Thread: Honed my first razors!

So, it depends on what you are going to do in terms of razor honing. If you are going to maintain a hand full of razors, you are all set.

Add a $20 King 1K and you can go either way, but a 5k will easily set a new bevel, heck a 12k Super Stone will remove small chips and set a bevel, easily.

Don’t worry about “Over-honing” it is mostly myth. Under-honing, failing to fully set a bevel, is by far, the failing of most new honers.

A set bevel is flat, at the proper angle and both bevels meet at a straight keen, edge. Learn to test for a fully set bevel, use more than one test, and when you are absolutely sure, the bevel is fully set, do 20 more light laps.

If, worst case, you did over-hone, and the edge is micro-chipping, joint the edge and re-set the edge in 10-15 laps on the 12K and your golden.

Learn to max out each stone, get an even stria pattern, removing each previous stria pattern and get the edge as straight and chip free as possible. Then do the same on the next stone. The goal is a straight edge, the straighter the edge the smoother the shave.

Tape the spine until you master honing, and get some magnification 40 or 60X.

Really, add any 1k, and you are set for life.

Are people seriously able to shave off a 1k?

I'm a noob with a Dovo Bismark 6/8 that eventually wore out after 6 months of stropping.

I gently reset the bevel on my 10k chinese, no tape, which seemed to happen super quick and easy. On my 60-120x magnifier, the edge looks straight and the bevel looks even. However it does not shave hairs at all.

I was expecting to have to do some balsa with green then red followed by nylon and leather, but now I'm concerned I missed something.

Should I be worried?

Things are on pause since I haven't decided exactly which cromium package to get from whipped dog yet.

Yes, you can shave off of a properly honed 1k edge just fine.

If you cannot shave off of the 1k edge, then the odds are good that the bevels are not meeting properly to form the edge. If that is the case, then running up a progression of higher grits will give you polished bevels and a dull razor. The bevel set is critical for everything that follows--including the shave.