Thread: Who hones and who just doesn't want to?

Originally Posted by JBHoren

I do... at least, I used to. I have the Norton 4K and 8K stones, the DMT coarse, fine, extra-fine, and extra-extra-fine, and a Spyderco UF, along with a few pasted hard-wool felt strips. I've just never gotten good enough with the hones, and (as JimmyHAD would say) I end-up "polishing turds". I thought I'd get better at it (what I really thought is that it would get easier)... but it didn't, and I didn't. If I had the money, I'd send out a dozen or so for proper honing, and be content to maintain their edges (I'm good at that); but I don't... at least, not to spend on honing. One good thing that's come out of this is that my technique has gotten really good, and I can get a DFS -- sometimes, even a BBS -- from a less-than "shave ready" razor. All-in-all, it's a hobby, and a satisfying and enjoyable one, at that.

I've been investing some of my bountiful and totally unscheduled free time (really, all my time) and working on my honing... one blade at-a-time. Tonight's was a Union Cutlery "Spike", a 9/16 wedge, that I'd bread-knifed a few years back. Now, let me say this about the Dia-Sharp DMT series of 3x8 diamond plated hones. They're great for lapping synthetic water-stones -- I use the DMT-C (coarse) plate to lap my Norton 8K and 4K stones, and borrowed a fella's DMT-XC to (mostly) lap a 3x8 Spyderco UF; I also use the DMT-F (fine) and DMT-EF (extra-fine) to reset the bevel. But from then on, my razors only touch the synthetic water stones I've just mentioned.

Tonight's Union Cutlery "Spike" began on the DMT-C for bevel setting; once it would cut my arm hairs along the length of the blade, I moved to the DMT-F to "dial-in" the bevel -- with both bevel-setting setups I added a drop of dishwashing liquid to the diamond plate's surface, and made sure to keep it wet, not simply moist. Meanwhile, both Norton stones -- 4K and 8K -- had been soaking in a container of tap water for 30 minutes. When the timer rang, I first drew a pencil grid on the Norton 4K, then lapped it briefly (figure-eights) on the DMT-C; when it was finished, I repeated the procedure with the Norton 8K. With the bevel correctly set and then refined on the DMT-EF, I went to work with the Norton water-stones to further sharpen/polish the razor. I didn't use a pyramid progression; rather, multiple groups of 25 round-trips on the well-wetted Norton 4k -- followed by the same procedure on the Norton 8K. When that was done, I moved over to my 3x8 Spyderco UF (which I'd previously lapped on a Dia-Sharp DMT-XC) and, yet again, followed procedure and wet them well, then groups of 25 laps with the Union Cutlery "Spike". I finished the session with 15 laps on a hard felted-wool strip (3x12) which had been sprayed with 0.5-micron diamond solution, then 15 more on another hard felted-wool strip that had been coated with Chromium Dioxide powder, and finally 50 laps on a 3/8" thick 3x12 piece of stropping leather. I will be wiser, in the morning.

PS: Slept late (see signature), and even before drinking my first mug 'o coffee I had a wonderful shave with this razor -- the stiffness of the grind gives me the control that, combined with the sharpness of the blade, enabled me to employ classic, two-handed shaving technique. The result? a worry-free, BBS shave!

Originally Posted by JBHoren

I've been investing some of my bountiful and totally unscheduled free time (really, all my time) and working on my honing... one blade at-a-time. Tonight's was a Union Cutlery "Spike", a 9/16 wedge, that I'd bread-knifed a few years back. Now, let me say this about the Dia-Sharp DMT series of 3x8 diamond plated hones. They're great for lapping synthetic water-stones -- I use the DMT-C (coarse) plate to lap my Norton 8K and 4K stones, and borrowed a fella's DMT-XC to (mostly) lap a 3x8 Spyderco UF; I also use the DMT-F (fine) and DMT-EF (extra-fine) to reset the bevel. But from then on, my razors only touch the synthetic water stones I've just mentioned.

