Thread: Duosharp X/C causing possible problems

I recently got some Naniwas in (400, 1K, 3/8 combo) & have been having issues w/ the combo--specifically it felt like the edges were being blunted despite being more polished--the shave tests confirmed that. I was (& still am) doing Lynn's exact recommendations for those, by the numbers. (I've been honing for over 2.5 years & can routinely get great edges straight off the Norton.) I thought that the scratches (gouges, actually) being left by the 220 side were the culprit & only used the 325 side, but still it felt like the edge was moving backward in sharpness. I stuck to Lynn's stroke recommendations exactly so I was pretty sure I wasn't overdoing it--plus the edge didn't feel like it; it just felt dull. (Coming off the 1K, the bevel felt great, so it had to have been later.)

Yesterday I had a bit of a brainwave--I noticed that swarf on both sides was collecting in distinct small ridges (the size of the holes in the plate), rather than all over. I went back to my trusty D8C & while it took a while (stiction & the fact that the Naniwas tend to swell a bit from being wet), I was able to remove that pattern & get a smooth edge. The draw & feedback on both sides increased dramatically & following Lynn's advice of only doing 7 strokes on the 8K side (on 1 particular razor), following the 3k, the test shave went pretty well. It was almost there. The razor also felt sharp on all of the other tests I like to do coming off the hones (armhair shaving, TPT etc.), but I only really worried about the shave test.

Seems so far like the Duosharp was the culprit--problem is it was expensive & I don't know whether I can actually return it... Anyone else had these issues & on a side note, who here has used the Naniwa lapping plate? Seems like it'd be faster than the D8C.

Yesterday I had a bit of a brainwave--I noticed that swarf on both sides was collecting in distinct small ridges (the size of the holes in the plate), rather than all over. I went back to my trusty D8C & while it took a while (stiction & the fact that the Naniwas tend to swell a bit from being wet), I was able to remove that pattern & get a smooth edge. The draw & feedback on both sides increased dramatically & following Lynn's advice of only doing 7 strokes on the 8K side (on 1 particular razor), following the 3k, the test shave went pretty well. It was almost there. The razor also felt sharp on all of the other tests I like to do coming off the hones (armhair shaving, TPT etc.), but I only really worried about the shave test.

Seems so far like the Duosharp was the culprit--problem is it was expensive & I don't know whether I can actually return it... (Quote)

Man I wondered about the buildup on those! I have used my Norton flattening stone very successfully on my Naniwa. I think sometimes they are the Japanese Norton! I suppose sometimes we must assume we have perfected it! Nice Post!

I've got the Naniwa 220(I think?) lapping plate for my Naniwa 12k, King 8k/4k/1k and it performs beautifully. It works very cleanly on all my stones and from it's design doesn't look like it can clog? I have no experience with the DMT unfortunately, but the Naniwa 220 works great and I have no complaints, it's cheap too!

I use a duosharp to lap mine with no problems, YMMV

I remember getting scratches from the Naniwa "plate"; plus that thing needs to be lapped now and then.

Did you do anything to break in the duosharp plate?

I lapped some hard naturals (like the hybrid side of my Les Latneuses coticule).

Funny thing is, weird marks & all, it didn't seem to cause any problems on my 1K or 400--the bevels off those things are excellent. Only the 3/8 combo... Again, I've been using that thing exactly by the numbers (Lynn's) and also trying what worked great on the Norton. Closest I've gotten is "not quite there"--any further honing after that & if feels blunted (shave test included). Bevels are great going on & to be safe, I lapped the combo w/ my D8C (very smooth surface) right before doing any honing. Seriously baffled.

My DMT XC Duosharp creates a grooved pattern when used as a lapping plate. It does this to both soft and hard hones.

Hmm, makes it sound like the grooves wouldn't hurt anything then...

I took one razor that had the blunting treatment, reset the bevel on the 1K & went straight to the Nakayama--took close to 30 min, but had a super-sharp edge today. Verdict: bevels are still good (and were even when I was lapping those w/ the duosharp), so I actually don't think it's the Duosharp.

Unrelated, but the 2 unplugged holes in the 220 side are causing actual scratches if I use that side (they're completely removed from all stones now, so no factor here). Anyone else had this & if so, what have you guys done to get rid of that effect? Or do you think I should get a replacement from DMT?