Thread: A new adventure. . . . Honing

.
.
A lot of good info has been offered here. Now everyone can see why SRP is so well regarded.
.
The lapping films are a low cost starting point, ....agreed,....... but remember that they will need to be replaced.
A stone will probably last you the rest of your life.
.
As stated there are a number of quality stone/hones. I have most of them but the one I use most is a Norton 4/8.
Why?....because that is what I learned on and I am most familiar with. That is the rule for most of us and it will be for you also. Each hone must be learned no matter the maker.

Which hone is the best? Frankly, none are best, all of those mentioned here, and a few more, are very good.

If the lapping film appeals to you then start there. You will learn how it works and it's quirks.

Enjoy the journey and keep posting.

It seems at this point you need to decide on your initial route. With the razors you have now, what were they finished on? If you really like the edge that was on them, maybe that is where you should start.

Originally Posted by slim6596

It's the GD that Steve PIFd to me, so I pretty much ruined the edge learning how to straight razor shave.

Ah, well, then. Basically it only needs a touchup. All you need is some sort of finisher. MAYBE one slightly lower grit synthetic stone or some 3u film but if you are reasonably patient I bet just a finisher of some sort will gitter done. Since Steve56 offered to refresh it, I would take him up on his kind offer, and meanwhile decide on lapping film, synthetic stones or natural stones, in that order of preference. If you go with film, check back in here and I will go into detail on how to get best possible results and how not to buy the wrong stuff. There are a lot of sellers out there pushing lapping paper, polishing paper, microfinishing film, polishing film, microfinishing film, all sorts of other twisted and misleading names. You want LAPPING FILM. And you want plain back, especially for the finish grit, which is 1u or one micron. The "1u" should actually be "1" followed by the lower case Greek letter "mu". But it is easier to just type "u" on standard keyboards and everyone just knows that in that context it means "microns". I get my acrylic plates from TAP Plastics. Cast acrylic sheet, 3/4" thick. I have them cut 3" x 12" and the same size plate is also useful for stabilizing balsa, BTW. So this size piece is very handy to have. If you plan on going with balsa, you will need three more of them, for the standard three stage progression, in addition to the one for film. For a nice basic touchup you only need the one. The balsa won't work anyway, until you are getting good results at the 1u film stage.

I have some old youtube videos on film honing but my methods have evolved a bit over the years, with improved results. I will make new vids one of these days.

A standard 8-1/2" x 11" sheet of film is cut lengthwise into thirds. Each piece is good for about a dozen razors. Some say more but I figure on a dozen before it gets worn enough that it just cuts too slowly. So about 36 touchups from one sheet of 1u film. My usual source is nanolaptech.com but he is not answering emails currently. Thorlabs is another good source though they have the bigger 9" x 13" sheets. There are others but make sure you get the right stuff.

I like the 12k Naniwa as far as finish stones go. If you go that route, you need a true flat surface to lap it on. A plate of heavy glass works. A sink cutout from a polished granite countertop usually is flat enough. Glue sandpaper to it with a very light spray of spray adhesive and you have a very nice lapping surface that won't dish your stone the way so called "flattening stones" will do. You want to avoid uverrunning the ends off of the lapping surface so much as possible. A new stone generally must be lapped, and then lapped periodically thereafter according to the amount of use it is getting. This is the main drawback with stones. Film is always dead flat, as long as the plate is flat. If the plate starts out flat, it will always stay flat because it gets no wear from honing. Stones wear, and must be lapped. If not for that, I would say that good stones are maybe a bit better than lapping film, and film is only a cheaper way to get started. Also stones can break. I have never broken a Naniwa, but then again, I have never dropped one, either. Stones do wear out, but normal use from an occasional honer will have only minimal impact on a stone's lifespan. A pro doing a dozen razors a day will know what it is like to wear a stone down to where it needs replacement, after several years. A guy honing only his own small rotation of razors can probably go a lifetime on it.

So, while your razor is back in Steve's capable hands, you could be deciding on a method, and shopping for your setup, and maybe next time you take a stab at freshening up the edge yourself. It is a very natural and easy way to get into honing in general. Once you are good at touchups of previously sharp edges dulled by normal use, you can maybe elect to jump in with both feet, and hone razors found in the wild or brand new razors, starting from setting the bevel. That will require a progression of films or stones. Maybe still later you could rescue some beaters with chips and dings and frowns and stuff, starting with coarse stones to get your bevel down to sound steel, and then running your progression.

