Thread: new razor, new gear, new hone

well I guess then, I can still use it for what i bought it for... mostly. I got it to learn to hone, but i hoped to be able to shave with it too... at least a few times. My mistake for picking garbage, but no worries. I'll get a real one first to shave with, these will be for practice on making an edge and also fixing chips or cracks... I'll beat the crap out of them to learn a bit... but the sad side is that they wont be useable. Well everyone I guess that's that.

I knew it was going to be junk... but never expected it to be unusable!

OK - so I got in the 4k 8k norton yesterday and I got in the zeepks today... I tried to hone one of them... worked on it and worked on it, went back to the threads and did some more reading and well worked on it some more. From your experience... what is a "good" result from a zeepk? I know that i'm sort of wasting my time working with them... but if at least I know a good benchmark for them - like getting them to pass the HHT or something like that (which by the way I got no where near passing... only in one part of the blade did it ever cut the hair with slight pressure on the hair downward (definitely not hanging).

I only have the Norton stone and I'm not really sure if the HHT is passable with only that stone - someone with more experience will be able to answer that for me. I tried first setting a good bevel to work from then use the 8k to get more sharp... I also tried the pyramid method ...

I was never 'adept' at sharpening knives (could never figure out the angles working with a stone) the razors seem easier because the angles are built into them... but again... not very skilled at sharpening... any specific advice while i wait for my other razor would be great (have a 'real' one on the way... but it's presharpened and I'm not planning on screwing that up just to test my honing - that's for later when it gets dull or I get one off ebay or an antique store)

wow that's a ton of junk I put in here eh?

well any advice would be great - especially any of you who have sharpened zeepks before and know how sharp it is possible to get them... I just want to know if I'm even close to a relatively 'good' edge on a pos like this zeepk

much thanks!

The Norton 4000/8000 is more that capable of getting a razor to pass the HHT! It might even work for a Zeepk!

What you have to check for is that when you are using the 4000 grit then the bevel must extend all the way to the edge. You need to be using the TNT to monitor the development of that edge.
I know that somewhere there is a detailed description of the TNT that heavyduty wrote. Look in the FAQ for this forum for that, it might be there. Stay on the Norton 4000 until it does pass the TNT. Then move to the pyramids and use the TPT and HHT, frequently, to monitor your progress.

well i have read of the TNT but it seemed to be that it was mainly to see if the edge was becoming overhoned by that specific grit (too jagged)... which mine is 'satisfactory' in that sense because I used the 8K for a long time to smooth everything out... but yeah, it's still not sharp enough. I know I shouldnt expect to get it right away - and I dont, but it is also difficult to imagine why its so difficult. I mean it doesnt sound as if it should be hard lol.

I'll get back on to looking up ht TNT - maybe my concept of it is wrong. I dont recall what TPT is so I'll have to look that one up

well this give me a bit more hope. I didnt know if the Norton would give the edge I was hoping for... and it will; if I use it correctly.

The TNT is not only to test for overhoned. It tells you if a complete bevel
has been formed. If it has not been formed then the edge will not "bite" into the nail and will skate over the nail. If it is only partially formed then the edge will "skip" over the nail in some spots on the edge and bite into the nail in other spots.
If a complete bevel has been formed then it will bite into the nail, uniformly, for the entire length of the edge.
If there is a nick in the edge or if it is overhoned then it will "catch" in spots along the edge. The TNT is only used, by me, on the 4000 grit. Not on the 6000 or 8000 grit hones. The test can dull the edge.

Hope this helps,

Well I'm disappointed in myself! I am not upset for buying the Zeepk razors... bought them to experiment sharpening them... but I have been trying to hone this razor for like 2 days now (on and off of course) I'd read some try something, check it.. read something try it and then check that. I tried the pyramid i tried coarse to fine tried a half pyramid with a 'finishing touch' with like 10-20 on the 8k ... I just thought I'd try something out a min ago... I had been testing the sharpness against the edge of a piece of paper (because it wont cut hair easliy and I dont care about ruining the edge for my tests... i just want to see how sharp I can get it. SO... I fold the piece of paper into a U and then try to just lightly press the blade into it to see if it cuts it, or where it will cut it. The blade almost completely failed that! there was only one place about 1/16 of a the blade that will cut it like that, the other parts need some saw action lol.

I pulled out the razor I havent touched yet - still has oil on it and tried it, just to see if I got it sharper than the 'factory' blade... NO IT'S SHARPER! gah, it'll cut the paper like that all the way down the blade.

so my I still have to do my honework

DAMN IT! hahahaha, it's more difficult than it seems it should be, but I guess this is more of an art than a science.


oh... and is there a way for me to find out if there are any members of this community that live in Los Angeles? I want to find out if one of them can hone! At least get some hands on tips and see some experienced ppl doin it.

Im pretty tempted to get one now and see what i can do with it, im no honemeister but i can get a good edge on the razors ive honed so far. I could always use that soft steel to learn how to do nice file worked spines too

I am sure there are a few people around who havent thrown theirs out yet... you should easily be able to find a new member who has one they are willing to give away. I would give you my other one... but i already told a friend of mine i'd give him one (just as a neat lookin object)... he is interested in straight razors too and i'm trying to get him to come to this site and really do some reading and really get into it... maybe he'll come over when I get my shave ready razor and start learning how to use it.. then maybe I'll have more sway

well any advice on my attempts? for some reason I'm making it more dull. I havent really been good at sharpening anything on a stone - for knives I always get the wrong angle - for the razor it's difficult to mess up the angle - or so I assume... but I still make it more dull?

oh and just so you have all the info, I tried the 'test' with cutting paper both after stropping and at a time right after using the stones so my stropping isnt causing the blade to be dulled (although that could be a cause of making it more dull... still learning it all - I'm glad I have something to practice on before I get something good)

Have you tried the sharpie thing? If you take a sharpie and color in the bevel and do a few laps you can see where is getting honed and where isnt, just look for the shiny not black bits Also how are you stropping? the whole blade, edge and spine must be in constant contact at all times, make sure you roll the razor on the spine for the other stroke too. Im sure you read this before but its very important.

Try the sharpie thing, if the bevel comes up shiny across the whole length your good, if not try some x patterns. Do this on the lowest stone. Once the bevel is coming up shiny the whole length with a pass or two do the thumb nail test. then if thats good do a few more with very light pressure. Only after that can you move up to the higher grit. Avoid the TNT at the higher grit because it can ruin the edge.

Then take an advil and report back here

I tried it, but it just ran when it came into contact with the water (I let it 'dry' for a while..)

so I decided to try and focus on only one part of the blade... yeah yeah it's bad for the rest of the blade, but its a zeepk so who cares... I got an almost shave ready edge! I tried to take some pictures of the edge (before that whole thing) but I couldnt get a good shot with enough light to show the edge, and I dont have a macro lens so... I'll get a shot on here sooner or later.

So after all that, I think I know what 'almost' sharp is, but I couldnt get the edge any more fine. I tried the 8K and it just got more dull - I screwed it up somewhere.

Tomorrow I'm going to go out and get some sand paper to lap my hone. (I never did it :-o hehehehe)

well I guess we'll see if the results are much different.