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Thread: A tape-free experience
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12-26-2016, 08:28 PM #1
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Thanked: 135A tape-free experience
So I've got this FW Engels Leader razor I'd gotten from my father years ago which I sent out for light restoration and honing about 2 years ago. SRD put a wonderful edge on this razor and somehow I managed not to destroy it with my early stropping endeavors. Recently though it started to feel a bit uncomfortable and I knew it was time to finally work with this blade. I looked at it under a loupe and found some pretty significant chips in the toe-wards third of the blade; narrow, rectangular chips. The rest of the edge looked good so marked up the bevel with a sharpie and did a couple of smooth passes on my soft arkansas to see just how much of the bevel I wasn't hitting. This razor has significant spine wear and the existing bevel put on by SRD was uneven. I remember watching one of Lynn's videos where he say's they usually don't use tape so I thought maybe this blade was honed tape free (which considering the spine I would have thought improbable). Well, a couple of passes and nearly the entire bevel was making contact. Just a little focused torque and no problem honing the entire edge. The soft ark made short work of the chips (a shout out to Steel here; I reached out to him about using arks as he uses them extensively. He helped me get the most from these stones simply by prepping them before each use; I'd not been doing that and they'd become slow to the point of hardly cutting at all).
After inspecting the edge and seeing the chips removed I went to the hard ark and after a bit, checked the edge again. I was surprised to see tiny chips in the same locations and similar shapes as the original chips. Does this indicate weak areas in the edge?
I continued on with the hard until these smaller chips were gone. Then to the translucent (no, no messing around with prepping this stone, burnished and fine). I shaved with this razor yesterday morning and have to say it was amazing. Usually after working on a razor I'm like 'Yep, 90% there, close!' This edge is there.
Probably the easiest honing experience I've had to date. Wish my other blades were this easy, or maybe (hopefully) I'm finally really getting to understand the Arkansas way.
Now back to this Sheffield blade that torments me still............
Paul
And a group shot of my Arks with my Ralf Aust:
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The Following User Says Thank You to Paulbuck For This Useful Post:
ScoutHikerDad (01-04-2017)
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12-26-2016, 08:41 PM #2
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Thanked: 3795In what way do you prep them before each use?
Congrats on working out the "Arkansas way!"
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12-26-2016, 09:06 PM #3
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Thanked: 135Mike (Steel) suggested using a Crystolon combination bench stone for prepping the Arks. What I was doing before was just using the honing oil to remove the swarf and then dish soap to clean up. Now after cleaning the stone I use the fine side of the Norton on the soft and hard arks and the course side on the washita. With the new crystolon I'm not doing a whole lot, just light lapping and thats it, just a few seconds. After using the norton the stones cut more quickly initially and then kind of mellow out as I hone and the stone smooths out some.
I'm still very much working out these stones; a labor of love for sure.
Paul
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The Following User Says Thank You to Paulbuck For This Useful Post:
Utopian (12-28-2016)
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12-26-2016, 09:59 PM #4
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Thanked: 115So After All The Nortons,, Then All The Naniwas I Read This Now Its Off For The Arks,, I Guess This Is What They Call It Never Stops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Great Job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Ty
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12-26-2016, 11:01 PM #5
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Thanked: 481Congratulations on the break through! Hopefully you finally whip the Sheffield that's been tormenting you. Nothing quite like a good Arkansas edge. Call me biased, but they've always been my favorites.
Funny how just when you think you've got everything you want, something new piques your interest. I've got more finishers than I have razors to hone with them!
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12-27-2016, 04:39 PM #6
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Thanked: 3215Paul, post of pic of the razor, sounds like bad steel. If the scales are celluloid it may be starting to off gas and attack the edge.
Sometimes you just have to remove a bit of the edge to get to good steel. If the edge is weak you may get a few shaves out of it, but it crumbles or chips after stropping.
Arks are often over looked but they offer a unique shaving edge.
FYI, when posting from a word document, you have to double space between paragraphs to get normal spacing. Don’t know why, but double spacing works.Last edited by Euclid440; 12-27-2016 at 04:42 PM.
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12-27-2016, 06:10 PM #7
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12-27-2016, 10:14 PM #8
Sure. If it is gassing the scales have to go.
Paul, I've seen those shape chips on razors from time to time. Throwing a piece of tape on there will give you a slightly steeper angle, which may lead to a stronger edge. So minuet that I don't know that it will matter. I hate using more than one layer though.
I honed with tape (one layer) my first year because I wanted to be sure of my ability before going 'naked.' After a year, with some confidence, I went without tape. Maybe a year later I went back to one layer. I do like the smoother feel of the blade on the stone without the tape, but trying to remember which you did with, and which without became too much of a hassle. I don't keep records, though it would be better if I did.
I would suggest a bit of synthetic action on the Sheffield. Particularly on the bevel setting. Naturals are fun, but they are not as efficient in the earlier stages of honing. AFAIC. YMMV.Be careful how you treat people on your way up, you may meet them again on your way back down.
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12-27-2016, 10:56 PM #9
I always stick with a single layer. I want my razors to have a polished spine when they leave me. Or in the case of etched steels, they need it because you don't want a shiny line on the spine of a Damascus or wootz blade. Or for that matter on normal carbon steel blades that have been blackened for example.
Til shade is gone, til water is gone, Into the shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath.
To spit in Sightblinder’s eye on the Last Day
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12-27-2016, 10:59 PM #10
+1. I was in that period of honing with no tape. I scored a 6/8 Wade & Butcher Bow razor with absolutely no hone wear. By the time I got done setting the bevel, finishing the razor, it had hone wear. I was so bummed and I had no one to blame but myself.
That experience had a lot to do with my resolving to go with the one layer of tape.Be careful how you treat people on your way up, you may meet them again on your way back down.