Thread: Possible bad hone

http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...d_honing_guide

Here check out the part where he talks about lapping

Thank you,
I can't argue that Lynn referenced lapping off 1/8 of an inch on the Nortons, it's there in black & white.
Lynn sets the standard in honing.
I was wrong.

Lap off an 1/8 of an inch, if you feel you need to.

Hirlau, not that I measured it when I started, but I doubt I need an 1/8 lapped off seeing the progress it is making no that I worked on it more. But I do need to lapp more then I already have.

And thank you Crunchthetroll for the whippeddog suggestion. I love the idea of buying a razor without a care for what it looks like. At this stage I am in it for the function. But I'm sure in a year, the collector in me will start taking over and looks will mean something to me.

The 8k side didn't take much to lap it flat. Mine had a darker yellow color to start, but once I lapped it it was bright yellow. The 4k side on the other hand I had to lap it quite abit to make it smooth so it wouldn't have the "orange peel" texture to it, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't 1/8. The way I look at it is that you have to remove as much as needed to make it flat and smooth, but it shouldn't take more than 1/8 at the most.

Originally Posted by mdshaver

Hirlau, not that I measured it when I started, but I doubt I need an 1/8 lapped off seeing the progress it is making no that I worked on it more. But I do need to lapp more then I already have.

And thank you Crunchthetroll for the whippeddog suggestion. I love the idea of buying a razor without a care for what it looks like. At this stage I am in it for the function. But I'm sure in a year, the collector in me will start taking over and looks will mean something to me.

IMHO the depth that is removed during the lapping process is really irrelevant. What you are aiming for is flatness, not a particular thickness. Take a pencil, mark a grid on the hone. When that has been removed, repeat to make sure the pencil marks weren't just washed away. When the marks have been removed by the lapping plate/stone then you know that your hone is flat and true. Maybe that will take 1/8" off, maybe 1/64", maybe something else. But if you have it flat, don't keep lapping just for the sake of it.

Good luck

EDIT: note that Lynn said "about 1/8" off the 4k side" (emphasis mine)

Originally Posted by Cangooner

IMHO the depth that is removed during the lapping process is really irrelevant. What you are aiming for is flatness, not a particular thickness. Take a pencil, mark a grid on the hone. When that has been removed, repeat to make sure the pencil marks weren't just washed away. When the marks have been removed by the lapping plate/stone then you know that your hone is flat and true. Maybe that will take 1/8" off, maybe 1/64", maybe something else. But if you have it flat, don't keep lapping just for the sake of it.

Good luck

EDIT: note that Lynn said "about 1/8" off the 4k side" (emphasis mine)

+ 1

It is folly to think that the magical properties of the venerable Norton are hiding under 1/8 inch of slag that must be ground off.

Get it flat, hone a blade, repeat. Some hones will require far less than 1/8 inch, some may require far more. Grinding off more than necessary to get it flat makes as much sense to me as grinding your 8/8 down to a 6/8 to get to the good stuff.

That said, there did seen to be a film of coarser material on my 4k, but it was gone by the time it was flat.

Now for the ubiquitous: YMMV

Originally Posted by unit

Now for the ubiquitous: YMMV

I knew I was forgetting something!

unit --
Of course, there is the illicit, highly illegal black market trade on pure, uncut Norton dust...

Originally Posted by mdshaver

I picked up the 1/8 I think in one of the videos on here, I can't find it now.

My problem is I only have one razor and it is cheap.

I picked up a good razor cheap on e-bay. (9.97 ) Good, I mean good steel, respectable since the day it was made (maybe 1950) Just one way to go. There are tons of them out there. Just watch for hone marks, cracks and rust is what I did. It will need honing when you get it believe me.

Just another thing to think about I would get a shave ready blade and learn to shave with that first before diving to far into honing.