Thread: Trying to get new Dovo into shave ready condition...

Originally Posted by kwlfca

I'll say again to make sure you read that thread because learning to walk away is important...spending hours hunched over your hones isn't good for anyone! :P

Good luck and have fun!

I find honing relaxing and very enjoyable. If it becomes a 'chore' instead of a 'love' I put the equipment away and try try try another day.

This has rarely ever happened but I have friends who have had it happen more times than they would like to think about.

If it's starting to frustrate you either put it away for awhile or send it off to someone for honing. If it's sent off then when you get it back you will have something to judge your honing off of!

Where are you located at? Perhaps you are near enough to a more experienced member who could help you!

Above all maintaining and using a straight should be enjoyable and not a task. It should be fun!

Originally Posted by cudarunner

I find honing relaxing and very enjoyable. If it becomes a 'chore' instead of a 'love' I put the equipment away and try try try another day.

This has rarely ever happened but I have friends who have had it happen more times than they would like to think about.

If it's starting to frustrate you either put it away for awhile or send it off to someone for honing. If it's sent off then when you get it back you will have something to judge your honing off of!

Where are you located at? Perhaps you are near enough to a more experienced member who could help you!

Above all maintaining and using a straight should be enjoyable and not a task. It should be fun!

I love the challenge - I have to challenge myself - I will learn to do this if it kills me or I have no more hair on my body to test on.

I'm near Philadelphia, PA.

I think I got a pretty good edge for a first try - I know the HHT is not reliable but it seems to cut hanging hairs pretty well.

Will try it tomorrow morning - hope I don't look like someone took a rototiller to my face.

-john

Forgot to mention I have a 20k coming from Japan this week - what role can that play in getting the ultimate edge?

-john

Originally Posted by ocelot27

Forgot to mention I have a 20k coming from Japan this week - what role can that play in getting the ultimate edge?

-john

The 20k is an expensive way to replace your CrO strop. Yes I do own & use one.
It can only improve an already good edge but it will do it without the risk of rounding the bevel which I think you may have done looking at some of your pics.

Your second pic looks good , the others seem to have too much light bouncing off the edge as well as irregularity.

Originally Posted by ocelot27

Forgot to mention I have a 20k coming from Japan this week - what role can that play in getting the ultimate edge?

-john

You seem to be falling into the 'trap' that many that are new to honing fall prey to.

I personally feel that until you can get a close and 'comfortable' shave off the 8K you don't need to be going up in the grits.

Until you learn to 'walk' using the lower grits, you won't ever learn to 'run' with the higher grits. pinklather has the G20 and loves it, but he has about 2+ grand already invested in hones and a few years of serious honing under his belt.

He's bringing it along when we ride together to the Northwest Meet this Fall so that I can give it a go.

With that said, you can ask him or others what they think of my edge off of the Naniwa 12K.

You won't find any complaints! In fact you will find praise!

Take your time, learn to walk and when you are ready to learn to run, you will run well!

ps; Listen to Oz as I always find his counsel sound!

Originally Posted by cudarunner

You seem to be falling into the 'trap' that many that are new to honing fall prey to.

I personally feel that until you can get a close and 'comfortable' shave off the 8K you don't need to be going up in the grits.

Until you learn to 'walk' using the lower grits, you won't ever learn to 'run' with the higher grits. pinklather has the G20 and loves it, but he has about 2+ grand already invested in hones and a few years of serious honing under his belt.

He's bringing it along when we ride together to the Northwest Meet this Fall so that I can give it a go.

With that said, you can ask him or others what they think of my edge off of the Naniwa 12K.

You won't find any complaints! In fact you will find praise!

Take your time, learn to walk and when you are ready to learn to run, you will run well!

ps; Listen to Oz as I always find his counsel sound!

I got the 20k so I could use that instead of the CrO treated canvas and for minor tweaks.

I've got the stroke motion down pat and have a straight bevel right the way across the blade.

I have a theoretical question.... If you're doing X strokes won't that tend to wear the tip of the blade more than the heal as it's in contact with the hone for the whole stroke while the heal isn't?

