Thread: Hone of the Day

Going full German today.A larger sized Puma 19 at nearly 15/16 and rarely seen 6x2-3/8 lighter colored Escher stropped on Dovo.I like the edges off an Escher but you really have to pay attention during the shave.

Nice kitty!

I've been honing my two budget chef's knives on a cheap dollar hone for some time now and I'm always impressed by the outcome.

I just finished honing a couple razors for a friend of mine. Went up through the Nanawa's then Finished them on a Zulu Grey. Very nice shave.

Still working my way thru my collection. Here are this weekends honing. 8 in all. I use one already and it's sitting in the frog drying. Half just needed a touch-up. The other half I had to go back to the green brick as I found lots of chips and deep scratch patterns. I'm little over halfway done now. I figure in another 3 or 4 months I will have them all done and really shave ready!



Yesterday I broke out the Trans Ark. Test shaved with that razor this morning. NOPE!
I had killed the edge and then did about 300 laps on the Ark. Guess next time I won't kill the edge first. Ha. It was late and I was getting punchy anyway.

Jerry-In my experience a trans ark is not going to take you all the way from a killed edge to edge perfection (as you found out). I save my SB and Trans for a more or less "shave-ready" edge, already well-prepped on a Norton 8k or a Nani 12. To me, what the finer ark does is take that basically good edge (or in both our cases it seems), the edges we used to think were okay until we learned better, and refine it to a whole other level: after a rigorous stropping on leather, the arm hairs tree-top effortlessly, and the resulting shave is crisp, precise and velvety smooth, with no harshness or blade bite.

I've spent a good chunk of my Christmas break doing what you're doing: going through my growing collection, test-shaving and evaluating edges, and refining some, totally redoing others, mostly finishing on my SB Ark with the "thin to thick" method I've described here previously. Ever since I learned that I can achieve these super keen and smooth edges, my face will tolerate nothing less. If a razor I used to think was okay doesn't cut it as smoothly and effortlessly as that top tier, it doesn't go back into the rotation until it does!

And I didn't know you had an SG 20k. I finished most of my edges on one of those at the Asheville, NC meetup in '14 thanks to Ron/Utopian, but I've never been able to justify the steep coin. If I had that kind of dough to plunk down on another finisher, I'd probably get another one of Keith/Tomo Nagura's Shubodani JNat kits that he sells on Etsy with all of the nagura stones. I bought one and was having a blast learning it, then sold it to a buddy.

Anyway, once again it seems that you and I are pursuing a similar path. Happy New Year

I had wanted the 20k for a while thinking it would be the best end to get too with synthetics. Then a special deal came up with a couple discounts so i just had to go for it. I do think its the best edge with synthetics and im very happy with it. Im just trying to learn a bit more now and try out the naturals that i own. Some times i manage to get a nice edge with my naturals but its hit and miss so i want to try to spend more time with one at a time.

Still no Thuri in my collection, but i have a Jnat with a set of Naguras, PHIG, Zulu, Coti and Trans Ark. My honing skills are doing well with the synthetics so its now time to continue. It was late when i picked up the Ark the other night and i shouldnt have as i should have been freash before doing it but i figured what the hell. I will do better next time.

Happy new year men!

Jerry when you get all caught up you won't need to hone a razor for years.

Originally Posted by boz

Jerry when you get all caught up you won't need to hone a razor for years.

I am sure that is why he keeps such good notes.

Jerry, you'll find with naturals, that they are very slow. You'll use more pressure, and spend a great deal more time honing in them. But the time and effort is greatly rewarding.

I imagine the Trans Ark, is extremely slow. My butterscotch Washita can produce a shaving edge at about 8000 grt., should I want to push it that far, but it takes several hours of honing to achieve it.

It too, has some amount of transparency, like the trans ark. (Mines still got plenty of old oil, in it )



Follow Aarons lead of 12k Nani, then the Ark.
Oil, then water, works best for me on these hones. But u might find something, that works better for you.

The Thurigan finished edge, on the razor I sent back, has 300 or more passes on it, water only, no slurry. Probably closer to 400, and you know what it looks like under magnification. All I'm saying....patience is a virtue, and good things come to those, who wait.

Enjoy your extra time, honing.