would be rude not to, I shall almost certainly get a Chinese 12k as well for the same reason.

But below that I'm not sure. I'm leaning towards a King combination 1000/6000 but it seems a big jump between the 2 so I think I would also need a 2-3K grit stone as well which is when my searching turned up 2500 grit wet and dry paper

Since you have the DT incoming, you'll likely find you don't NEED mid grit hones. I had a DT and used to go from my 1k to the DT with slurry to the DT with water and that got the razor to where I could get a smooth, comfortable shave. I would guess that the DT was in the 6-8k range.

The only thing I didn't like about the DT is that when used without slurry, it loads pretty quickly. A "refresh" lapping or raising a light slurry solves that quickly, though.

If you do I would lap a stone or something to wear it in first and make sure you submerse it it water or spray the backside before laying it on glass or tile so it will lay flat and adhere to its platform.

[QUOTE=
At present I've ordered a Dragon's Tongue Welsh slate, its so cheap it would be rude not to, I shall almost certainly get a Chinese 12k as well for the same reason.

But below that I'm not sure. I'm leaning towards a King combination 1000/6000 but it seems a big jump between the 2 so I think I would also need a 2-3K grit stone as well which is when my searching turned up 2500 grit wet and dry paper [/QUOTE]

You can certainly get good edges with that King 1k/6k combo, it will just take a little longer on the 6k. Before I doubled up on the dragons tongue and the C12k, I'd get a Norton or a King 4k to use after the bevel setter. Woodcraft sells the King 4k for like $25. It's honestly faster than the 6k.

Take a look at the Wiki:

Using micro abrasive film - Straight Razor Place Wiki

1K silicon carbide "wet-or-dry" sandpaper cuts pretty well for me, grinding out edge chips and setting bevels. But I can't compare it to a similar stone -- don't own one, yet.

The cost of experimenting with sandpaper (as opposed to stones) is really low. Try it, you might find it OK.

Charles