Confessions of a First Time Honer ...

Good afternoon everyone

My Shoubudani Type 100 arrived yesterday from Maksim along with a reddish coloured tomonagura. Sorry I don't have pics. It arrived very quickly, thanks Maksim.

Firstly, I need to disclose that I have never honed anything in my life. Some of you will say I'm stupid to be jumping straight into Jnat territory (and you may be right). Others will say just jump in and get practising.

So I went home after work and was eager to try out my new stone. I made a nice slurry using the edge of the tomo and started gently with a few circles and some X strokes with my Atoya De Luxe 5/8. I only need to give this razor a refresh as the bezel has been recently set by someone with a lot more skill and experience than myself.

Some of you may have already spotted my first mistake - I did not lap the stone before using it. I thought I would give it a try without lapping it because I didn't have any wet and dry sandpaper at home (and I don't own a lapping plate), but I think that's where it all went a bit wrong.

I spent about 10 minutes doing soft X-strokes on slurry, trying to steady the blade and use consistent (minimal) pressure by using both hands. I couldn't seem to consistently keep the whole edge on contact with the hone. I cleaned the blade and tried a shave test on arm hair.

What was the result? I was completely successful in making a shave ready edge blunt! After my effort the blade would only just cut arm hair and didn't pass the HHT at all!

So I gave up for the night, chuckling to myself that I'd just have to chalk this one up to experience. Luckily I have two razors and the second one still has a nice Oz-honed edge on it.

My next step is to lap the stone and try again. I'm not in any real hurry, and am enjoying the old school method of rubbing steel against rock to make the steel sharp (except in my case make it blunt!).

Before I get flamed, I'd just like to add that I've read a lot on here (and other places) about how to drive a Jnat and I've watched a lot of videos. As the wise folk on this board say, each stone is different and you have to find out what makes yours tick. I'm looking forward to the adventure of finding this out. I know my technique is rubbish at the moment and my rock is on the smaller size, but time and patience will fix that.

I just wanted to tell my story so far ...

If you have done your reading (which you say you have) you would have read hundreds of times that you must lap your hones and keep them flat.But we all live and learn. You have started practicing and as long as you keep thinking it's fun and interesting the rest will probably work itself out with experience. Have a great time honing and the best of luck.

Keeping flat on the hone is also muscle memory, even with a flat hone. Trying to do very light pressure and still keeping the whole blade flat while the scales try to tip the blade off the hone takes some practice.
If you don't mind using that same razor, just keep doing laps (with taped spine) to develop that motion, watching the water, adjusting finger balance, etc
In about three months I'll have been at this a year and still working out the kinks.
Best if luck - it'll all be worth it when you get that perfect edge.

What are you using for slurry? Nagura, tomo, dmt plate?

For a beginner, there is something even more important than lapping when using such a stone. You need to chamfer the long edges of the hone. With your current honing ability, or lack of same, you will have a great tendency to rock the blade, thereby focusing all of the blade/rock contact at one point where the top of the hone meets the side of the hone. That 90 degree angle needs to be rounded over.

@bill3152 - I'm using tomo for a slurry - the one that came with the stone
@Utopian - I have smoothed off the long edges already, but I might take a bit more off, it can't hurt right???

That depends on how much you paid for the hone!

Don't worr. What happened here is called slurry dulling. Its only natural to create a big surrey as we think more is better. Do you have a dmt plate?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bill3152

Don't worr. What happened here is called slurry dulling. Its only natural to create a big surrey as we think more is better. Do you have a dmt plate?

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No, I don't have a DMT plate - I lapped the stone with some wet 'n dry.

If your close. DMT at Harbor Freight. Very Reasonable.

Okay gents, here's my latest.

I broke the Shoubu out again last night. Tried to make a thinner slurry but that didn't seem to work.

Then I made a slurry using the flat side of the tomo (instead of with the edge) and used a little more pressure to start with. I kept honing using X strokes using gradually lighter pressure. Must have been about 50 laps. I tried the arm hair test - no good. HHT - also no good. I stropped about 80 times on Roo then tried HHT. I managed to get about a HHT 3 I reckon.

I put another 30 odd laps on the roo strop and put he razor away.

Shaved with it this morning ... A bit rough and some pulling but a semi decent shave out of it.

I think I am slowly getting good contact on the hone and a natural-feeling stroke.

Back to it again tonight to see if I can get a HHT result straight off the hone.

This is getting good!!!

Don't ever use the word "broke" in the same sentence with any reference to a hone!

By any chance, are you taping the spine of the razor? If so, you always need to be aware of the wearing away of the tape causing a change in the honing angle which will lift the edge off of the hone.

Congrats on converting your razor from shave ready to dull to semi decent! You are making progress.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Utopian

Don't ever use the word "broke" in the same sentence with any reference to a hone!

By any chance, are you taping the spine of the razor? If so, you always need to be aware of the wearing away of the tape causing a change in the honing angle which will lift the edge off of the hone.

Congrats on converting your razor from shave ready to dull to semi decent! You are making progress.

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I thought the word 'broke' might generate a comment!

No, I'm not taping while I hone, so my angle should always be the same (unless of course I accidentally lift the spine off the hone due to inexperience).

Thanks for the congrats. I didn't get a chance to hone last night, so I'll try and find time tonight. Today I shaved with a properly honed edge on a Friodur 6/8 and it was soo much sharper and smoother than my honing effort. Which means I just need to keep practising ...