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09-10-2011, 08:44 PM #8
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Thanked: 443Since these are all brand-new and well-honed blades, I'd say yes to the N12k now. That should be all you need for touch-ups. It's a surprisingly fast stone for its grit size.
As far as working on practice blades, limit your honing on them to the 8k level until you're getting a smooth shaving edge... then they'll respond to your 12k.
Since you've got this wealth of nice brand-new blades, I'd recommend that you keep one of them out of your rotation--hold it back as a reference blade. The edges degrade so slowly that it's like an eyeglass prescription... you don't realize the degradation is happening until the day you get a new pair of glasses with the new prescription. Oh yeah, that's how well it's possible to see! Oh yeah, that's how sharp a razor should be!
This will be especially helpful because your technique will be improving at the same time your blades are dulling. Every 6 weeks, maybe, pull out your reference blade and just do one swipe under a sideburn. If it feels significantly better than your other new blades, try touching them up on pasted felt or the 12k.
6 weeks might be too soon for a hone touchup, or it might not be... depends on your stropping technique.
Good luck with it all. You're off to a well equipped start. Here's a temptation to fight, at least until you get some junkers to practice on: Just because you HAVE all those hones doesn't mean you need to USE all those hones.
Best wishes to you."These aren't the droids you're looking for." "These aren't the droids we're looking for." "He can go about his business." "You can go about your business."