Thread: Hone of the Day

Originally Posted by MichaelS

First test for a new hard Cretan stone that just arrived.

I set the bevel with a Chosera 1K then honed directly on the Cretan with glycerin, followed by linen and leather. Good close shave but too much burn for my liking. Prior to a second shave I stropped with Crox, before unpasted linen and leather. Again very close but burn and irritation gone completely. I'd say my stone is a capable (fast cutting) mid to upper mid range stone which for me at least definitely needs some finishing. At some point I may try honing with Ballistol (aren't these also known as Turkish oil stones?). The surface looks horribly scratched/cracked even though I lapped it with wet 'n dry to 1200 - but running a finger nail over the top, it's smooth as glass. Keep honing!

How does it compare to a coticule.

I have a Vermio that I use as a finisher after a coti. It seems to preserve the coti smoothness while adding some keenness to the final edge. I go right to leather after the Vermio.

Originally Posted by DZEC

How does it compare to a coticule.

I have a Vermio that I use as a finisher after a coti. It seems to preserve the coti smoothness while adding some keenness to the final edge. I go right to leather after the Vermio.

Not yet familiar enough with the Cretan but certainly seems to overlap with coti at the mid range. My Vermio is finer than my Cretan and should work well as a finisher after the Cretan, another thing to try!

10 razors in over the weekend including two for new scales, I've finished half of them I'll get the rest finished tomorrow I'm done for the day.

My three smallest razors today so I pulled my three smallest natural stones. I used the coti for prefinish/midrange then all went to the Yg/B thuri but I took the cv heljesttrand for a few more on the la lune/vosgienne. Just because it is definately a good razor!
My smallest is a 3/8 Salamander Wedge then a 4/8 Zartina which consistently takes a very nice edge. Finaly my little 4/8 CV Heljestrand 950R. I love these little one for the mustache area and sideburns. I hate stroping the 3/8 one, the 4/8's ones not that bad.

One of mine on the hones today my Iwasaki, I noticed a little fall off in sharpness during the last shave with this razor, just of lately with my own razors I've taken to bypassing the linen component after using the 20K and going 50 suede 50 cordovan shell seems to offer me a slightly smoother sharper edge.

Dry nice jamie I will have to try that.

Got my wonderedge new scales since originals were cracked. Got it back today, set the bevel on 1k and then this fast coticule after. Finished on a small thuri bout for the first edge.

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

One of mine on the hones today my Iwasaki, I noticed a little fall off in sharpness during the last shave with this razor, just of lately with my own razors I've taken to bypassing the linen component after using the 20K and going 50 suede 50 cordovan shell seems to offer me a slightly smoother sharper edge.

I usually use linen after a shave to thoroughly clean any soap residue off the blade.

After a refresh, it's always suede followed by leather for me. I agree the suede seems to be one of the materials that if you buy into progressive stropping (like I do), the suede makes a significant difference in the when the edge finally meets the leather.

I've got about 4 razors that have to be refreshed, and after reading Birnando's post, going to give a Barber's Hone a try...be interesting to do a side by side.