Thread: Successful first honing sessions

I got a Revisor around Christmas time that was supposed to be shave ready but wasn't really. I tried the .5 diamond on felt and CroX on the scrub leather but couldn't get the razor to shave properly. The other day, I bought a Norton 4000/8000 combo stone to go with my SRD Modular Paddle that I already had and took the razor to the stone. Pyramid starting at 5 laps then to the .5 on the felt followed by the CrOx on the scrub leather then stropped and shaved. A world of difference

Now, big surprise, I am wondering about a finishing stone between the Norton and the Paddle. Naniwa 10,000 Grit ? Coticule? Escher?

I would like to see you 'perfect' that shaving edge off of the Norton 8k before you Even Think about going higher. Until you can get a CCC shave (Clean, Close & Comfortable shave) off of that 8k no higher grit hone, natural or synthetic or 'magic' pastes will give you the edge you are looking for.

I waited a little over a year before I started leaning to hone (I'm still learning) and I'm damn glad I did, it allowed me to try edges by others and then be able to compare and see how I was doing.

Not too long ago I was sent a razor by a member for evaluation of 'his' 8K edge and with the intent that I should then re-honing up to 'my' 8K edge. He found mine a smoother sharper shaver. I told him that it just takes time and practice, practice, practice.

Keep at that 8K and learn it and learn it well. As my good friend pinklather likes to say; "Beware of the man with only one gun, as he knows how to use it"

I'm seconding cudarunner's post. If you look through the honing threads I'm sure you will run accross the challenge thread. Set a bevel and shave with it. Then move it to the 4k and shave with it, then move to the 8k and shave with it. Of course you are crox and a lot of stropping before you shave with it, but what you will find is that you can get a shave at each grit level. Each level an improvement on the previous. Many, many shavers live with and prefer the 8k shave and use the 12k for a little smoothness. But, if you didn't start with a good bevel set, no matter what grit you use after that will do you no good. It's not in the finishing/smoothing that makes a good edge, it's the start that counts, the rest is window dressing.

While I've never read the Honing Challenge, I will add that when I did decide to learn how to hone and wanted to hone WELL; I decided to shave off of the 1K, then Strop the edge and try again. No pasted strops etc, just honing and stropping; I did the same on the Norton 4K, Norton 8K and boy did I learn a lot! Not only about how the edge was being refined but what a difference stropping can do!

Give it a go, I think that you will learn a lot from it.

So are you saying you,ve never shaved with a properly honed razor? Maybe need to get one done so you know where it needs to be , that's why it's so important to learn how to shave first, and did you ask Revisir for it to be shave ready ,, Herr Kronnenberg , put a mighty fine edge on mine, Tc

I think there have been a few who did learn a lot from sticking with the norton 4/8K. I think I left too soon only to go back, and then move on again. I have recently been going through a lot of my more neglected razors trying to evaluate what I keep, some of my 8K edges are very nice, even compared to what I am doing now.

Thanks for the suggestions. I can certainly keep with the Norton combo and see where it takes me. The shaves have been fine so far so with practise they should just get better.

The Revisor wasn't my first razor and all of the others that I have came properly honed from a few different sources so I have a basis of comparison. I did ask for it to be shave ready - guess he must have missed it or forgotten.

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

So are you saying you,ve never shaved with a properly honed razor? Maybe need to get one done so you know where it needs to be , that's why it's so important to learn how to shave first, and did you ask Revisir for it to be shave ready ,, Herr Kronnenberg , put a mighty fine edge on mine, Tc

My friend, I think that what you are suggesting is exactly what I'd insinuated by saying that I waited over a year before attempting to learn to hone as I was able to compare how I was doing compared to others. All of the razors I'd purchased came shave ready, however once I'd sent a razor to our mutual friend GSSIXGUN then I knew how I was doing and on that particular razor I'd asked him to use exactly the same set up as I had and Not to use Any Pasted strops.

Once I gave the razor a go I found that I was holding my own! At least on 'that razor'

When I got my 6/8 Revisor I didn't know that you could ask for custom honing. With that said, the edge I got wasn't bad at all, after honing it was GREAT!

Originally Posted by HappyOne

Thanks for the suggestions. I can certainly keep with the Norton combo and see where it takes me. The shaves have been fine so far so with practise they should just get better.

The Revisor wasn't my first razor and all of the others that I have came properly honed from a few different sources so I have a basis of comparison. I did ask for it to be shave ready - guess he must have missed it or forgotten.

When I order my Revisor it was also suppose to be shave ready. I was quite excited to give it a go when it came in because after I ordered it i had read an article on Revisor and they said he always finished on natural hone and he had made a comment about edge from synthetic razors being subpar. I was quite disappointed at the shave. I do understand that nobody is perfect and they do have a very busy shop. I too had had several pro edges before the Revisor, so I understand your perspective perfectly. I think the biggest lesson is when is the bevel properly set. That and when pressure is used. Those were my two big hurdles. The bevel being the foundation for all else, it is the most important to get right.

Having just completed honing from bevel to finish my 3rd razor to a satisfying shave ready level, I will say that having a quick test shave off the 8k will absolutely save you a lot of time and heartache later.

If you can't get it to shave at 8k, you're just wasting time and stone material going any further, and that, if you want your BP to rise, is a sure way to do it.

An investment in stones isn't insignificant, and especially when you get into the natural finishers, for instance a usually very expensive Escher, you don't want to wear it away needlessly. And sadly, the work on the sexy finishing stones doesn't last that long anyhow, 10-20 laps and the games done!