Thread: How higer magnification made me a better honer.

I actually got a little excited about this tonight so I went ahead and shaved tonight. Was the first time a fluke? Normally I really need to tone down a edge finished on a black. But my last shave was so smooth! Could it happen again. Yup! It did.

I couldn’t believe it really, I could hear the whiskers being mowed, but I couldn’t feel a thing on my face. Just a piece of metal running across it. I could have been shaving with a butter knife for all I knew if I didn’t have my eyes.

I got so cocky by my second pass, I went to town on my chin with long sweeping passes convinced this razor would never cut me lol. It cut me when it caught in the hollow. I thanked it for reminding me, it in turn ensured I didn’t bleed at all.

I was thoroughly enjoying the shave when I remembered I hadn’t even stropped the blade! To get a shave that close and comfortable, without stropping?! Remarkable. Really.


I’ve been honing my blades for a while now. I’ve come to know certain razors really well, and I’d like to think I know my stones limitations at this point. There is something different using the CrOx on the Black vs just the black. It’s not the same edge I get just using the black.

I’m not a honemister or even pretend to be one on tv. I have no idea why these hones feel so drastically different to me. Maybe it’s just voodoo, but two blades saying the same thing makes me believe otherwise. Thanks for the idea OP.

Originally Posted by earcutter

I actually got a little excited about this tonight so I went ahead and shaved tonight. Was the first time a fluke? Normally I really need to tone down a edge finished on a black. But my last shave was so smooth! Could it happen again. Yup! It did.

I couldn’t believe it really, I could hear the whiskers being mowed, but I couldn’t feel a thing on my face. Just a piece of metal running across it. I could have been shaving with a butter knife for all I knew if I didn’t have my eyes.

I got so cocky by my second pass, I went to town on my chin with long sweeping passes convinced this razor would never cut me lol. It cut me when it caught in the hollow. I thanked it for reminding me, it in turn ensured I didn’t bleed at all.

I was thoroughly enjoying the shave when I remembered I hadn’t even stropped the blade! To get a shave that close and comfortable, without stropping?! Remarkable. Really.


I’ve been honing my blades for a while now. I’ve come to know certain razors really well, and I’d like to think I know my stones limitations at this point. There is something different using the CrOx on the Black vs just the black. It’s not the same edge I get just using the black.

I’m not a honemister or even pretend to be one on tv. I have no idea why these hones feel so drastically different to me. Maybe it’s just voodoo, but two blades saying the same thing makes me believe otherwise. Thanks for the idea OP.

Thanks David for trying this also. I'd like to think I was the first to come up with using CrOx to create a slurry but I'm certain someone else has tried it before (if not Yay me!). I've just worked the one razor with the CrOx slurry but have the kitchen table to myself today and a problem child that I'm going to work on.
What has become apparent to me now that I'm retired (have I mentioned that???) is the need for a proper work station in the garage. No doubt my wife will be supportive of this!
With a proper bevel set, this method should be consistent in its performance. I'll throw in an update after tonights shave.

Originally Posted by Paulbuck

Thanks David for trying this also. I'd like to think I was the first to come up with using CrOx to create a slurry but I'm certain someone else has tried it before (if not Yay me!). I've just worked the one razor with the CrOx slurry but have the kitchen table to myself today and a problem child that I'm going to work on.
What has become apparent to me now that I'm retired (have I mentioned that???) is the need for a proper work station in the garage. No doubt my wife will be supportive of this!
With a proper bevel set, this method should be consistent in its performance. I'll throw in an update after tonights shave.

Man ... that would be nice. A dedicated work area. I've got two kids and a wife who all just, put stuff places. My places. And take things. My things, to never return them. Its so chronic, I considered buying the house next door and moving into it just so that I can find my stuff, where I left it!! Arg.

This is why i have My Room. A converted bedroom with my stuff. It is nice having my own room full of my stuff and the wife now knows to leave it alone. About three years ago, the wife needed a small box for shipping something. She found a box in my room. Took my special electronic tools out of the box and took the box. When i found out and told her that the box was made special for that tool and rode her about it for months, she leaves my stuff alone now.

Ha. A month or so ago I lost my phone for a week so I'm a bit touchy about my it now. The other night my wife thought that she was putting away a magnifier when I pointed out that she was putting my phone into a black cloth bag with a draw string.

Now that funny. Ok, maybe not for her.

