Thread: Overhoned?

Sounds like it needs more time on the 1200.

Try some back & forth strokes 5x5 and check. Look under the mircoscrope for a double bevel or a bevel that is not fully established.

It is possible that it has been honed with tape previously.

The permanent marker test will verify - use the boards search function if you are not familiar with the process.

Originally Posted by Kees

Fully agree with Mike. What hone are you using?

I started on a 1K. When it passed the thumbnail test I went to a 4K, then 8K, and finally to 1.0, .5, and .25 pastes. It got sharper to the touch and still does dig into the thumbnail, but it does not shave well at all. It does not cut with the grain, and it hangs up going across the grain and does not cut.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

usually an overhoned razor will kind of skip or slide over your beard very easily and cut nothing. from what your saying it doesn't sound like a classic case of overhoning. It may just need more honing. How does it shave your arm hairs?

Kind of off topic, but...Really? I thought overhoning was an edge that is too thin so: it cuts at first, then crumbles, and feels super rough on the face, and then doesn't cut.

Not being contrary, I defer to your experience, I just thought it was something else.

I'm a a newbie to this forum so please pardon me if I'm not posting this in the correct place or fashion but I've got kind of an urgent question.

I've been shaving with a straight razor for some time (Thiers Issard Spartacus 7/8). This shaved great right out of the box and was re-honed professionally only once in the past 5 years or so. Recently I purchased a few new razors (Henckels 8/8 and Mastro Livi 8/8) and neither shaved as well as the my original TI so, after watching Lynn's CD I tried to hone them myself on a Norton 4000/8000 using the suggested 3/3, 1/3, 1/5 progression and now they shave worse than they did originally. They barely cut the whiskers and I suspect I've overhoned. How does one correct this?

please if you have never honed razor don't practice on TI,first buy couple pakistany razor and train after learning you can go to ti or rest of them.
what you have done i am not sure and what is going on with your razor now.May be you bevel is not ready yet on Ti you just jumped too fast to 8 k.Find some one will hone your razor untill you learn.if you were in usa i would help you for free but overseas sorry i can't take risks .

Originally Posted by iRabb

I started on a 1K. When it passed the thumbnail test I went to a 4K, then 8K, and finally to 1.0, .5, and .25 pastes. It got sharper to the touch and still does dig into the thumbnail, but it does not shave well at all. It does not cut with the grain, and it hangs up going across the grain and does not cut.

Go back to what Amyn said,"Part of the problem here might be the Thumb Nail Test. If you are doing this test after you have honed it. You should not do the TNT on a razor that has been honed because it will damage your edge".

Here is some stuff I edited out from posts from randydance062449,"The purpose of the 1000 grit is to remove nicks and straighten/shape an edge. For that you use your eyes and the Thumb Nail test, not the Thumb Pad Test. The edge should be free of nicks and the bevel should go all the way to the edge.

If you are using a handheld microscope then the bevel will appear as one color, if there are two bevels, old and new, then the light reflects off the bevel at different angles and appears as two colors. The scratch pattern should also be uniform for both the length and width of the bevel. When you have that then move on to the 4000, but not before.

The Norton 1000 is a slow cutter compared to a 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper or a 1200 grit diamond hone. Use what ever number of strokes it requires to get rid of the nicks and establishing a bevel. This is the most time consuming portion of honing a razor, be patient and persistent.

Once you get to the 4000 grit then you stop using the Thumb Nail test and rely upon the Thumb Pad Test and HHT. You should be using both the TNT and the TPT while you are using the 1000 grit so that you develop a "feel" for what is happening to the edge.

When you start using the 4000 grit then use an aggressive pyramid first, testing with the TPT frequently, and when it seems that you are getting close based on the TPT, HHT and the arm hair test then drop own to a conservative pyramid, again, testing frequently.

Then perform 50 roundtrip laps on a plain leather hanging strop and test shave. Do the best beard prep possible. Do not be surprised if the razor is not quite perfect. Just go back and perform a conservative pyramid then strop and test shave again. It is not unusual for me to take 2-3-4 honing sessions to dial in an edge."

If you are not using the magic marker at the start you need to do that to make sure you are honing the whole edge consistently. Once I know that I wipe the marker off with lighter fluid and hone. I use the thumb nail only until I determine that the bevel is set.

Once that is done the TPT (thumb pad test) and popping hairs off of my arm. Remember what Randy said above,"This is the most time consuming portion of honing a razor, be patient and persistent".

In his video series on honing Heavydutysquare says that most razors sent to him by guys that have given up haven't got a good initial bevel. As was mentioned earlier you need to check it out under magnification. Hang in there and good luck.