Thread: Mid-range tips

Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

Its just different. It would be like shifting from 1st gear into 5th gear and making it drive without stalling the motor. Good for you.
Down the road if you want to try the other gears,(midrange hones) the hand pressure suggestion will make a world of difference.
You overcame an obstacle on your own. Barber hones were only designed to maintain an edge. But the lore of the Frictionite 00 you have proved.

You have invented a system that works for you. Its ok to be different as long as you reach the same destination. We might want to not refer to your order of operation as mid-range hones.
The number of strokes you are using is the same as most others are doing , only difference is they are using different grit hones.

I was getting great shaves until I went to a meet. It filled in missing pieces that a forum just cant fill. I finished the meet able to reproduce exceptional shaves and show others what I had been taught.It is Ok to meet other wet shavers, the more you can find in one spot the better.

Maybe the different cutting properties of the hones play a bit part. Some barber hones are a lot more coarse then others. I must say this isn't an easy method for a beginner, it takes a lot of trial and error.


I agree they aren't typical mid range hones...

There is nothing that special about the frictionite 00 just a top of the line barber hone.

I probably won't try other mid range hones only because I have in the past and not done well at all with them. Why change something if it's working??

I will try to go to a meet around me whenever one comes up. A member on here was extremely helpful a few months ago and with his hands on help I learned lots.



Who knows how or why it works but it does for me.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=122268
The Transition Stone

[emoji111]

My mid range usually consists of 3 slurry types on a fine&hard base. For example:

1. botan, tsushima, then tomo nagura

2. tsushima, yellow lake, then tomo, or

3. dragons tongue, yellow lake, tomo, or

4. Coticule and nothing else

Further to that I could mix in a thuringian slurry somewhere in the higher mid range (pre polish), or mix in some very coarse nagura in the lower range after bevel set (such as lyo - but careful, there are mixed reviews of this one and I think I just got lucky with mine). I wont mention various unknown stones I find laying around in the nature

It gets a lot more fun when using the naturals. Sometimes this leads to inexplicable results. This is why a loupe is more-less essential to me. Sometimes the edge falls apart, too (check out the content linked above)

Originally Posted by Srdjan

My mid range usually consists of 3 slurry types on a fine&hard base. For example:

1. botan, tsushima, then tomo nagura

2. tsushima, yellow lake, then tomo, or

3. dragons tongue, yellow lake, tomo, or

4. Coticule and nothing else

Further to that I could mix in a thuringian slurry somewhere in the higher mid range (pre polish), or mix in some very coarse nagura in the lower range after bevel set (such as lyo - but careful, there are mixed reviews of this one and I think I just got lucky with mine). I wont mention various unknown stones I find laying around in the nature

It gets a lot more fun when using the naturals. Sometimes this leads to inexplicable results. This is why a loupe is more-less essential to me. Sometimes the edge falls apart, too (check out the content linked above)

I read the transition stone thread. Which is interesting indeed. I'm very glad you enjoy playing around with slurries. After a coticule and trying the dilucot method a ton... Not for me.

What's your definition of fine hard base?

My mid range tip of the day is be humble and take your time. I destroyed an edge today sadly had to bring down to 1k..

When my bevel is finally set by 2k I then look for an even polish forming which begins at the edge & not the shoulder using mid stones etc.
There will be no chips or wire at the 2k bevel set. A good low power loupe will help see if you are doing too much & also if the bevel is not quite set in the first place.
May go without saying but inspect both sides of the bevel

A couple things, first, the bevel setter doesn’t matter all that much, as long as it get the bevels flat and meeting in a reasonable amount of time, without deep stria. 1k-ish synthetic stone is about right, but you can go a little either way and be just fine. Brand does not matter, they all work, they do feel different, but a 1k edge is a 1k edge and nobody is shaving off a 1k edge.

After the bevel is set, the edge will be sharp but ragged. Joint the edge to get a straight edge, 1-2 strokes on the corner of the stone then, hone on the next stone, 3-4k to get the bevels to meet again, it should not take much, 10-15 laps and then remove all the 1k stria, however many laps that takes probably another 10-15 laps.

This will guarantee you have a fully, bevel set edge and no deep stria on the bevel. An edge that is not fully set or deep bevel set stria, are where most new guys have an issue at the finisher. Then just remove the stria from each previous grit.

I am using a Nubatama 4k as my second stone, but used a Norton 4k for years, any good 3-5k will work.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

A couple things, first, the bevel setter doesn’t matter all that much, as long as it get the bevels flat and meeting in a reasonable amount of time, without deep stria. 1k-ish synthetic stone is about right, but you can go a little either way and be just fine. Brand does not matter, they all work, they do feel different, but a 1k edge is a 1k edge and nobody is shaving off a 1k edge.

After the bevel is set, the edge will be sharp but ragged. Joint the edge to get a straight edge, 1-2 strokes on the corner of the stone then, hone on the next stone, 3-4k to get the bevels to meet again, it should not take much, 10-15 laps and then remove all the 1k stria, however many laps that takes probably another 10-15 laps.

This will guarantee you have a fully, bevel set edge and no deep stria on the bevel. An edge that is not fully set or deep bevel set stria, are where most new guys have an issue at the finisher. Then just remove the stria from each previous grit.

I am using a Nubatama 4k as my second stone, but used a Norton 4k for years, any good 3-5k will work.

Question, Can you explain this 1-2 strokes on the corner of the hone? Never heard of it before, cant imagine how to do it from words above.
Thanks in advance and sorry for this thread hijack.

Just lightly drag the edge across the corner of the stone, from heel to toe, 1-2 light strokes, I am right handed, so I use the upper right corner.

Jointing will remove all of the ragged edge and leave a straight edge, the bevels will not still be meeting, but 10-15 laps will easily bring the bevels back to meeting, only now, you will have a “straight” edge.

You may want to take a look at the Transitional Stone and the Hone a Straight Edge, threads also.

Get a 4/8 Norton and read-up on the threads here. You will learn a great deal.
YMMV

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Get a 4/8 Norton and read-up on the threads here. You will learn a great deal.
YMMV

I would like to eventually but for the time being I want to stick with what I've got an learn that fully before I move on to other things I've done way to much jumping around..