Today I worked on my least favorite razor; a Ralf Aust I bought off ebay a couple of years ago. I've convinced myself it was a reject that found its way to me. With some help from a mentor I was able to get it to shave acceptably. But I don't reach for it often.
After the resounding success with the Wade and Butcher, I wanted to try the CrOx slurry on another razor. The Aust was pulling and needed work. The microscope showed a surprisingly good looking bevel with uniform, shallow striations but some chipping (a year of so of stropping on leather and CrOx can make a bevel look pretty nice). Made my first mistake by not jointing the edge off the get go; decided to go to the Washita and work the bevel clean with a light slurry.
Attachment 296466
The Washita. Pic doesn't really show its colors.
The scope showed the largest chips gone and up I went eventually finishing with the CrOx slurry on translucent.
Stropped it and the toe was not right. Back down to the Hard with light slurry and then repeat to to the CrOx slurry.
I check with the scope between steps and it showed me that I was a bit heavy handed on the hard ark and left some deeper striations than before but mostly higher up on the shoulder of the bevel and not to the edge. These striations still persisted up to the CrOx slurry step. I marked a point on both sides of the bevel with a sharpie and studied the marks there. Then used the slurry enthusiastically and checked again.

No matter how much this improves my edges; I feel like I'm violating my beautiful translucent.

The deeper striations were completely gone. The bevel markings were uniform the entirety of the blade and the edge looked really good but not perfect; not laser straight. After stropping I gave her a shave using the same soap and brush I used on my previous shave two days ago; the Reference Shave.
On tuesday I shaved with my new-to-me, Zak Jarvis (hope you don't mind me referencing you Zak; its complementary!) honed Wade and Butcher FBU.
So first off; I'd never shaved with this massive a razor before. I absolutely loved it and Zak put an amazing edge on her. Of course it went under the scope for comparisons with the Aust before my shave. Zak's bevel was mirror polish where as mine was more hazy. Far fewer striations on Zak's bevel and these were much thinner than on mine (like a needle scratch). Zak's edge was like a laser for most of the edge and where it wasn't, it resembled my edge; just a hint of roughness at this magnification.
I only stropped with leather before the shave. The shave with the Aust was not as good as the FBU nor my Wade and Butcher from the previous honing. But it was as good as this blade has ever shaved and gave a comfortable 3-pass shave. Will see how further stropping refines it. Not sure if comparing that big, magnificent FBU and my other heavy W&B is totally fair but it was useful!
Sorry for the long read: bottom line CrOx slurry (and magnification) has improved my edges greatly!

I’m not going to lie, I’ve never been able to get my Ralf Aust to shave as comfortably as my teir one razors. I like it! It’s just somehow... tiny.

Originally Posted by Paulbuck

On tuesday I shaved with my new-to-me, Zak Jarvis (hope you don't mind me referencing you Zak; its complementary!) honed Wade and Butcher FBU.
So first off; I'd never shaved with this massive a razor before. I absolutely loved it and Zak put an amazing edge on her. Of course it went under the scope for comparisons with the Aust before my shave. Zak's bevel was mirror polish where as mine was more hazy. Far fewer striations on Zak's bevel and these were much thinner than on mine (like a needle scratch). Zak's edge was like a laser for most of the edge and where it wasn't, it resembled my edge; just a hint of roughness at this magnification.
I only stropped with leather before the shave. The shave with the Aust was not as good as the FBU nor my Wade and Butcher from the previous honing. But it was as good as this blade has ever shaved and gave a comfortable 3-pass shave. Will see how further stropping refines it. Not sure if comparing that big, magnificent FBU and my other heavy W&B is totally fair but it was useful!
Sorry for the long read: bottom line CrOx slurry (and magnification) has improved my edges greatly!

For reference, I used Shapton-on-glass 1k for bevel setting, then 4k & 8k to polish, then finished it off with 8k, 16k, and 32k lapping film. Honestly, the 32k is lilly gilding. I can’t tell a difference in the shaves, but the bevels look a little prettier under magnification.

I use a jewelers’ loupe for magnification. For tests, I start with the loupe, then use thumbpad until it’s good and sticky, and finally check the final polish stage by treetopping my arm hair.

The secret to my honing, really, is that my hair is really flexible and tough. I’ve come across a couple of folks who needed a keener edge than I put on for myself, but most everyone has been very happy (and I’ve learned from the folks who need more).

The other day I was watching a Fine Woodworking YouTube podcast. One of the fellows read a quote by Greg Lemon, who responded to the question, “Does Bike racing get easier”? “It never gets easier, you just get faster, ride lots”

And Mike Pekovich – a FWW contributor, master furniture builder and instructor after hearing the Lemon quote said, “Woodworking never gets easier, you get bugged more by smaller things.”

The better you get at honing, the less you have to look, but the more you want to perfect an edge, and you get bugged more by the little things.

Thanks Mike.