Thread: Honing SS

I just ordered a Dovo Black Micarta 5/8" Stainless Steel from SRD.
For my carbon blades I have a Norton 4000/8000 and a Dovo red pasted strop. Both of my other straights were professionally sharpened and are still good. I put a small chip in one but was able to hone it out on the Norton and strop going very very carefully. It doesnt shave as good as it did but it is acceptable for now. How much of a difference is there in the SS and the carbon when it comes to honing? If you use a Shapton 16000 (I plan on getting one in the next few months) about how many passes do you go with the carbon blades vs the SS.

Hi,
There's not a great deal of difference & certainly none in the basic technique. The stainless will just take you longer. You can't really measure the number of laps. There are too many variables. Hone type, steel, guy doing it etc. The great honers will get them there with fewer laps than many doing it because every one will be perfect! You may have to go twice as many, or you may not. The honing guy's will be along soon though.

The key to getting a razor sharp is getting the low grit hone to "set the bevel". as is said time and again.

When a razor is unhoned, the bevel looks like this (sharp edge donwards): \_/ See how the two side bevels do not meet each other, but are separated by a flat spot? That means the bevel is not set, and higher grit hones will only polish those side bevels without getting the two sides closer to meeting.

To sucessfully hone a razor, you must stay with the low grit hone (4k or lower, I often use a 1200) until the two bevels meet at a sharp edge like this: \/ At that point, you should be able to cut the hair off the back of your hand 2-3mm above skin level, a sort of HHT test I always use. ONLY AFTER setting the bevel to a cutting edge like that should you go to the higher grit hones to make the edge smoother.

Using a lap count as a honing guide is not reliable at all in my opinion. I do not go about honing saying "I'm going to do 20 laps on the 4k, 15 on the 8k.....etc." I hone until it meets cutting performance, and then move on from there. Some razors are quicker than others, so lap count is pretty useless IMHO.

Stainless is not anything mysterious to hone, so don't be put off by that.

Thanks Seraphim,
I have been using a pyramid on my carbon blades, and always test shave to tell the sharpness.. I was just wondering if a SS blade is double the amount of passes or ¼…. Just for a loose guide…
For my carbon blades I use this
Norton 4000/8000
10 / 5
5 / 5
3 / 5
3 / 5
1 / 5
1 / 5
50 Pasted strop
100 non pasted strop
So about what should I use on the SS
It will be pre-sharpened before I get it.
And later I plan on getting a Shapton 16000 for polishing
Is there a pyramid I should use for that?