Thread: Rolling X-Stroke on Slurried Naturals?

fellas,

Today I was honing another gold dollar — this one a very uneven bevel and a wonky shoulder. But not all is lost!

Set the bevel on a soft ark with coti slurry, then straight to the coticule. Medium slurry, diluting often to get to the finish line. Rolling x strokes the whole way. Beautiful polish. Really shiny bevel, but not quite there.

It's the rocking stroke. It keeps pushing slurry out of the way. Also--I can't get that suction on my coticule to read feedback. On a normal bevel, I can can't even do weight of the blade strokes when it's right — the suction won't let me move along the stone. Today, I tried the famous under-the-tap routine, which I don't normally care for, and again: polish was great, but it wasn't quite there.

My question--I have a soft ark and a SB arriving. I get a feeling with warped blades wonky shoulders I'm better off using non-slurry based systems. Do I *have* to stick a hard ark in there?

Thoughts?

Well, you already have a coticule, which will do everything the hard Ark will do for you in my estimation. Or failing that your Surgical Black with a little coticule slurry to serve the between phases. So I wouldn't say you have* to have the hard Ark.

When you say it's pushing slurry out of the way, do you mean it looks like this video:



If so, that's a sign that you're getting good contact along the edge. You probably just need more time on the soft Ark. Bevel isn't quite there. You should still be getting the stiction effect, but not to the same degree you will when the entire spine and edge is making full contact like a normal bevel on a razor without geometry issues.

Originally Posted by Marshal

Well, you already have a coticule, which will do everything the hard Ark will do for you in my estimation. Or failing that your Surgical Black with a little coticule slurry to serve the between phases. So I wouldn't say you have* to have the hard Ark.

When you say it's pushing slurry out of the way, do you mean it looks like this video:



If so, that's a sign that you're getting good contact along the edge. You probably just need more time on the soft Ark. Bevel isn't quite there. You should still be getting the stiction effect, but not to the same degree you will when the entire spine and edge is making full contact like a normal bevel on a razor without geometry issues.

Thanks Marsh! I could prob spend some more time on the soft arkie.

LOVE that video—helped me get a lot further with this blade. But when I perform a rolling X-stroke, I can't get the slurry to run parallel to the EXACT part of the blade making contact with the hone as I'm rocking. And because I'm using only part of the blade on the hone—can't get that suction. As soon as I keep the blade FLAT on the hone (even though the bevel won't be sharpened completely) the suction is there, not as much, but progressively. There if I want it, I could say. But as soon as I begin rocking X strokes, feedback is almost all gone.

In the video—is Lynn lifting the heel of the razor towards the end of this rolling x stoke? Almost looks like he lifts the toe then touches down to finish, without lifting the hell to "rock" the stroke. That might be something.

I'll start at the bevel again. I know I can pull off great edges of this Coti, but the appeal of a hard ark is knowing the abrasive is on the stone, not in the fluid dancing around the edge while it rolls.

Maybe I'll try heel leading X-strokes, maybe that'll work.

Bevels not set.


Ink and another layer of tape.

Should be starting heel forward, toe lifted just a hair so it's making contact. As the razor sweeps forward, it's lifted at the heel to 'roll' the edge along the stone. Stroke should end with the toe in contact with the stone, going by the video.

Originally Posted by Marshal

Should be starting heel forward, toe lifted just a hair so it's making contact. As the razor sweeps forward, it's lifted at the heel to 'roll' the edge along the stone. Stroke should end with the toe in contact with the stone, going by the video.

Another attempt to reset the bevel. This time on a king 1k with tomo slurry.


Rolling X strokes are defenitely the way to go. Regular Xs get better feed back, but not catching the whole sh’bang.


The thing tho… one side of the blade, undercut is nice. The bevel is even.
The thing tho…. the other side of the blade, undercut is present from middle to toe ONLY.


The stablizers off. These Gold Dollars are crazy! Can tape fix this issue, or do I need a dremel?


I’m sitting this one out tonight, but I’ll try a lil more tomorrow.

Forget the slurry, ink the bevel and add a layer of tape.

How warped it the razor?

Did you remove the stabilizers or did it come without them?

If there are no stabilizers, what do you plan to do with a Dremel?

Photos of the razor, would help advising you.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Forget the slurry, ink the bevel and add a layer of tape.

That's what I meant in the original post. NOT using slurry for rolling X strokes.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

How warped it the razor?

One side has complete under cut, the other side, only half way. By a hair that faulty side is raised a bit

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Did you remove the stabilizers or did it come without them?

Didn't do anything to the razor other than hone.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

If there are no stabilizers, what do you plan to do with a Dremel?

Fix it.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Photos of the razor, would help advising you.

Will do!

Julio,

Rolling x's are the best for smiling blades, I know you know this but gold dollars are notorious for their grind issues at the heel. A dremel to grind down that stabilizer would help you a lot. Then regular rolling x's without rolling more then you need to. That will create problems where the heel and toe are sharp but the middle lacks the keenness. I have done that on more then one occasion, really drives you nuts.

If you aren't quite there at the finish. A few rubs of the slurry stone on the coticule and then do some diluting to plain water. That or add a layer of tape and do water only strokes probing the TPT often and when comfortable check with a HHT. You want a nice pop right off the stone.. well in most cases.

You say one side undercuts but the other is not fully undercutting? At the heel? I would remove the stabilizer and then set the bevel at the heel.

Gold Dollars are a pita. After taking a few from ground up you'll be able the tame them with ease. Keep at it. Love to hear the good progress you've been making lately with the naturals.