ways of undoing overhoning

I have a TI 5/8 super gnome, and for some reason I cannot get it sharp using my stones. I do have 4 sided tm paddle strop (3,1,0.5,0.25 micron diamond paste) which seems to work fine, so I want to use that instead.

However I tend to overhone and I do not know how to undo that other than by a few back-first strokes on the stone. I have read the tips about drawing it through a cork, the thumbnail or a wooden match, however none of these work (i can see the wire-edge both before and after doing these, even with 5 strokes... - using more pressure does not seem to have an effect ... )

Does anyone know of a way other than those mentioned above ? If I go back to the hone it gets really dull, to the point where it cannot cut a hair unless it is held at both ends and forced onto the edge... this does not seem to happen with any of my other razors ... my dovo black star will almost pass the hht off the hone, as will an ancient John Barber I've got ...

(I'm using what I believe to be an old thuringen/escher barber hone: charcoal grey stone that yields a light slightly bluish grey slurry...)

Work the razor on the hone leading with the spine.

Another alternative that may do less damage to your edge is simply
to return to a coarser grit stone. For example, if you have over-honed
on the 8k, it may suffice to simply do a few strokes on the 4k. This is
one of the reasons why the pyramid is so effective.

Good luck!

- Scott

Backhoning has always worked for me in the past - maybe you just need to do a bit more of it, or perhaps do it on a coarser stone.

Which brings up another issue...

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Originally Posted by dodi

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(I'm using what I believe to be an old thuringen/escher barber hone: charcoal grey stone that yields a light slightly bluish grey slurry...)

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Clearly this stone is absolute rubbish. I offer an ongoing service in hone disposal - just send me the stone and I'll take care of it for you... :D

James.

It's not that going back to the stone and doing back-leading strokes does not work - it works great, it is that for some reason I cannot get this razor to work with my hone so I want to sharpen it without it touching the hone. That is, using my 4 sided paddlestrop alone. However for some reason the non-hone tricks (match,cork, thumbnail) does not seem to undo the overhoning, which is why I ask for alternative ways...

Using the four-sided paddlestrop alone it is getting quite sharp - it can easily pop hairs and the bevel is completely polished (to the naked eye - I do no have a microscope). I have been at this point several times and always it seems that going back to the hone ruins it completely, setting me back several hours of work, dulling the razor significantly so that it feels dull even by conventional-knife standards... (as I do not have a microscope I unfortunately cannot diagnose what happens in that case...)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

Clearly this stone is absolute rubbish. I offer an ongoing service in hone disposal - just send me the stone and I'll take care of it for you... :D

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Too bad the shipping cost would be prohibitive - I've got this 3 by 8" old unused belgian coticule taking up too much space ...:nj (i wish....;))

flatten your hone ... sounds like its not flat.

you don't want to use your hone and you're trying to do it all with pastes. use the hone to back hone. then go to your pastes. thats going to be the way to do it. that will have the same effect as you aren't using your hone to do any progressive positive work.

~J

ps. learn to use the hones :)

I agree with all the above posts, and i have used a 4 sided paddle for a good few years, however, I have only used the pastes after I have honed or ona brand new razor...so ebay or flea market finds dont hit the paddle until they have been honed on a flat, lapped hone, so do become more familiar with your stones. practice makes perfect but confidence does help...

simon