Thread: Can't keep an edge

Originally Posted by gssixgun

just a small hint

We might end up having a small Idaho get together up at my place around the 21st - 22nd of July consider this an invite..

Bring your Coticules and let's find out what is going on

Hmm, I would like to ride the Motorcycle over for your get together Glen, been wanting to meet you and see another friend I have who lives in Sand point, would be the best ride of the summer no doubt.

I found some time this weekend to put much of the advice given to use. After relapping the King, I spent at least an hour doing circles on water. I don't think I made much progress; there was not enough pressure to generate a self slurry and I never saw steel in the water. It would take ink of the bevel... So I raised a slurry with the diamond hone and spent another hour laying down circles. I did get some feedback with the slurry, and after a while saw the telltale grey of the steel in the slurry. Outside, in the sun, I could not see any reflections off the edge; naked eye or with a loupe. It would take arm hair. Dilucot on the coticule; about 20 dilutions, additional x-strokes as the slurry thinned out, then 200 on water alone. This morning's shave was ok, not great, but ok. We'll see what happens Thursday.

I really don't care for using that King. Perhaps my ill results from past experience with the stone has soured my expectations. I think I'll invest in a Naniwa SS on my next SRD purchase.

Thanks again to all who responded to my initial post with advice.

And that is part of what you will get from hands on learning. We always say no pressure, but that is not true, especially when bevel setting.

You need some pressure, sometimes a lot of pressure. You have to do what the razor needs. Once you grind the bevels flat and in the correct plane, then lighten up on the pressure and polish the bevel. Try adding an additional layer of tape to increase the angle.

The problem is your definition of lite or heavy pressure will be vastly different from mine.

Additionally, almost none of us are honing the same razor in the same condition on the same stones.

Photos of your razor and bevels would help in advising you.

Originally Posted by Utopian

How small?

so far two bikers and a mountain man. Tc

Since I am having a similar problem with a Joseph Allen and Sons and an Electric Co razor and maybe another one. I hone on Arkansas Soft, black and translucent. I can shave arm hair, but when it comes to the face the hair there is entirely different than soft arm hair. It feels sharp to the finger and glides over the thumbnail without a hiccup. The mention of bevels coming together makes absolute sense. Now my issue is how to get the bevel. I am rather new here and just cannot find the information I need and wish there were an ask and answer thread. I would start a thread on this, but have no Idea how to accomplish this. Any help you can provide on how to get the bevel, what to look for.
In using a marker, do you run it over the edge, which is what I am assuming. Next, if I do this, what happens if on one side the marker disappears after a few laps but there are marker scores on the otherside.

A set bevel will cut arm hair easily at skin level along the whole edge, that is my 1k test for a set bevel. A soft Ark might take a long time to get there so stay on that with medium pressure until it cuts uniformly, use light pressure with the black and translucent

Originally Posted by Glock27

Since I am having a similar problem with a Joseph Allen and Sons and an Electric Co razor and maybe another one. I hone on Arkansas Soft, black and translucent. I can shave arm hair, but when it comes to the face the hair there is entirely different than soft arm hair. It feels sharp to the finger and glides over the thumbnail without a hiccup. The mention of bevels coming together makes absolute sense. Now my issue is how to get the bevel. I am rather new here and just cannot find the information I need and wish there were an ask and answer thread. I would start a thread on this, but have no Idea how to accomplish this. Any help you can provide on how to get the bevel, what to look for.
In using a marker, do you run it over the edge, which is what I am assuming. Next, if I do this, what happens if on one side the marker disappears after a few laps but there are marker scores on the otherside.

Here is a good thread from a then new honer taking a problem razor from bevel set to shave ready.

If you really want help on your particular problem, post photos of your razor, hones and what magnification you are using in a separate thread and someone can walk you through the process.

Read this thread first, yes it is long, but all the issues the OP confronts are the same ones you are or will be having, and the photos are great.

Second Try at Honing.

Honing is not that difficult, it is more a matter of knowing what to look for and determining what you are seeing. Some simple quality tools help, it does not need to be expensive and guys have been honing on an all Ark progression for hundreds of years.

A new start to finish Ark thread would be interesting and useful to a lot of folks.

Is it okay to start a new thread on Arkies ?

It's pretty much always OK to start a new thread.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

And that is part of what you will get from hands on learning. We always say no pressure, but that is not true, especially when bevel setting.

You need some pressure, sometimes a lot of pressure. You have to do what the razor needs. Once you grind the bevels flat and in the correct plane, then lighten up on the pressure and polish the bevel. Try adding an additional layer of tape to increase the angle.

The problem is your definition of lite or heavy pressure will be vastly different from mine.

Additionally, almost none of us are honing the same razor in the same condition on the same stones.

Photos of your razor and bevels would help in advising you.

This CH Laurent is a 5/8 full hollow. I'm a bit concerned that if I use [too much] pressure, I'll flex the blade and just widen the bevel instead of flattening the existing bevel. Is that why you recommend a second layer of tape? To counteract the blade flex? If so, I might try that if I need to go back to 1K on this blade. As few bevels as I hope to have to set in the next few years, if I could succeed with this King I wouldn't need the new Naniwa. I'd rather dedicate the money toward a new finisher.