Thread: Does this look like a good bevel?

Originally Posted by BeJay

Magnification can sometimes tell you that your bevel is not set but it can't really say if it is set. The light area on the edge of that pic makes me think it's not set. Read up on the thumbnail test. When I'm setting a bevel I first feel the edge with my thumb pad. When it starts to feel sharp I'll see if it will easily shave arm hair. After that I'll do a thumbnail test. It tells me what areas are fully set and what areas need a little more work. I think you should go back to the 1k and do lots of feeling and testing during the process. Ultimately the thumbnail test will tell you what you need to know, but you have to get a feel for it. Keep at it, It'll get there.

What kind of 1k are you using?

I am not confident at this point in any of my razors would give me a good example of how the thumbnail should feel. I know that the only test that matters for an edge is to shave with it. What supprises me is that I apparently didn't get the bevel set on this one, but have gotten two pretty good shaves off it. They weren't as smooth as some of my other razor, but they were pretty nice. I am using a Nanawia 1K.

Ok, that explains the scratches on the bevel.

Are those all the stones you have? Actually you should be able to put a very good edge on with those stones, but synthetics would be easier to learn.

Is the Welsh one of the EBay stones, and has the Ark been prepped or is it a Vintage stone?

Do you have any other synthetics?

If you are limited to the stones you have stated, here is how you can make it work… and work well.

Tape the spine to increase the angle a bit, ink the bevel with colored ink,(easier to see) and re set the bevel, doing a set of 20 circles, on each side, then 20 X laps. A little over kill but ok. Look at your ink after the circles and make sure you are honing all the way to the edge, from the heel to the toe. If not, use a rolling X stroke.

Change the tape on the spine, lap the Welsh stone and bevel the corners. Raise a thin slurry with the Ark. And do 2 sets of 20 circles, keep the slurry wet adding drops of water at a time, Then do X laps, thinning your slurry, adding drops of water as it starts to thicken, dilute to clear water. Look straight down on the edge, if you see shiny reflections, do more laps until you do not see any reflections on the edge. 100 laps is not unusual use lite pressure on the x laps.

Take a look at the coticule.be / Sharpening Academy, honing thread for slurry honing how to and use the Dilucot method.

Make sure your Ark is well burnished, (if Vintage it may be) if not, burnish with a large carbon kitchen knife or wide chisel. Look to Ark threads, for more info, there are many.

Now, add a layer of tape to the spine, (2 layers total) and do 10 light laps on the Ark, Strop and shave.

You can take your best shaving razor, look at the edge, if you do not see large chips, start on the Welsh and the Dilucot method and finish on the Ark.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Ok, that explains the scratches on the bevel.

Are those all the stones you have? Actually you should be able to put a very good edge on with those stones, but synthetics would be easier to learn.

Is the Welsh one of the EBay stones, and has the Ark been prepped or is it a Vintage stone?

Do you have any other synthetics?

The Welsh Stones are off Etsy, but the gentleman also sells on Ebay. I have all three grits, and used them in a progression. The Translucent Arkansas is a vintage stone, but I need to dress it again. In the cleaning process after I purchased it, I sanded it to a level surface, and removed the burnishing. I have three other natural stones that I haven't been able to identify exactly what they are. I did a thread here on them: http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...-i-find-2.html

The blue green one feels like it cuts a little more than the Welsh stones. No other synthetics right now.

Thanks @Euclid440! I will give that method a try before my next shave. Would you suggest using the Nanawia to work on the bevel before going to the Welsh stones and Tranlucent Arkansas?

Also, all three of the Welsh Hones have matching slurry stones to go with them, and are lapped and sanded. Would I still use the Arkansas to make a slurry?

If you have the slurry stone use it. Next time you get a finishing Ark, try it first, if it has been used much it will have years of burnishing on it and will work fine for razors.

Give it a try and you can still burnish the Ark to get a finer edge.

If you have a flat bevel with no chip in the edge, there is no need to reset the bevel, and can start with your slurry stone.

I have the 3 stone set and they are nowhere near the advertised grit rating, hard to say which of your stones is the finest, but they can produce a shaving edge. used with a hard Ark you can get a nice edge. Just keep an eye on the edge to make sure you are not chipping the edge with the Welch stones.

Using slurry is a skill in itself.

Lap you stones on a cookie sheet on a flat piece of cement, on Wet & Dry. Lap the Ark up to 1k, then burnish, 2-300 laps with pressure and soapy water or oil.

Euclid you are a very good teacher and explain things extremely well and thorough even if I may do things a bit different than you at times. I always enjoy reading posts like these and appreciate the time it takes you to respond in such detail.

Going to give this a go again tonight, and shave in the morning. My Welsh stones have all been lapped flat on sandpaper on a 4 inch thick slab of granite on my workbench, but only to 400 grit wet dry paper. I also chamfered the edges. My plan tonight is to lap them on 800 and 1000. The Translucent Arkansas has been lapped with a 400 grit. I will get it with the 800 and 1000 and use a carbon steel splitter blade to burnish the stone. (It is six inches long, but in a chisel grind. Used in a machine for splitting strips of leather to reduce the thickness.) I will post some pictures of the edge when I am working on it.

I've only ever lapped mine with a well worn DMT 325 and I can finish any razor on them in progression, with varying degrees of slurry and reducing pressure - just FWIW

That should do it, use pressure and a bit of lube soap & water or some oil.

Do lots of laps, at least 100. The goal is to get the face as smooth as possible. It will cut slow but fine. Great for a micro bevel. 10-15 laps, with 2 layers of tape. You are just doing the edge, and will see 2 bevels, as you touch up the bevel will get wider until it is the whole bevel. Then just re-hone on the Welsh with one layer of tape and 2 on the ark.

I like the shave from an ark, it is crisp but not uncomfortable. You will also ge a great edge on your splitter.
Pick up some good razor quality, Chrome Oxide (about $10-15) for a strop and your good for a long time. SRD, Hand America or Kremer Pigments.