Thread: Honing noob!

Hi guys!

I am a honing noob and I'm trying to hone up my first razor to shave ready but are having some problem.
I have the Norton 4k/8k and a stop with Thiers Issard Paste.

The razor that im working with is a pretty sharp one,but not quite SR. It's not passing the HHT and when i lay it flat on my arm(like when I'm honing) it cuts some hair but not very much,not the "popping" I have heard of. If i raise the edge slightly from my arm it cuts even less hair, almost no hair.

Another problem I'm having is when I use the TPT it feels like the edge is sharper towards the toe than the heel.

I know the real sharpness test is shaving, I tried and it was'nt very nice..=(

Any tips and comments are welcome..Maybe I'm to afraid of overhoning and should work more with the 4k?


//Victor

Hi Victor,

Here is some of what I have learned so far. It was recommended to me to use the TNT and the TPT while setting the bevel. Until the bevel is set there is no point in going on to a higher grit then the 4K. A coarser grit such as a 1K might even be better. Some guys use 1K grit sandpaper on a flat surface and then move up from there. Once you have the bevel uniform to the edge on both sides of the blade it should be the same color under magnification.

Use the TNT until it is sharp enough to pass that and then do not use it anymore. Use the TPT and the hair popping test on the arm or leg. The blade should not touch the skin but hover above when popping hairs off of the arm/leg.

The HHT is for when you are done and it is fine if it passes but not necessary for a shave ready razor in my experience. If the razor is sharper at the toe then the heel it needs more work. If you have some magnification it is very helpful in seeing how the sharpening is progressing.

Originally Posted by woork

Any tips and comments are welcome..Maybe I'm to afraid of overhoning and should work more with the 4k?

Correct!

It's best to work on the 4K till you have a completely developed bevel. (This means that both sides of the edge have to meet at the thinest possible line.) You should be capable of shaving arm hair with great ease (and if you use clean, thick hair, also pass the HHT) along the entire length of the edge, before going to finer hones (the Norton 8K in your case).
If you're afraid of overhoning, backhone 2 or 3 laps on the 8K, before you start normal honing on it.

Good luck,
Bart.

Thanks for the tips guys!

I'll try some more honing before my shave tomorrow, might even try some 1200 paper I have lying around..
Should I stop honing on the 4k side once i pop armhair with ease with the edge slightly lifted from my arm?

Is a pyramid good if your afraid of overhoning?Can I use the pyramid over and over again until i'm satisfied with the sharpness?



//Victor

I would give the conservative pyramid a try once you are popping armhairs with ease. Strop and shave. If it needs more go back to the hones and do another pyramid. Sometimes it takes a number of tries before you get it where you want it. Go to this thread here and you will find all kinds of great info if you pursue the links.

I tried some more honing yesterday,I got the razor pretty sharp.
I had the closest shave so far in my str8 life,i'll keep honing and trying to get my razors even sharper..

Way to go. Practice makes perfect.

I need help! i just bought a new Dovo about three weeks ago. I've been doing some reading and found out that my razor really wasn't "shave ready" Anyway, after shaving every other day it got better with every strop and my face no longer burned. I decided to try and hone my razor for the first time to see what it felt like to shave with a real shave ready razor. So, I got a great deal on a Norton 8000 for 65$ and I couldn't pass it up so I got it. It's the only stone I own right now but I figured since there was nothing wrong with my blade it would be perfect. Well, after I honed it for a while it wasn't sharp at all pretty much. It wasn't rough on my face but just smooth and only cut a couple of hairs off my face. I then decided to strop it with my white Dovo paste on the cloth side then on the plain leather side and it got somewhat back to where it was before I tried honing it but not exactly as sharp as it was. What should I do? I 'm so sad right now I love my razor and don't want to mess it up. I also just ordered a new Dovo 5/8 square point with the gold spine that is so beautifull. I definatly don't want to mess that one up. Please help.

Originally Posted by RAZOREDGE

I need help! i just bought a new Dovo about three weeks ago. I've been doing some reading and found out that my razor really wasn't "shave ready" Anyway, after shaving every other day it got better with every strop and my face no longer burned. I decided to try and hone my razor for the first time to see what it felt like to shave with a real shave ready razor. So, I got a great deal on a Norton 8000 for 65$ and I couldn't pass it up so I got it. It's the only stone I own right now but I figured since there was nothing wrong with my blade it would be perfect. Well, after I honed it for a while it wasn't sharp at all pretty much. It wasn't rough on my face but just smooth and only cut a couple of hairs off my face. I then decided to strop it with my white Dovo paste on the cloth side then on the plain leather side and it got somewhat back to where it was before I tried honing it but not exactly as sharp as it was. What should I do? I 'm so sad right now I love my razor and don't want to mess it up. I also just ordered a new Dovo 5/8 square point with the gold spine that is so beautifull. I definatly don't want to mess that one up. Please help.

Welcome to SRP. Proper honing takes time to learn and is more difficult than learning to shave with a straight. The 8K Norton is a good place to start with your hones but you need a good finisher. You need a 12K or 16K hone to bring your blade to shave ready. Paddle strops with diamond pastes is probably where you want to start as they are easier to learn than hones. A two sided paddle with 1.0 micron diamond paste and .5 micron Chromium Oxide on the other side would be a good combo. Keep going and good luck with your new hobby.

bj

In my limited experience with new Dovo's, they all shave out of the box, although not always very good. I was told that employees that hone the razors at Dovo often lift the spine a bit, so they don't have to sell a new razor with hone wear. Because of that, the bevel angle is a bit more obtuser than normal. When you place the razor flat on the hone (as it should be done), the very edge is not touching the hone, so your efforts are not affecting the sharpness of your razor, until you have completely reset the bevel to the proper angle. That may take a while on your Norton 4K, but it can be done.
My best advice is to read about the Magic Marker Test (MMT), which is a sound method to test whether the hone is working on the entire bevel. As soon as the bevel is reset at the proper angle, the pyramids will start working their magic.

I advice to buy a cheap secondhand razor to practice your honing skills.
I do not advice to mix up honing with pastes and honing on hones, while you're still learning. They're two different things, and although pastes work great and razors can be sharpened with pastes only, they have a way in obscuring the results you achieved off the stones, making it very difficult to evaluate you honing skills on the hones. You should be able to make a razor shaveready off that Norton 8K, before you start attempting to push it further up the keennes & comfort ladder.

Good luck,
Bart.