Thread: Are You A Real Man? Do You Think You Can Hone? Shave Off Of Your 1k Hone

You guys have convinced me that I need to try this. I'm still a rookie at honing and have had some good luck and some not so good. I think this will be a good way for me to focus on my bevel sets. I'll give it a try this weekend.

Truly, the bevel set is the foundation to your edge. No blade can ever be spectacularly sharp or smooth shaving without a perfect apex. If you take the time to do your tests and watch with your loupe, once the blade shaves well, you will see and feel exactly what you need to achieve before moving up. I am not a fast honer, not compared to what I see in some of the videos, but I am very methodical and I get consistent results. Try it Brian, I bet you will learn a bunch.

Originally Posted by Mrchick

You guys have convinced me that I need to try this. I'm still a rookie at honing and have had some good luck and some not so good. I think this will be a good way for me to focus on my bevel sets. I'll give it a try this weekend.

I've been watching this thread and I'm convinced too. I'll also give it a try in the next day or two.

Ron, challenge completed.

I decided to use my gold dollar
I used a Chosera 1k and finished with the lightest touch I can which I usually use on finishing hones.

50 laps linen, 100 laps leather.

The shave was not as tuggy as I thought it would be, I was actually quite surprised though I had to use very short strokes. It was no where near as close as my normal shaves as im used to the Gok 20k. I did two passes WTG.

Im glad I tried this and might try again with a better razor.
If someone was to have a light, sparse beard I daresay the shave would have been a lot better.

No, I am a total girly man, but I've got a couple of restorations I'm working on. I'll finish them up in the next couple of days and try this from my Chosera 1k. It seems like a great way to test if you are really getting a nice, smooth and even bevel without "cheating" your way up the grits (which many of us have been guilty of as newbies). Will report back.

For those of you who have taken, or will take on, this challenge, I highly encourage you to continue on and shave with each hone up in your progression. You really will get a better appreciation for what each hone does.

For my part, I honed the 600 grit edge gold dollar on the 800 grit hone this morning but then did not have time to shave. However, I am confident that it will be a much better shave given the improved look under the scope.

I can't wait to work up to that buttery smooth 1k hone!!!

Shave completed. Took 2 passes, normally I get it in one. Little bit of tuggage here and there, but really not all that bad. Alcohol based aftershave didn't burn, no real irritation after the shave. Not the closest shave I've ever had but for a 1K edge? I'm satisfied.

Thinking back to when I first started honing, this 1K edge shaved better all around than some of my first 8K and Cnat edges.

Now the next question - Do I use a 1stone natural method to put the PHIG edge back on this blade, or continue up the Norton progression and see where we're at by 8K?

Originally Posted by Marshal

Shave completed. Took 2 passes, normally I get it in one. Little bit of tuggage here and there, but really not all that bad. Alcohol based aftershave didn't burn, no real irritation after the shave. Not the closest shave I've ever had but for a 1K edge? I'm satisfied.

Thinking back to when I first started honing, this 1K edge shaved better all around than some of my first 8K and Cnat edges.

Now the next question - Do I use a 1stone natural method to put the PHIG edge back on this blade, or continue up the Norton progression and see where we're at by 8K?

There's no wrong answer. Which one interests you more?

I would say in the spirit of this thread, it would be better to go up the Nortons. Have you ever shaved off the 4k and the 8k?