Confession: best results on diamond

Ok, let me start by saying that I'm not proud. I have recently found, after trying everything I could, that my best honing was achieved on diamond psa strips.

I suspect this is because of bad technique or inferior stones, or both. I am convinced that the Norton 8k or my coticule or my phig should give me a wicked edge, but I can't quite get there.

My bevel setting on King 1200 seems slow or imperfect, I can improve the bevel with work (usually Japanese front/back honing strokes), but can only get to a hazy bevel and slightly rounded edge, it seems. Like the slurry is fighting back against my cutting edge. But the diamond cuts positively, and polishes up to mirror (on 15, 5, 1, and 0.5 micron psa). Granted, after diamond, i seem to need a crox strop and then leather. While there's probably nothing wrong with that, I feel like I am cheating.

Can anyone tell me whether a small shuobudani and nagura set are likely to improve my perception/experience? Partly, I have HAD, and partly I can't tell if I am limited by finishing technique or stones, especially on this fat wedgy bastard. And partly, I am not sure my stones are up to the job of optimizing this wedgy blade.

I thought I was over the hone wall! But only when I cheat!

Oh, and I am only partly looking for justification to buy new stones. Any new purchases will have to pass the wife test (already working on it).

Go ahead and buy the new stone, your going to anyway regardless of what we say. To be honest, if you can't get a shaveable edge from a Norton 8K nothing else you do matters. There have been several threads that cover attaining a shave ready razor with either a 1K or an 8K anything more than that and you are just spending money because you have nothing better to do. Sorry for being so blunt (not really) but that is the way I am.

Atchbo,

If the diamond films give you the edge you need, don't fret :)

The aim of the game is to get an edge on the razor suitable for shaving - you have done that :)

I, like a lot of other, actually like honing razors and playing with stones/hones/films/pastes etc.

I have a sequence using Naniwa SuperStones that works for all my blades, and I use this if I am simply after getting a shave-ready blade.

Other times, I will experiment - for me it is a lot of the 'fun' :)

As other posters have said, get yourself some other stones/hones to 'play' with, confident that you have a tested method to hone your razors as a fall-back position :)

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

The first task is the bevel. That's the meat and potatoes of honing. if that is not working then stop there. You need to practice until you master the bevel setting hone. Once you do that then you can work on the 8K or intermediate like the 4K.

Don't make the fatal mistake of thinking the more hones you buy the better the edge will automatically get. You will just have a rock collection. Pretty and pretty useless to you.

+1 on the useless rock collection. +1 on the all-important bevel set. :gl:

+2 It's time for you to take the 1K shave test. CHeck out the thread. It's an eye-opener.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...-1k-shave.html

It was the Ah hah! moment for me.

I reckon I could do it with another razor. Not with this wedge though. I have been shaving off my own honing for 2-3 years. Just couldn't get through two surfaces of about 3/16" (bevel and spine) without the diamond.

Film, be it diamond or aluminum oxide cuts quick and flat, leaving a very straight edge. Aluminum Oxide is much cheaper than diamond with very similar results, great for very hard blades.

I suspect the reason many have had such good success with film is the speed of cutting, where most folks do not spend the time to fully set a bevel on stones. My King 1k is slow, but is very capable of setting a bevel with a keen edge.

There is nothing wrong with using a combination of film and stones to get to a shaveable edge, diamond and even Aluminum Oxide can be harsh. A micro bevel can help, using another of tape or a wet sheet of paper under 1um or .3um film and doing 2-4 laps. Or finishing with natural stones can relieve that.

I prefer to set a bevel on a Chosera and use 3 and 1um A/O films and finish on a natural stone, stropping on nano grit paste.

Perhaps a more aggressive 1K, Norton or Chosera may help your bevel setting, if you want to use stones.

Use caution when bevel setting with Diamonds, they can lead to micro chipping edge if too much pressure is used.

Add to your collection. As it grows and grows as you try this and that... On a per use basis - every new stone becomes more and more expensive - sure! But you become a better and more informed honer - well that's priceless.

As I read this post I keep thinking of Glens (Gssixguns) signature guys. And I think we all know what that is. Tc

For me diamond is to sharp, it give me razor burn every time. I much prefer CrOx or straight Escher.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by livio

For me diamond is to sharp, it give me razor burn every time. I much prefer CrOx or straight Escher.

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Well, the last guy who said his razor was "too sharp" we had executed.:)

Some media like .25 diamond can give you a harsh result. You just need to learn how to tame that.

Are you taping the wedge while using the stones? I highly doubt your stones are at fault. If your current stones aren't working neither will a new one. Are other razors your hone good of the stones?