Thread: Newbie Q: can't get razor sharp enough

Most likely some sort of slight smile or warp, your technique may be at fault too. Personally I started off with too much weight on the heel. A good technique is a rolling X stroke. Start your stroke with emphasis towards the heel, as you move down the hone the heel leads but you roll your pressure towards the the toe. Pressure should be just enough to keep control of the razor. Generally less pressure is better with edge and bevel condition dictating how much pressure you need. Search gssixgun on you tube as well as Lynn honing. Between those videos and detailed reports on this thread, you’ll be able to get a good edge without junking your razor in the process.

If your Dovo was never honed by a pro by hand and only had the factory edge, it is possible the bevel was not completely right to start with. Dont get me wrong, some of them come with a decent edge but most dont.

Follow what Marty/euclid said. It takes many many hours to learn to hone properly. Touching up an edge can be done but can also be a waist of time if it was never right to begin with. You have most of what is needed to put a new bevel and edge on your blade but...

I recommend sending it out to be done 100% correctly. Then you will know what the perfect edge should feel like. Pick up a couple low cost vintage razors and start your honing learning on them. Dont learn to hone on a blade you plan on relying to shave with. You will be disappointed often.

“I bet there might be something wrong with the geometry or my technique.”

Naw, probably not geometry. That is the one thing I don’t like about the 12k super stone is that they load up with black swarf and at that grit it can affect performance, polishing ability. You can clean the stone while on the stone holder with a green scotch brite pad, I keep a sponge on my honing tray to absorb excess water, or you can use a rubbing stone, a small diamond plate or a nagura to rub off the swarf, some have used an eraser. Or just give it a quick lap.

If it was new and you have not put it on an aggressive stone, it should be easy to fix with the 12k.

Once you get your scope or with any magnification, ink your bevels, I like colored ink it is easier to see. You can probably see it with the naked eye.

Do a light lap on your 12k, make sure the stone has been lapped and the edges of the stone are beveled or rounded. Now look at the bevel and the edge. Are you removing ink all the way to the edge, is the edge straight or chipped?

Now look at the edge, straight down on the edge, do you see any shiny reflections. Reflections are where the bevels are not meeting or chips, there is a good picture of a fully meeting edge, (post 51, page 11) and one almost meeting (post 42, page 9) in the (Second try at Honing) post. If the bevels are not fully meeting, it will not shave well, the edge, true edge is very thin.

You also want the bevel to be as stria free as possible, deep stria end in a chip at the edge.

What you see will determine your next step, be sure to tape the spine.

Check for a frown too. New Dovos can have them.

Oz speaketh the truth: I've looked at several new lower end Dovos in shops and they all exhibited the kind of defects shown above. That Inox is a more expensive model and shouldn't have that kind of problem - come to think of it, no new razor from a reputable maker should be like that!

I honed a Dovo "Best Quality" razor bought new this past spring for a beginner. Total garbage if you ask me. I urged him to find a $50 vintage razor and sell off the Dovo asap.

Originally Posted by Speedster

I honed a Dovo "Best Quality" razor bought new this past spring for a beginner. Total garbage if you ask me. I urged him to find a $50 vintage razor and sell off the Dovo asap.

Not long ago saying this would have been heresy.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Not long ago saying this would have been heresy.

Dovo seems to go thru quality cycles. It happens.

As promised, here are some photos of the razor at ~40x magnification. I used 12K stone on it.











Here are couple pictures of Feather's disposable blade just for comparison (which I think feels better)




Honestly, I don't know what to look for. Both edges look similar. Do you guys see anything?

https://straightrazorpalace.com/honi...ggestions.html
This thread has great pictures. It’s a great reference to go through.