Tonight's Union Cutlery "Spike" began on the DMT-C for bevel setting; once it would cut my arm hairs along the length of the blade, I moved to the DMT-F to "dial-in" the bevel -- with both bevel-setting setups I added a drop of dishwashing liquid to the diamond plate's surface, and made sure to keep it wet, not simply moist. Meanwhile, both Norton stones -- 4K and 8K -- had been soaking in a container of tap water for 30 minutes. When the timer rang, I first drew a pencil grid on the Norton 4K, then lapped it briefly (figure-eights) on the DMT-C; when it was finished, I repeated the procedure with the Norton 8K. With the bevel correctly set and then refined on the DMT-EF, I went to work with the Norton water-stones to further sharpen/polish the razor. I didn't use a pyramid progression; rather, multiple groups of 25 round-trips on the well-wetted Norton 4k -- followed by the same procedure on the Norton 8K. When that was done, I moved over to my 3x8 Spyderco UF (which I'd previously lapped on a Dia-Sharp DMT-XC) and, yet again, followed procedure and wet them well, then groups of 25 laps with the Union Cutlery "Spike". I finished the session with 15 laps on a hard felted-wool strip (3x12) which had been sprayed with 0.5-micron diamond solution, then 15 more on another hard felted-wool strip that had been coated with Chromium Dioxide powder, and finally 50 laps on a 3/8" thick 3x12 piece of stropping leather. I will be wiser, in the morning.

Wow...quite the finishing process! Interested to hear how she shaves....all those pastes....she should be very smooth.

Originally Posted by JBHoren

I've been investing some of my bountiful and totally unscheduled free time (really, all my time) and working on my honing... one blade at-a-time. Tonight's was a Union Cutlery "Spike", a 9/16 wedge, that I'd bread-knifed a few years back. Now, let me say this about the Dia-Sharp DMT series of 3x8 diamond plated hones. They're great for lapping synthetic water-stones -- I use the DMT-C (coarse) plate to lap my Norton 8K and 4K stones, and borrowed a fella's DMT-XC to (mostly) lap a 3x8 Spyderco UF; I also use the DMT-F (fine) and DMT-EF (extra-fine) to reset the bevel. But from then on, my razors only touch the synthetic water stones I've just mentioned.

Tonight's Union Cutlery "Spike" began on the DMT-C for bevel setting; once it would cut my arm hairs along the length of the blade, I moved to the DMT-F to "dial-in" the bevel -- with both bevel-setting setups I added a drop of dishwashing liquid to the diamond plate's surface, and made sure to keep it wet, not simply moist. Meanwhile, both Norton stones -- 4K and 8K -- had been soaking in a container of tap water for 30 minutes. When the timer rang, I first drew a pencil grid on the Norton 4K, then lapped it briefly (figure-eights) on the DMT-C; when it was finished, I repeated the procedure with the Norton 8K. With the bevel correctly set and then refined on the DMT-EF, I went to work with the Norton water-stones to further sharpen/polish the razor. I didn't use a pyramid progression; rather, multiple groups of 25 round-trips on the well-wetted Norton 4k -- followed by the same procedure on the Norton 8K. When that was done, I moved over to my 3x8 Spyderco UF (which I'd previously lapped on a Dia-Sharp DMT-XC) and, yet again, followed procedure and wet them well, then groups of 25 laps with the Union Cutlery "Spike". I finished the session with 15 laps on a hard felted-wool strip (3x12) which had been sprayed with 0.5-micron diamond solution, then 15 more on another hard felted-wool strip that had been coated with Chromium Dioxide powder, and finally 50 laps on a 3/8" thick 3x12 piece of stropping leather. I will be wiser, in the morning.

If you have time and enjoy these honing sessions, then respect - not my business.
I have done this in the early days, took me years and some mentoring to get first class edges.
These days that would be a session so I don't do it.
For me
1) Bevel set Chosera 10k + Coti (sometimese water only on coti if set is really good) = job done.
2) sometimes as above except finish on jnat.

I do occassionally finish on nani 12k on stubborn steel (stainless on occassion it depends).
I have no problem touching up on crox if feeling lazy but still a good edge not as smooth though IMO.

Thats it much more streamlined these days.

Joe