Thread: ready to call it quits....

I have a Dovo. I've been working on trying to get it shave ready for some time. Each time I seem to waiver between overhoned and semi-sharp, but I can't seem to get it to the ready point. I'm using a Norton 4K/8K. Any suggestions?

-Ryan

I am in a similar position..................Dovo stainless. Trying with a Shapton 12k professional and pasted paddle (1 mircon paste). I did have this Dovo professionally honed when I bought it but it has pulled from the first time. I managed to get it a little better myself but still a long way to go........

Thanks
Anthony

Don't give up.

Do smaller sessions and test between them. It has to get better!

Maybe change what you have been doing a bit - say more work on the 8K, less pressure, X vs straight strokes - or the opposite, etc.

Good luck
Ivo

Originally Posted by radiofree

I have a Dovo. I've been working on trying to get it shave ready for some time. Each time I seem to waiver between overhoned and semi-sharp, but I can't seem to get it to the ready point. I'm using a Norton 4K/8K. Any suggestions?

-Ryan

What have you been doing up to this point in terms of technique, pressure, number of passes etc? I don't think that you will get any useful suggestions for improvement unless you can specifically communicate what you have been doing. What makes you feel that you have overhoned the razor?

Here's some clarification: I apply light pressure, a little more than that made by the blade. Then push down the stone, heel leading. Up to this point I've been doing (conservative) sharpening pyramids of 1/5, 1/5, 3/5, 5/5, 3/5, 3/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5. My belief in having overhoned the razor stems from the HHT and the thumbnail test. In both cases I'm sensing that the razor is keen though not shave ready. That being said, I could be jumping the gun in this regard...

I've found , that lifting the edge of my razor up off the hone , before the end of the stroke , improved my honing results 100% . I can get my razors scary sharp , on my Norton 8k . A very light touch is also required . Also , make sure to lap your hone .

Thanks Dave. I'll look into varying the way the razor moves on the hone.
-ryan

I hear ya brother! Sometimes I feel the same way. I've been working on three different razors and no luck with getting them shave sharp. I've come close, but I can't get any of them to pop hairs off of the norton hone. I looked at the spine of my new fromm and noticed that the wear is only on the ends of the blade. The spine doesn't even touch in the middle when I lay it flat!! I haven't lapped the stone, so that's my next endeavor.

I've tried a wide variety of pyramids and just worked on the 8k side with regular testing in between, and still I don't have good results. I've literally put hours and hours into this honing stuff, and I'm very careful to use light pressure and keep the blade flat. Luckily, Damon is going to give me some help on Wed....Thank God!

I haven't tried an x pattern yet, so after lapping and using an x pattern, I'll let you guys know if there's any improvement. Good god, I just want a nice smooth shave without ripping hairs and scraping my skin. That's not too much to ask, now is it?

Originally Posted by radiofree

Here's some clarification: I apply light pressure, a little more than that made by the blade. Then push down the stone, heel leading. Up to this point I've been doing (conservative) sharpening pyramids of 1/5, 1/5, 3/5, 5/5, 3/5, 3/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5. My belief in having overhoned the razor stems from the HHT and the thumbnail test. In both cases I'm sensing that the razor is keen though not shave ready. That being said, I could be jumping the gun in this regard...

A new Dovo stainless is not going to get sharp with that little honing. remember that the factory bevel is "off" and needs to be reformed. Tape the spine with electrical tape, lap your hone flat, then perform 25-50 laps on the Norton 4K. The first 10-20 laps should be with some pressure and the balance with only the weight of the blade. If you have a microscope what you are looking for is a bevel with a uniform texture and color for the full length and width of the blade.
If you use the thumbnail test then you are testing for a uniform smoothness and "draw". "Draw is the blade cutting into the nail. If the blade just skates off the nail or is rough then continue on the 4K until you do.

Follow that with 15-25 laps on the 8K. The first 5-10 should be with some pressure and the remainder with only the weight of the blade. Then strop and shave test.

If the razor needs further work then use the pyramids.


Hope this helps,

Originally Posted by misteredwino

I hear ya brother! Sometimes I feel the same way. I've been working on three different razors and no luck with getting them shave sharp. I've come close, but I can't get any of them to pop hairs off of the norton hone. I looked at the spine of my new fromm and noticed that the wear is only on the ends of the blade. The spine doesn't even touch in the middle when I lay it flat!! I haven't lapped the stone, so that's my next endeavor.

I've tried a wide variety of pyramids and just worked on the 8k side with regular testing in between, and still I don't have good results. I've literally put hours and hours into this honing stuff, and I'm very careful to use light pressure and keep the blade flat. Luckily, Damon is going to give me some help on Wed....Thank God!

I haven't tried an x pattern yet, so after lapping and using an x pattern, I'll let you guys know if there's any improvement. Good god, I just want a nice smooth shave without ripping hairs and scraping my skin. That's not too much to ask, now is it?

Be sure to lap the hone flat first. Then if the razor is still only showing wear at the ends then you can conclude that you have a warped blade. It should take no more than 1 1/2 hours to hone a razor to shaving sharp.

If your blade is slightly warped then the solution is to use an X pattern with a lot of focus on the portion of the blade that is coming off the bottom of the hone. A narrow hone also works well on warped blades. Xman has a rolling stroke that would also be effective.