Quote Originally Posted by AirColorado View Post
Something I've been wondering for years... As with most, I'll set a bevel using a 240 grit stone or glass and then start to get things right starting with a 1K up to the 12K.
.....
After the 12K I have an Escher, 0.5 CROx on leather, 0.5 and 1.0 diamond spray on leather, a few good cuticles from the quarry in Belgium, felt, mesh, and all other manner of polishing stones and materials. My normal right now after the 12K is to go to the Escher, then CROx, felt, and leather strop. At times if something seems "off" after the Escher I'll do some laps on 1.0 diamond then 0.5 diamond then CRox, and felt/leather. But it seems there has to be a less variable method.

So if you have all or most of the above, what's your preferred go-to routine when starting from bevel-set?
Lots of moving parts ...
Go-to is what works.

I am tempted to say that the 1K and coarser stones belong in a box... if used, use them once on the razor
because the bevel once set is good for a gosh long time. If they are necessary to set a bevel spend a lot of time
at 2K or 4K to remove the abuse that the coarse stones do to a razor. Magic marker test to know that the bevel
is set is valuable.

The pyramid method 4K and 8K has taught me a lot. It seems that once a blade is sharp (set bevel) the
management of honing to eliminate a burr is important. I used circles a lot and now work hard
to remove any circle scratch pattern before moving to the next finer grit. Slurry gets washed off
much quicker than I used to do.

I now refresh a razor that shaves only on 12K or on a coticle and do that refresh finish under running water.
Coticle or Echer but not both...

I do have 0.25 micron diamond or CBN on most of my canvas or felt strops. Mostly to break the
canvas in quicker.