The balsa is a whole nother critter, not for this post. Get your 12k or 1u edge quality up to where it treetops well and shaves with reasonable comfort, and then you will be ready to up your game to the limit.

If you go synthetic, a 12k Naniwia or the 8k Naniwia Snow White are the way to go. They are both finishers and way more aggressive than folks think. The Snow White will finish as well or better than the 12k and is splash and go.

Finish with Chrome Oxide, paste a piece of cardboard if you do not have a dedicated strop, to ease into honing. Get some good magnification and you will be set for a while. 60-100x Carson Microbrite, $10-15.

Here is a post on just how aggressive a 12k super stone can be. (12K Super Stone Chip Removal/Bevel Set).

Originally Posted by Steve56

Be glad to touch that up for you Slim.

Between the last razor, the last two soaps (returned the MWF), and that brush, my lovely wife would prefer I didn't spend more on shaving just now. I intend to honor that preference.

@the OP

Are you totally confused now ???

I will NOT add another opinion, I will say this

"Pick ONE system and ONE person for that system, then STAY with the ONE system until you have success"

People get pulled in different directions and take WAY longer to attain the goal of a shave ready edge
Get to that goal first and make sure it is repeatable, THEN branch out and try new things


ps: The right way to learn to hone is from the top down not the bottom up, but few listen LOL

Originally Posted by slim6596

Between the last razor, the last two soaps (returned the MWF), and that brush, my lovely wife would prefer I didn't spend more on shaving just now. I intend to honor that preference.

The road to HAD is paved with good intentions...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

@the OP

Are you totally confused now ???

I will NOT add another opinion, I will say this

"Pick ONE system and ONE person for that system, then STAY with the ONE system until you have success"

People get pulled in different directions and take WAY longer to attain the goal of a shave ready edge
Get to that goal first and make sure it is repeatable, THEN branch out and try new things


ps: The right way to learn to hone is from the top down not the bottom up, but few listen LOL

I must agree. Especially on the top-down part. Every razor will need a finish. Not every razor needs a bevel reset, or all the in between work. Some guys will never need anything but a finishing method. And skipping around from one style to another will bog the new honer down in a morass that will be more frustrating and expensive, than productive. That is a fact. Pretty much any honing method that has ever been discussed here, or any stone or other media that has been discussed here, will eventually achieve worthwhile results, if you stick with it long enough and listen to someone who has experience with that tool or method.

One problem is that those who are most likely to gravitate to straight razors are exactly the sort that want to do things "their" way, and are most likely to discount systematic advice/dogma from those with experience, for a variety of reasons. We tend to be doers and not followers, explorers rather than travelers. The follower will travel much more efficiently than the explorer.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

@the OP

Are you totally confused now ???

I will NOT add another opinion, I will say this

"Pick ONE system and ONE person for that system, then STAY with the ONE system until you have success"

People get pulled in different directions and take WAY longer to attain the goal of a shave ready edge
Get to that goal first and make sure it is repeatable, THEN branch out and try new things


ps: The right way to learn to hone is from the top down not the bottom up, but few listen LOL

THIS.
This says it all!

Originally Posted by Euclid440

If you go synthetic, a 12k Naniwia or the 8k Naniwia Snow White are the way to go. They are both finishers and way more aggressive than folks think. The Snow White will finish as well or better than the 12k and is splash and go.

Finish with Chrome Oxide, paste a piece of cardboard if you do not have a dedicated strop, to ease into honing. Get some good magnification and you will be set for a while. 60-100x Carson Microbrite, $10-15.

Here is a post on just how aggressive a 12k super stone can be. (12K Super Stone Chip Removal/Bevel Set).

I think this pretty much sums up what I had in mind. It took about 45 seconds of watching a video on lapping film to decide that I'm not into that (id not heard of it before)
I was already leaning toward synthetic and Naniwa seemed to keep being thrown out there, soooo. . . I have sitting in my digital cart a Naniwa 12k and a flattening stone. Also I have a Carson 60-120 magnifier in my amazon cart.

Unless I hear a serious argument against these things, I'll make them an order in a couple days.

i do have a question about the chrome oxide. Does that come in different brands and/or grits that I need to worry about. . . If so, what is it I should be looking for specifically?

One last thing, I really want to thank all of you, as it was pointed out earlier, SRP really is an amazing place to find answers and help for so many things. I admittedly haven't spent time here in a long time, but when I looked at my razors and decided I wanted to stop relying on someone else for this one aspect of my shave experience. . . I didn't even think about going anywhere else for info. I just KNEW where to go with my questions. So thank you guys, thank you so much.