Thread: Next Level

Good afternoon gents,

I have been honing ebay specials and I think I am getting better at getting them shave ready. I use all of my straights so I can tell how they differ from one that was honed by a honemeister. I use the 4k/8k and then stroping. I can get them nice and sharp for a comfortable shave. But I think I they could be smoother. does that makes any sense? So I think that I could use a higher polishing grit stone.

What are your suggestions for an affordable finishing stone and a place to get them?

or

do I even need that at this point?

thanks for your suggestions.

Raf

Remember that millions of men used to shave with a straight every day at one time and most hated it. I would venture that many had razors that were in terrible shape and got poor shaves. So its a matter of what you will settle for. To me perfection is what you should be after. That means the razor should just slide down you face smoothly and comfortably. There should be no irritation and your face should feel wonderful when you finish. If your face burns when you put aftershave on unless its almost pure alcohol thats a demerit. Too many demerits and you have to go to detention after shaving.

The ultimate goal is a shave so smooth and comfortable you can't feel the razor slicing the hairs off. Not all razors can do this no matter how much time you spend honing them. With many you can feel the razor working on your face but it still should never pull or be uncomfortable. Clear as mud? Every razor is an individual and all feel a tad different. Some very different depending on materials, grind, size etc.

As to your other question, many go no further than the 8K but if you want the ultimate then a 12K will do the trick or you could get a belgian Coticule or equivalent stone. There are several vendors here who sell them, Tony Miller, Howard at the perfect edge, also the japanese woodworker. Those are a few that come to mind.

I've been using a Shapton 12k stone Chromium Oxide stick and 0.25µ Diamond paste all in great moderation to refine the edge. Of all of these I currently think the Cr2O3 is the most instrumental.

X

Lately I've been using a 15k shapton and chrome oxide on my razors.

I finish on one of the 12K Chinese waterstones that Woodcraft sells for $30, followed by a .5 micron diamond or chromium oxide pasted paddle. The Chinese stone is considered a slow cutter in comparison to other finishing hones. I'm very new to the chromium oxide paste but think I'll be sticking with it instead of the diamond paste based on the results it's given me so far.

I also use the stone from woodcraft. It seems to work great without pasted strops.http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=4920 I have the smaller of the two, I find it easier to use than the larger stone.

Gents,

Thank you all for your responses and suggestions.

I have a Woodcraft nearby so I will check their stock for the Chinese 12k.

I dont get irritation or razor burn with any of my razors. I have somewhat sensitive skin so after shaving with a DE or Straight, there is always a very slight sting that goes away within seconds after I use any type of aftershave with alcohol. But no razor burn. I dont feel that any of the razors pull...then again I can try to get them sharper and that probably will get them to give a smoother shave. Is that correct? I am comfortable with the shave I getr from them so I guess Bigspendur's mention of perfection could apply as I tend to seek that accomplishment in everything I do. I'm not perfect but I can try to get there and somewhere along the way I could find that next level.

Again thanks for your responses.

BTW how many laps on that chinese 12k? or is that a matter of how polished I want the edge to be?

Raf

i also use a 12k chinesse from woodcraft.com followed by 0.5um diamond paste on a tony miller bench hone.

the chinesse is a slow cutter for sure. you are lookin at like 40 strokes on the stone to start getting it to where you want it to be.

while the 12k is nice and puts a great edge on the blade, there is something to be said about taking this a step further and using a 0.5um finisher. the shave is just silky smooth afterwards. the edge in both cases is extremely sharp and will give you very close shaves...its just that feeling against the skin that has just slightly more comfort for me using the 0.5um after the 12k.

perhaps i get a bit relaxed and only use a 1.0um and 0.5um diamond pastes for my touch ups on the Tony bench hone.... but when im first putting the initial bevel thru honing a new Ebay razor up to shaving sharpness, i always use my 12k stone for this process instead of the 1.0um.

~J

Originally Posted by Scorpio

BTW how many laps on that chinese 12k? or is that a matter of how polished I want the edge to be?

Raf

Randydance, one of the top honemeisters around here, told me once that he thinks the Chinese stone requires 100 laps. I doubt that I've ever gone more than 50 though before moving on to the pasted paddle or bench hone.

With mine I'll typically start getting a lot of "suction" on the blade somewhere between 20-30 laps. I stop and wet it pretty frequently to flush it clean, probably about every 10 laps or so, because this stone is so fine that you'll feel any chips that get stuck in it when the blade passes over. The suction effect is generally so strong when it develops that it's hard to make a stroke with light pressure.

I use the larger of the two stones available, just a matter of preference.

I think the Thuringen stones that Tony Miller sells are worth a look too.

P.S. You might want to take a look at the granite surface plates while you're at Woodcraft. They're 2" thick and guaranteed flat within .0001", I don't think there's a better working surface to be had with abrasive papers for lapping hones or getting a clean bevel on an old blade. They run about $30 if I remember correctly.

I use the Woodcraft surface plate for lapping the stones I sell. I lay it in my sink and let a tiny stream of water trickle over it while I lap. It's a heavy beast but really does the job.

Tony