Thread: Honing A "Swelled-belly"/Swelled-Edge Straight Razor

I don't know what "pro" sharpens your razors, but I'd get my money back. ALL of the old razors I buy, can make a hair fall or plink off of the edge when I am finished honing and stropping them.

I begin with a 1K/3K Suehiro whetstone. It is a Japanese stone. I make a slurry with a 400 grit piece of Norton wet/dry sandpaper and establish a bevel. My stones are quite flat. I may need to check the flatness of my 8K. I am pretty sure it is quite fine, though, as I have had complete success shaving with all my razors that I have honed and stropped.

Guys, thanks for all the input. I use a 1K/3K Suehiro to set the bevel, then I use a 4K/8K Norton, then a 12K M5 Shapton. I finish them with some green .3 micron stop paste and then I hit the shell leather side of my Peter J. Michels stop. It is an oldie, but it is very much alive. It is very floppy, so the leather is in great condition. I just rub it with the palm of my hands once a week or so. I will try to shave with this razor tomorrow, along with a new addition to my collection which took a great edge after putting in some good work to straighten out the bevel, which was out of whack, because the edge was not completely straight. It's all good now, with a highly polished edge which cut a hanging hair all the way down it. It made that sweet singing sound.

Originally Posted by WILDMAN1

I don't know what "pro" sharpens your razors, but I'd get my money back. ALL of the old razors I buy, can make a hair fall or plink off of the edge when I am finished honing and stropping them.

The late, great, Neil Miller honed my razors when I first started out, so I can assure you I didn't need to get my money back, however I could never really do a HHT even with a fresh DE blade. This was not an indication of a poorly honed razor just my ability to perform the test. I quickly gave up trying as the HHT will not tell you how well a razor will shave.

If it couldn't cut a head hair, how is it going to cut your beard hair, which is even tougher? I guess my straight razors are sharper than your factory double-edged blades. The hht is very easy to do. Not sure why you couldn't cut a hair after the "late, great Neil Miller" honed them. It will tell you that your blade is sharp enough to shave with, as I can attest to that.

My "problem child" razor is a problem no more. It shaved my cheek leaving behind a smooth surface. Damn, I'm good with hones. Used my newest one, too. It shaved well, although I may take it back to my 12K Shapton, just to see if I am right or wrong about making it just a little bit sharper. Thanks for all the help.

The HHT can be very subjective, at a razor get together I saw it NOT work with one attendee and work with all the others (some better than others). If you have the wrong type of hair (whatever that is??) it won't cut it

Glad you got it all figured out…

Originally Posted by WILDMAN1

If it couldn't cut a head hair, how is it going to cut your beard hair, which is even tougher? I guess my straight razors are sharper than your factory double-edged blades. The hht is very easy to do. Not sure why you couldn't cut a hair after the "late, great Neil Miller" honed them. It will tell you that your blade is sharp enough to shave with, as I can attest to that.

Im glad you got your problem razor shaving well and sharper then my feather DE blades.
From your original post I was suggesting not to get hung up by the HHT and just shave with it.
And yes some head hair types will not pass the HHT but shave perfectly well, this is the case with me.
There are many different factors which can effect the outcome of a HHT. Fine hair like mine will not perform like coarse hair . Washed hair or not washed will make a difference. Some shampoos coat the hair with silicone to make it appear shiny but will make a HHT very hard. Age of the hair itself will also effect the outcome as older becomes brittle thus easier to cut. The HHT will not tell you how smooth a razor will shave, you can perform a HHT easily after a 5k hone (except with my hair! ) but you wouldn't want to shave with it. It won't tell you if the razor has been over honed either.
You seem to have a method that works for you and have taken out all the variables for a consistent test so thats all that matters.
So going back to my original response. Shaving with your razor will tell you all you need to know.

Sorry if I came off rough or arrogant. I need to watch my attitude. I am just new here and really enjoy sharing this art with everyone. I didn't know that the hht doesn't tell someone all or most of what they need to know about a razor's edge. Huh?
I find it relaxing to put on some jazz late on a Sat. night and spend some time in the bathroom with just me and one of my razors. Btw, I just won another feebay auction. I got a great old razor for less than $11.! I love feebay for their great razor selection.