Thread: Honing Journey

Its just another way of determining sharpness. It doesn't address smooth at all. I use it at certain stages and I find it useful in that it confirms I am progressing in sharpness. My family is Mediterranean so my daughters hair is exactly like mine. I'm sure there are some hair that may be too fine. Its another tool if you choose to learn it or use it. But there are other tests and the only real test is the shave test.

Originally Posted by crouton976

The good thing about that bright white 4k side is that you can see this reeeeeal easy. I know you said you were using tape on the W&B, but if you were on the DD too, the only thing touching the stone, as far as bare metal, should have been the bevel. If it was still leaving black marks, you definitely have more work to do there.

I don't know how this myth originated..The abraded particles don't magically get bleached.
If you rub steel on a white stone it will leave black marks.

I have never heard that one before. Indeed, steel leaves a dark gray streak on white.

Uh oh, conflicting info... Haha. Makes sense that it would leave black marks regardless.

In other news, I honed the Dubl Duck and John Weis tonight. I used more pressure on the 4k, and seemed to make a lot of progress. I kept in mind the information here and I think I advanced a bit. Shaved leg hair a lot better (used my leg tonight as the wife was joking on my bare spot on my arm yesterday, lol). I will keep at it and report back! Working late tomorrow night and going to Atlanta to see Matchbox Twenty and the Goo Goo Dolls this weekend, so it'll probably be Monday night before I can hit the hones again.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I don't know how this myth originated..The abraded particles don't magically get bleached.
If you rub steel on a white stone it will leave black marks.

Haha... I didn't mean disappear completely. Lemur said it best herehttp://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...-question.html

I meant once you move up to a finer grit you should be polishing the bevel, not creating lots of swarf because you're still cutting the bevel. The amount of swarf should be less and less the further through the progression you go, correct?

My apologies for the confusion.

Yes and no. It depends on the hone. Natural hones hardly build up swarf at least it doesn't stick to the stone. My chosera 10k stays pretty clean, my naniwa 12k and suehiro 20k does get some buildup, nothing major. The faster the hone, the more swarf as the more metal is removed. Wipe or rinse the blade between grits as this will keep the hones a little cleaner. You should do that anyway as you risk taking a lower grit particle to the finer hone.

Whew, glad we got that worked out, haha.

Yes, I always be sure to wipe the blade off before moving to the next grit. Heck, I have been even wiping the blade when switching between circles and strokes.

Originally Posted by crouton976

Haha... I didn't mean disappear completely. Lemur said it best herehttp://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...-question.html

Yep sums it up nicely. Fine stone = less laps & fine swarf. A 4k tho will mostly cut like a 4k.

Oz... You're the man.

Update! I am getting there! I shaved with both the John Weis C.S.P.K Trademark razor and the Dubl Duck razor this morning. Did half of my face with one, the other half with the other. The Weis is I'd say, maybe halfway there? It definitely needs to return to the hones. The Dubl Duck, however, was almost there. It gave me an acceptable shave- I'd say somewhere between if I had just done a WTG pass and a 5 o' clock shadow. Basically, after two passes (one WTG, one XTG), I had some stubble left. It's the weekend and I'm going out of town this afternoon, so no big deal. I didn't bother going over it with either of my two shave-ready razors. I am anxious to get back to the hones... Gotta wait until Monday!