Just trying to understand the theory...

TIA

-john

Contrary to what cudarunner said, I'll say don't put that microscope away just yet. I actually went up in magnification to a 200X scope. It won't hone anything for you but it will give you a good look at what is happening at each grit. As cudarunner already advised, the bevel setting is the most critical step in the process. If that is not done correctly, all your efforts from that point on are a waste of time. My biggest problems so far have been understanding what I should be looking for at each stage. Yes we talk about setting a bevel but how do you know if its set and how do you know to do if its not? I find the thumb nail test one of the most effective. However, it does damage the edge you just worked so hard to achieve. But its easy to repair it at that point. I also find that some razors are simply more receptive to the work you put in on them at the lower grits while others are not. So the shaving of hairs and catching the standing ones off of the 1k may yield different results with different razors. And sometimes to answer the obvious question of why, that microscope might hold some answers. You might find that its catching hairs aggressively after the 1k but under the scope ti looks like a mountain range with the bevel all full of dips and chips. You'll want to keep going at 1k to even that out. Or you may have some poor steel there that needs to be stripped away. Or you might find that the bevel is too wide and weak and adding a layer of tape helps to give it added strength. The scope helps you identify this stuff. Also, after you finally leave the 1k and on to your 4k, how do you know when to stop? The edge off of the 4k should be more refined than that of the 1k. Neither will feel comfortable to shave with. You might see some greater cutting efficiency after the 4k has done its job. But did you remove the deep scratches created on the 1K? You'll want to do that and the scope may help you see them better. Also, the edge should start to look less jagged after the 4k. Same situation on the 8k, you'll want to see the scratches buffed away to ensure that you're going to get a comfortable shave. How does it look? Still a lot of deep cuts going all the way to the cutting edge? If so, you might want to keep going at the 8K. And of course as cudarunner said, how does it shave? If you want to get a 1000 foot view of the process and have a box grater, microplane grater, and a wedge of cheese in your kitchen you can cut a bevel into the cheese with the coarsest grater on the box. Look at the "bevel" and "cutting edge" you have. Now move on the finer grater on the box. Look again at the "bevel" and the edge. Finally, take the microplane to it. Now look at the state of it. This is what is happening during the honing process. The low grits are cutting deep gouges into the steel. The subsequent ones buff the surface away and replace them with their own but are increasingly less aggressive. The scope helps you see the progress and can give you an indication of when to leave or when to stay.

Originally Posted by ocelot27

I will learn to do this if it kills me or I have no more hair on my body to test on.

That's more than a possibility! The hair on my arms have finally grown back :P keep in mind that your arm hair may cut differently than leg hair. I know for me, it's easier to pop leg hairs than arm hairs. Everyone's hair is different though!

Did I miss you telling us what kind of Dovo you have? Is it a Best Quality, Bismarck, Inox...? I can't be the only one who's curious, put up a pic of the razor itself and show off!

How did the shave go today?

Originally Posted by kwlfca

How did the shave go today?

Yes, the Shave! How did the Ultimate test go! Please let us know!

You need to take a breath, you have been bouncing all over the place with the honing...

Norton = http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...on-2012-a.html

In that very long thread you will find a break from the stones and multiple methods to get a Shave Ready edge from first time honers and seasoned experts and everyone inbetween..
Take the time to read through that thread and watch the Vids..

There is a stropping thread made in the same light = http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...st-2012-a.html


There is a Beginners Tips that might help too = http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...tml#post908878


One of the issues that comes up when you are learning to shave with a SR at the same time as learning to hone is that even your test shave can be an experiment in frustration, I have seen newbs have serious shaving issues with a perfectly honed razor right off the hones..

Here is a vid of an actual "Shave Test" = http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...-test-vid.html


Couple of hints:

Get a Factory DE blade and do the same tests that you are trying on your Dovo to at least get an idea of what a sharp edge should feel like otherwise you are flying totally blind

Quit doing so much testing, and if you insist on doing it at least read how to qualify them, basically doing a TNT at the 12k level told me you haven't done that..

Good Luck