Thread: If the bevel is not set 100%, can it be fixed on the finisher?

Hey guys, sorry if this is a stupid question, but I'm simply not able to get my razor as sharp as I feel it should be.
I set the bevel with a lot of laps on a 3k stone (marker test and everything). At first the razor was as dull as a spoon, but after 20 minutes or so, it started to shave my arm hair and I moved on to my finisher (welsh slate, at first with milky slurry and then plain water).

The thing is, the razor doesn't feel like it shaves very well. The pass wtg on the cheeks still leaves some stubble and the pass atg requires some force to cut. I believe that I should have spent some more time on the 3k stone to make sure the bevel is set properly, because when I moved on, it cut arm hair but just barely.

Can this problem be fixed with a lot of laps (500 or so?) on the finisher with lots of slurry or is it hopeless and I have to move back to the 3k?

Thanks.

Why would you want to do 500+ laps on a finisher instead of going back to your bevel setter and directly addressing the problem. 20 minutes on a 3k is not a lot of time for a razor that is "dull as a spoon."

Go back to the 3k and maybe try it with slurry to speed it up. You might spend a VERY long time on a Welsh stone trying to set a bevel

Take it from me with firsthand experience- if the bevel is not set you cannot make it up on the next stone. The bevel is your edge all else is polishing.

Better to spend time really working on your tests for bevel than wasting time moving up the progression without a good bevel set.

Another thing if you are spending 20 minutes on a 3K stone I seriously hope you are using tape and changing it pretty regular or you are going to create some serious spine ware and geomertry issues for yourself further down the road, in reality it shouldn't take to much time to set a bevel on a 3K stone what razor and what grind are you honing?

What 3K stone and Welsh slate are you using?

Your best bet is to drop back to the 3K. 1K if you have it. Magnification will also help immensely, if you don't already have a 30x loupe.

It can be done on a finisher. I've done it. But if you have a lower grit stone, why spend all the extra time trying to make it happen with what should be your final stone? Maybe if you're just messing around to see what works and what doesn't, but the most expedient way to get where you need to be is to ensure that the bevel is set before moving beyond the 3K.

Alright, thanks for your input guys.

I'm out for the week, but I will try again on the 3k and report back with pictures on Friday or Saturday.

The 3k stone is a cheap Taidea, they are said to be soft, but it's all I have right now and I made sure to lap it before use. The slate is the purple one from AJ on ebay.

The razor is a french 'Peroux Cognet Garanti' that already had some hone wear when I got it, but I'll make sure to use tape from now on.

If you are new to honing razor you sure picked a challenging combination. It is a long step from a 3K to a finisher, so in order for it to work your 3K edge needs to be absolutely perfect. The heavier the grind the more stell that needs to be removed to cut a nice perfect bevel. You should be able to get an edge that will shave from the 3K. It will be very rough, but it will shave. If you do not have any optics, stay on the 3K until you can get it to shave and then move up. You will need to be doing very light passes on the 3K before you move up. A loupe changes my honing substantially and removed all the guess work. If you don't have a budget for hones you could send this razor out.

I'd suggest replacing the Taidea. King 1/6K would be a good step up.

Other options would be Norton 4/8 and Naniwa 3/8. I like the Shapton Kuromaku series 1, 2, and 5K stones. You can jump to the Kuromaku 12K from there, but if the goal is to get an edge from the purple slate you can probably get away with just the 5k.

With what you have, expect a 2K edge off the Taidea. In theory you should still be able to shave off a 2k stone. Somewhere around here there's a 1K shave challenge thread. I've done it. Not the best shave, but also not the worst.

But, I agree with Rezdog. You're asking an awful lot out of that purple slate. In the right hands or with practice it could be done. But you'll have better faster results with something between the 3k and the purple slate.

If you have any doubt about your bevel, then stop, strop, and shave with your 3k edge. If you cannot shave off of the 3k, then the odds are quite high that you won't be able to shave off of the finisher.