Thread: Just can't get it sharp..

Actually, I think the 800 sandpaper is pretty aggressive for a new razor. I am not a fan of the sandpaper to begin with as I have seen so many edges destroyed by it and once that happens, you really do need to drop down and get all the sanding marks out and reshape a new bevel. At this point, I would need to take a look at the razor to see what it needs, but I would starting with 10 stroke pyramids on the Norton 4K/8K or using Glen's methods and this should produce the most benefit. A key is to make sure you are using consistent and light pressure in your honing strokes.

Alan's offer is very generous and worth taking him up on it. That way he can look at the razor and report to you what he feels you are doing with your current honing.

Lynn

Originally Posted by kaiser1498

But I swear, if I can’t get this honing thing down, I’m going to give up on straight razor shaving. I feel that if i can’t hone it and keep it razor sharp by myself, then it sort of defeats the purpose for me.

I started straight razor shaving in the early to mid 1980s and did exactly what you are saying. I bought some coticules from old barbers and one of them showed me how to hone for about 30 seconds. He told me that "you can overstrop a razor" and that you can overhone a razor. He never mentioned flattening the stone or setting the bevel and there was no instruction that I was aware of at the time. So I gave it up until this past year. Looking back I wish that I had stayed with it. I could have found a barber that knew what he was doing to hone the razor for me and maybe eventually learned to hone my own. Wish in one hand and (expletive deleted) in the other I just quit. So hang in there and keep at it. If you can find someone near you who can show you in person that would be great, if not watch the videos on honing by Lynn and Heavysquare that are in the general sub forum and read and re-read the honing tutorial in the Wiki. Don't let it whip you.

Yeah, I thought that it was a lot of strokes too, but even after all those strokes, I can’t get it slice through my arm hairs….unless I actually shave them off at skin level. If I put the blade on the skin of my arm and shave, it will cut the hairs then. but I thought the arm hair test was that you don’t put the blade on your skin at all….but instead, just slice the hairs off it without the blade touching the arm at all.

I’ve done the TNT and the TPT. The nail test I’ll only do after the 4000 and its feels good. Digs in, doesn’t have any kind of stutter or hesitation, just slices in and glides through nice and smooth. But the blade never seems to pass the TPT. it feels pretty blunt on my thumb pad. I kind of have to press a little bit to get it to sink in. and the blade has never pass the HHT at all. (I do use my wife’s hair off her hair brush, and its very thin and fine hair, which I understand is harder to pass the HHT test with).

But most importantly is that it fails the shave test. seems that the blade doesn’t cut the hairs cleanly. There’s some grabbing and pulling, which leads to lots of little abrasions. Granted, I’m new to all this, and maybe it’s just poor technique, but to me the blade just does not seem sharp.

i’m probably going to buy a new razor, professionally honed and stropped, to compare with what I have now. If I’m still getting all these cuts, etc., then I’m going to have to assume that it’s my poor technique.

at first be patient.
second the best way get out from your situation i think microscope.my understanding you are confused now.use micrscope see what are you doing vision helps alot .good luck .it sholdn't be expensive one from radio shack etc you can find for a 10$.
hope this helps

Once the razor passes the TNT don't use it anymore. From there on just the TPT. The arm hair thing should be with the razor not touching the skin. If you hone enough you won't depend on that for long because you will run out of arm hair. Take a new DE or single edge blade and get to know the TPT better.

i would, but i don't even really know what to look for.

my arm hair is really very fine. doesn't that make it harder for the blade, even if really sharp, to cut it. it cuts the hairs off a the base, when i'm touching the blade to the skin. but when i lift the blade off the skin, all it does it just fold the hairs over

Originally Posted by kaiser1498

my arm hair is really very fine. doesn't that make it harder for the blade, even if really sharp, to cut it. it cuts the hairs off a the base, when i'm touching the blade to the skin. but when i lift the blade off the skin, all it does it just fold the hairs over

The hairs should fall like rain when you just touch them with the blade. Get to know the TPT. If the thumb pad slides it is a dull blade. If it grabs it is sharp. If you use a new DE blade you will get the feel of a sharp blade and know what to feel for on your straight.

General consensus is that if the razor isn't getting sharp the bevel may not be correctly set. As hi-bud said, magnification is your friend and you cah look to see if the scratch pattern goes all the way from the edge up to the end of the bevel.

If the bevel isn't all one color from the edge up to the end of the bevel it isn't there yet. As Randydance told me this is the most time consuming part of honing a razor. With patience and persistance you will get there.

Yeah, I’m thinking the bevel is off. I really don’t wan tto buy another hone, given that I’ve already spent quite a bit on the Norton combo and the syderco UF. Can I set the bevel with the Norton 4000 side? How long do you think that would take? I’ve already done 200 strokes on that side, and appartently it wasn’t enough.

Incidnteally, I have a DMT hone for knife sharpening. I have both the red (fine…600 mesh, 25 micron) and the green (ultrafine…1200 mesh, 9 micron). The red is probably too aggressive to use on a razor. But do you think I should try the green ultrafine hone to set the bevel, then move on to the 4000, 8000, then the sypderco?

Originally Posted by kaiser1498

Yeah, I’m thinking the bevel is off. I really don’t wan tto buy another hone, given that I’ve already spent quite a bit on the Norton combo and the syderco UF. Can I set the bevel with the Norton 4000 side? How long do you think that would take? I’ve already done 200 strokes on that side, and appartently it wasn’t enough.

Incidnteally, I have a DMT hone for knife sharpening. I have both the red (fine…600 mesh, 25 micron) and the green (ultrafine…1200 mesh, 9 micron). The red is probably too aggressive to use on a razor. But do you think I should try the green ultrafine hone to set the bevel, then move on to the 4000, 8000, then the sypderco?

I am not familiar with the the ultrafine but I use a DMT D8E 1200 to set bevels some of the time and it works well. If it is a 1200 it should be fine. Give it a try. Doing the circle strokes and the back and forth Livi strokes with a bit of pressure. You could do it on the 4K I am told, but I never tried it myself. One way or the other like hi_bud suggested magnification would be a mighty good idea.