Thread: Using 1K, 4K, 8K, then....

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 that I seem to vary depending upon the blade, it's quality and shape, and how I feel. Question at hand for me is what is a good "normal" that I can then vary from as needed?

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?

With restoration honing I use the 600grit rubbing stone on my Chosera 1K. For regular honing just the 1K and skip the brown slurry. Then 5K, then 8K Naniwa. That goes for most any blade. This is my first divide. I have a few pre 1850 Sheffield’s that I don’t go too far with, in fact most of them have 8K norton edges on them. They seem to really like that. They also get refreshed on a cerium oxide felt on occasion. Most of my modern steel I will go to the Naniwa 10K and then a natural of some sort. On occasion I will use the 12K and then the natural. Most of the naturals are not going to really improve a 12K edge and I am often concerned about overdevelopment of the edge. It is my theory that if you over develop the edge it winds up not lasting very long. The majority of my hone time is one the 1K and 5K.

I'm not sure that it matters much how you get to 12K, as long as the bevel is good.
It seems to me that it's mostly a matter of preference and efficiency...whatever
works for you. I use Chosera 1K, Naniwa 3-5-8-12

Lately, for finishing, I've settled on a combination that seems to work very well on
hard steel, such as Hart, Portland, Friodur. I haven't tried the same routine on "softer"
razors yet, but here you go:

12K - dark blue escher - black/translucent Arkansas (just a few laps) - 0.5 CrOx on
hard felt - linen - Roo hide.

Today I shaved with a Friodur which was honed by gssixgun, so you can bet that
the bevel was well set. All it needed was a touch-up. I used the above progression,
and I swear that it's maybe the best edge that I've ever been able to put on a razor:
super sharp, really smooth, with no stainless steel harshness. It was a very close,
irritation-free shave. For me, anyway, it was a step up from "normal."

Originally Posted by AirColorado

As with most, I'll set a bevel using a 240 grit stone or glass[.]

Not sure about a 240 grit stone or glass from the start for so-called bevel-setting. What has consistently worked for me with water-stones over the past couple of years has been a 1k/3k Suehiro combo stone followed by a coticule used with water only followed by a Welsh purple slate used with water only or with sewing machine oil. Then it's off to a plain barber's leather strop.

I use 1k, 4k, 8k, a natural hone and either straight to a plain leather strop or to a paddle strop with crox, then feox and then plain leather.

I've used a few inexpensive natural hones but the one I've now settled on was sold as Tsushima Ocean Blue for $30 in a small hand-held size.

Most here would say 1k is a bevel setter & anything below is restoration but there will always be slight variability at the finishing stages due to the differences between razors.
Generally I can finish on a Gok 20 or a Nakayama Asagi or a combination of both. Having 2-3 choices at end game is a pretty small variability, IMHO.

I normally start at the 4K level and then 8 and 12k then one of a few different finishers but to be honest after the 12k it’s a fine line, if the edge needs a bit more kick to get it in line at the bevel stage I do a few Atoma 400 slurries off the C1k and finish up with water and some light strokes and then go to the 4k

Escher to crox.
I would have thought that Escher would be the finish , if all the previous steps were perfected .

I use the 3 k chosera for bevel setting and the 1k chosera only if I really need to speed things up. After using natural hones I really don’t need to since in invested in to the Gok 20 k . Great finisher that leaves nothing but smooth edges.

Here's pics of my progression in order from B. set to finisher.