Originally Posted by
Steel
Well I'm down to honing around three razors a week. Today's hone job is a Joseph Smith & Sons on a full Arkansas progression. The bevel was set on a Washita stone. I went with a layer of tape since there was a visible chip to be honed out. Then the blade was taken through the rest of the progression- soft, hard, surgical black. And then what I did next was interesting. I took off the layer of tape, inked the bevel with permanent marker and did 10 x strokes on the surgical black Arkansas to see how far from the edge I would be without it. Ink still there. 10 more xstrokes. Most of it's gone. 10 more X strokes and the ink was all gone scratches all the way to the edge. I spared the blade all the hone wear at the same time within 30 extra strokes on the finishing stone I get away from any kind of future need of tape for touch ups etc. BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.
Stropped and shaved and this razor is one of my top edges. A BBS shave in two effortless passes. God I love my Arkansas stones. I haven't used anything else in roughly two straight years!