Thread: Advice required with Dovo Stainless Honing

Hi all
If you can give me some advice. The problem is with my Dovo stainless straight razor. I can get a keen edge on it I'm using a yellow coticule stone with slurry then without. It's no where near as sharp as my Carbon blade razor using the same procedure. Do I require another honing stone say a 12000 grit. This was factory sharp given to me for Christmas. Thanks all and happy new year.

One of the characteristics of stainless steel is abrasion resistance. So you have to , depending on the alloy, do more strokes than you would with a high carbon steel. I've had a couple that I needed diamond paste or spray to finally get where I wanted to go but they vary. Some of them were doable just on the hones. I wasn't doing those with a coticule though. Not saying you can't , just that it will probably take more work. The more work being in the 4k and 8k range before you get to the finishing, although that may take a little more than a high carbon as well.

To be onest , i was always under the impression,s's did'nt compare with c/steel. also they were always more difficult to hone. I've not found that to be true, infact i have found stainless steel to shave exallant and just as nice as carbon steel. Which stainless dovo is it? Cronium oxide or ti paste have worked very well on my s'steel. I also used unicot method on a Dovo micarta, the edge was super smooth. My mate got 40 odd shaves from that razor. You could whip a layer of tape on the spine and do 30 to 60 laps on plain water

gary

The razor is a new dovo olive wood, I've just honed it again 50 laps using slurry on the yellow coticule, followed by 80 laps on just water all with the spine taped with one layer. I then stropped 30 linen then 100 on cow hide strop. Planning to shave in the next day or so and see how it goes. As a comparison I used a shavette using a feather blade, it's not a fair comparison but the difference in sharpness was truly worlds apart. Thank you for your advice regards Ian

Well, you just did 130 laps and however more you did before. That's a lot for a new razor. Most new razors require a touchup only unless the bevel is seriously involved. You might want to check that because if that's the issue you will never get it the way you want it until that is addressed. If the bevel is OK you need to change your strategy and figure out a different routine, one that works or consider sending it out.

Play with the dilutions a bit if you still cant get it after trying what the others have said. You may want to try finishing on a light slurry instead of just water, sometimes that works for me. If you keep at it I am sure you will get it.

I have found more luck honing stainless on synthetics more of a sure thing. Not saying that SS will not respond to coticules or other naturals cause they will if you have the right stone, but always get them where I want on synthetics. Nortons and Shapton glass stones are my favorite for alloyed steels.

Originally Posted by Westminster

.............Planning to shave in the next day or so and see how it goes. As a comparison I used a shavette using a feather blade, it's not a fair comparison but the difference in sharpness was truly worlds apart. Thank you for your advice regards Ian

Hello Ian,
I have been watching this thread for a conclusion, but it has just stopped.
Hope you are OK.
How did you get on with the problem of achieving an edge on your SS blade?

Originally Posted by SonnySouthWest

Hello Ian,
I have been watching this thread for a conclusion, but it has just stopped.
Hope you are OK.
How did you get on with the problem of achieving an edge on your SS blade?

Hi sorry lost the thread well I did give it a go and to be honest I couldn't get a good edge compared with the edge on the feather blade in my artist club razor and I decided to sell it. I still have an old mild steel razor and had it professionally prepared by the invisible edge but again the sharpness compared to the artist club is worlds apart. I not going to give up though and keep trying to get that acceptable shave, perhaps it's a technique issue.

+1 to what has been already said, but remember your straight razor is not going to be as sharp as a Feather blade no matter how much you hone it. They have specialized machines used to sharpen scapel blades (feather also makes surgical blades in Japan) with; so it's not a fair comparison to be honest. As long as it is sharp enough to provide a smooth comfortable shave it's a win win deal IMHO.