Thread: Stainless razor giving me trouble

Originally Posted by Geezer

YMMV
A stainless steel razor is more abrasive resistant than carbon steel. Tough to hone as you are familiar with carbon steel. It takes longer and you must check progress more often.
Some people just have to make videos...whether or not they have anything worthwhile to pass on. Check post count here and videos from the old timers.
~Richard

Richard, I posted my video and THEN read your comment. There is not a whole lot of "worthwhile" in there but I'm leaving it anyway!

put your location in your profile so we may further assist you, there may be someone down the street from you Tc

When it comes to pictures of the bevel set there is thread that shows quite well what you see through your loop. For the bevel set it is all about looking down on the edge. After that it is all about polishing the bevel.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...ggestions.html

When you try and shave with it as it is now what is happening?

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

When you try and shave with it as it is now what is happening?

It is not removing stubble like my other razors. Plenty of audible feedback as it is extra hollow, no tugging, etc. just not taking off the whiskers.

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

put your location in your profile so we may further assist you, there may be someone down the street from you Tc

I have updated my location in my profile. I live in Sarasota/Bradenton area of Florida. I would really like to have a mentor if possible. I am a big believer mentor/mentee learning.

Hopefully you can get hooked up with someone for some one on one honing. What are you doing to test weather or not you are done with the bevel setting process? My guess is that the bevel is not fully set. Have you tried the thumbnail test, thumb pad test and arm hair tests? As Utopain mentioned earlier, stroke counts are pointless. You need to have a way to test weather or not the bevel is set and ready to move on to the next stone.

The hair on my arm is almost blonde and it reacts in a weird way to passing the blade close- some hairs cut others not and sometimes I have denuded a spot without realizing it. I know that sounds stupid.

I have used the "cherry tomato test" where the skin is split with only the razor's weight (works on grapes too) but lately my test has been to lightly run the blade over a patch of coarse skin on my index finger. If the blade bites, I assume the bevel is set.

I have only come upon this method after my original post and when I tried the stainless razor it did not pass.

I have since reset the bevel on my 1k taking more than twice as long with x strokes and it passes the finger test.

I finished the polish on lapping film (3m diamond film) 6um, 3um, 1um then strop.

Bevel looks like a mirror and I will try again to shave with it tomorrow.

My thinking is that I am just not good enough with the coti to finish the stainless on it.

My lapping film edges can be harsh so I might have to back it off if that is the case tomorrow.

I will report the results after tomorrow's shave.

My wild guess, take it for what it is...

You've got a king 1k hone, which is comparatively slow to other hones from what I read. And you're honing a stainless steel blade, which is abrasion resistant.

I'm thinking the problem you were having is that your bevel was really, really close - but just a fraction of a hair's breadth away from being set. I've created a few of these myself, and they seem to pass every cutting test except for the shave test. I even created one that passed the shave test - I still haven't figured that one out. At any rate, this would be less a problem with your ability with the coticule, and more so an issue at the foundation.

I'll go ahead and wager that if you spent a good amount of time on the 1K it's sorted out. My crystal ball is broken, so take that the same way you would the lucky numbers from a fortune cookie - with a healthy amount of skepticism.

I can see a few bits on the bevel that are less than shiny. Is the bevel really set?