Thread: Honing

I am new to this forum, but I have been reading for quite a while, since I first became interested in straight shaving and then when I was ready to make the dive and purchase a razor and some equipment.

After about a year of shaving with my Edwin Jagger imitation ivory DE razor, practicing with a Parker shavette, and various blades (finding Feather to be perhaps the best), I bought a black Dovo full hollow 5/8 from SRD. It came shave ready. For Christmas, my wonderful girlfriend bought me a beautiful Illinois Razor Strop Co. 2 1/2 in. strop, a Norton 4K/8K water stone, AND a DMT 8-inch Dia-Sharp continuous diamond, course bench stone for a combination use, lapping and knife sharpening.

I got the hang of shaving with a true straight razor (not a shavette), and never looked back. A regular stropping of maybe 20-30 round trips seemed to usually be enough to get the job done fine until just recently. Since I have not yet purchased a pasted strop or a Naniwa 10K or 12K for polishing, I decided it was time to touch it up on my Norton. I let it soak for 20 minutes or so, and did approximately 3 or 4 round trip passes on the 4K side, and 15-20 round trip passes on the 8K side. I stropped it after I was done and it might currently be sharper than it was when it arrived.

If I had purchased the Dovo Pearlex, like I had intended to at one point, I would have almost certainly taped the decorative spine to protect it. Some users pointed out that the width of the tape makes a difference so minute, that it is negligible. After further reading I noticed that some comments were supporting honing without tape to show the true age of a razor, I decided that I would hone without tape, and I noticed some significant spine wear after my first honing.

If this is a process that I may have to do a few times a year I want to make sure that I take off as little metal as possible from here on out but I hope that any damage I may have done is not serious. I did not hesitate to take it to the 4K side first because I noticed a few micro-nicks. In hindsight I realize the 8K probably could have honed them out. I hope the spine wear is at least even and that I did not reset the bevel.

I just have a few questions going forward. Should I tape the spine in future honing? Is it essential to have a clean canvass side to a strop? If not, should I paste mine for future use and periodic polishing, and to lessen the frequency of required honing in the future? If spine wear is uneven, what should I do?

Also, I try and pay close attention to make sure that I completely and thoroughly dry my razor after I am done using it, but am starting to notice some water spots/marks on the face of the blade and also on the lower portion of the tang around the pin.

Down the road I am thinking I want to add a Hart Steel razor to the arsenal. I will try to post a picture soon of most of my gear including a nice Walnut stand that I made, and a Rosewood shaving mug that I purchased.

Hard to imagine you caused that spine wear with the amount of honing you describe.

A clean canvas strop is part of maintence for many of us. Your decision really.

If spinewear is uneven but edge is not then there's nothing to do. Main thing is that the 2 sides of the bevel meet.

The rust around the pin is likely from water dripping down the blade to your fingers or wet hands ?
Try to keep things dry even during the shave. A lot of us wipe the blade rather than rinse.

If you live in RH higher than 40% consider oiling the blade after use.

Welcome & it's good to hear that you are having success.
As far as taping,,,,,well,,,it's been debated a few times here,,

I'm a bit confused about whether you bought the Dovo & that is the one you decided to not tape,,then experienced some spine wear??

This comment is debatable, "After further reading I noticed that some comments were supporting honing without tape to show the true age of a razor,,," If the razor is a current production, how would honing without tape show it's true age?

If the razor is vintage, with spine wear from honing without tape, why remove more metal?

I don't use pastes, so I cannot help you there.

Water spots can be from water inside the scales that fall onto that dry blade when closed & stored.
Water loves to hide around the pivot pin.

I coat my razor with mineral oil after each use & the water around the pivot pin is pushed out wth the mineral oil also.
i don't have waterspots.

To tape or not to tape, life's eternal question,,,

One suggestion, you can paste the backside of your linen/canvas side and leave the front clean for daily stropping. Some use chromium oxide as an edge refresher. But it makes your strop look like the Incredible Hulk wiped himself after he took a poo.

I think I will paste one of the canvass sides of my strop. The plate that clinches the leather and canvass at the top is removable. I understand what caused the water marks. How do you remove them without damaging the blade? I have some proper straight razor oil. Should I apply a drop or two of that each use after drying?

Yes , apply oil after drying .
Some metal polish may help with the stains but aviod the edge for obvious reasons. You can be very area specifis with toothpicks , chopsticks or q-tips.

Just have a few questions going forward. Should I tape the spine in future honing?

Yes, tape until you master honing, then decide if you want to tape going forward. At least you will not have removed too much steel from your spines while learning.

Is it essential to have a clean canvass side to a strop?

Yes, Linen, canvas or something to clean the blade of rust, blood, skin and soap so all of that does not get permanently imbedded into your leather strop.

If not, should I paste mine for future use and periodic polishing, and to lessen the frequency of required honing in the future?

First learn to set the bevel or send it out for honing. Once you have a properly honed razor and learned to strop you can use a pasted strop to maintain indefinitely… once you have learned to strop. Paste is not magic, it can revive a flagging edge, but not a damaged edge.

If spine wear is uneven, what should I do?

Send it out for honing or find a mentor and learn to reset the bevel.

If you have water spotting or rust… you are not drying your razor thoroughly… microfiber.

looking at the pictures and reading your post I think that the apperant spine where might be nothing more then the honing surface of the spine, which was already there, getting only slightly abraded, but it looks dramatic because now that surface looks clean and shiny