Thread: How I hone razors

Originally Posted by Phrank

If the razor is not laying flat on the steel plate, in a case of an old vintage razor for instance, would the building of slurry aid or assist in correcting the geometry of the razor?

A razor only lays flat if it is absolutely straight. 99% of what I make is smiling. With smiling razors, the one and only important fact is that when you roll the razor from heel to toe, the contact points of the edge and the spine should both roll together. The steel plate isn't for honing, in case I wasn't clear. It is just a known flat object for showing me how the razor will make contact during honing.

Based on how I see the razor behaving, I adjust the grind to gradually align the edge and the spine as the edge get thinner, so that the razor will hone correctly with a rolling X.

If you mean old vintage Solingen ('straight' razors), the yes, slurry would assist because it would set the bevel more aggressively, though it would of course be a bit un-even. vintage Sheffield is usually smiling, and as such would never be flat on the hone to begin with.

Slurry on Nortons was a honing life changing event for me. At the stage of struggling to feel, agonizing over whether I was laying flat thru the X pattern or lifting slightly, plus all the other worries someone in the OCD spectrum can get out of most anything, SLURRY kicked me up a step.

To anyone with Nortn 1k 4k 8k that hasn't done it yet, rub that 4k on the 1k and build a little color and see how it feels. You'll be rubbing them all against each other before the day is out...

Originally Posted by WW243

Agreed, good post....just that the OP is a razor maker.....leaves a lot of us out.

That is why I mentioned it explicitly, because it is important. What I do works perfectly within the context in which the method is used.
It is easy for me to state that the geometry is correct, because I only hone razors that I've made, and if the geometry wasn't correct, I wouldn't be honing them

Problematic razors may need a different approach. That is one of the reasons I don't hone or restore as a service anymore. I want all time to go to the fun part of making razors. Plus I don't want to be responsible for other people's stuff.

Originally Posted by Bruno

The glass stones only come in 8K and 16K iirc. I bought it second hand to give it a try and liked it as much as my nakayama which I pretty much haven't used since.

Originally Posted by Maladroit

That's right, my 12000 Shapton Pro is a ceramic, rather than glass - and a very nice stone it is. Although in the glass series they also make an intermediate set at 2000 and 4000, as well as several coarser stones, including my 1000. I wish I could afford them all :-)

Finally get to use that smiley.

Just to clarify all the Shaptons are modern ceramic style stones. Just that the GS range are stuck to hardened glass.
They come in a variety of grit ranges, even a 3k in the GS line. Rumour is Shapton is dropping the GS range. Would be a shame.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Finally get to use that smiley.

Just to clarify all the Shaptons are modern ceramic style stones. Just that the GS range are stuck to hardened glass.
They come in a variety of grit ranges, even a 3k in the GS line. Rumour is Shapton is dropping the GS range. Would be a shame.

Just saw this and sent off an email to Shapton USA - the reply:

"absolutely false"

Originally Posted by Bruno

Yes, the difference is staggering. If you raise a thick slurry and then add a bit of water, the stone becomes a LOT more abrasive while still not creating deep scratches.

Honed a nice razor last night...had trouble setting the bevel (I'm still under 10 razors in..), remembered this thread, raised a slurry on my Nani 1k, set to it, and WOW!

Beautiful set bevel, was the sharpest I'd ever got a razor off the 1 K.

Then proceeded to make the mistake of raising a slurry for the Norton 4/8 on the 4K side, and it seemed to set the sharpness way back. So started again, just used the slurry on the Nani 1K, got the exact same uber sharp results, went up the progression and presto, beautifully honed razor, very nice small even bevel, and was tree topping hairs.

I don't use crox, find most solutions inconsistent in the liquid and how it distributes on either the strop of balsa board,and for me it defeats the purpose of using the stones (my own YMMV)...

Great tip Bruno, and as another member said, I finally get to use:

Originally Posted by mjwit

Just saw this and sent off an email to Shapton USA - the reply:

"absolutely false"

Shapton must be selling all their GS line to USA then. 2 dealers I know in Japan can't get them.

Shapton Glass Stones. : Tools from Japan, Japanese woodworking tools direct from Japan.

Originally Posted by Phrank

Honed a nice razor last night...had trouble setting the bevel (I'm still under 10 razors in..), remembered this thread, raised a slurry on my Nani 1k, set to it, and WOW!

Beautiful set bevel, was the sharpest I'd ever got a razor off the 1 K.

Then proceeded to make the mistake of raising a slurry for the Norton 4/8 on the 4K side, and it seemed to set the sharpness way back. So started again, just used the slurry on the Nani 1K, got the exact same uber sharp results, went up the progression and presto, beautifully honed razor, very nice small even bevel, and was tree topping hairs.

I don't use crox, find most solutions inconsistent in the liquid and how it distributes on either the strop of balsa board,and for me it defeats the purpose of using the stones (my own YMMV)...

Great tip Bruno, and as another member said, I finally get to use:

Yes, my Norton 1k has been gathering dust and I needed to set a bevel and hone a Jos Elliott wedge (shudder)
After a few strokes with the blade on the worn DMT to get things started, I soaked the hone a while and went out and flattened it under running water and then raised what best slurry I could. Then, I began to swoop the heavy blade upon it.
Kept wetting it and it seemed to take the DMT scratches out quickly and the thing began to sharpen fast. In no time, it was felling hairs. I then quit and went a bit on a Naniwa 1k and went from there to my old 4/8. I had to be real careful and keep it wetted good or it may have well wire edged. Kept at a pyramid to smooth it out. Skipped the 12k and went to Escher.
Seldom have I had one feel this good so fast, as dull and worn as it was.No doubt it is bad-sharp.
Just need to see how smooth. I usually only change one thing at a time and this one change made a tough job easier, it seems. had always heard not to slurry synthetics, but just slurrying the 1k saved a pile of time. I now have found a use for that slow-assed Norton!

Thanks for the tip, Bruno! Oh, yes...

Originally Posted by WW243

Reuben on rye, hold the slurry.

Make mine with extra slurry, gotta keep the teeth clean.

Raised some slurry tonight and I have to say this method worked out pretty nicely for me! Razor (no name Swedish) is popping hairs like crazy!
Thanks Bruno!