Thread: over honing?

hey i shaved last night after honing very recently... i let my scruff grow in alot.( i could shave everyday with how fast my hair grows) and i got quite a few little nicks and cuts ni my passes, i wasnt scything or anything like that, could this be a sign of overhoning, if so, how do i correct it

signs will be blade will get dull after shaving half of your face.but cutting could be many reasons.may be it is not shave ready.putting too much pressure etc.hope this helps

its definatly shave ready, ive honed it twice, and i know its not to much pressure because when i first started i used way to much pressure, so ive lightened up tonnes, its nt getting dull hlf way through it smashes through hair with no problems, and passes the hht tpt and shave test as fair as the hair grown i just dont get how im still getting all these little bloodspots at the base of the hair folicle

If you're getting weepers try some chrome ox on a paddle or a flat bed hone. Smooth it out a bit.

Or Try back laps or circles to right the edge.

Try shaving with the grain especialy in the neck area against the grain will cause blood spots and normally to much pressure and may be after a 3 or for shaves razor will be better.I have had razors that have causede blood spots on my chin because they have been to honed and are harsh since i've had coticulle as finisher i find tiny light slurry and finish with water smooths and realy does give a more forgiving shave. try it

First I gotta ask what kind of blade is this???

Second it is not really all that easy to overhone most edges, it takes two things really either pressure or an excessive amount of laps to actually create an overhoned edge....
Third you can normally feel an overhoned edge with the TPT and you can usually see it under a 20x loupe...

Overhoning creates one of two things sometimes both, a wire edge forms and breaks off leaving a jagged rough edge (too many laps) or you take the edge to far and you get a rough chippy very, very, fine edge that falls apart (too much pressure)
Certain razors are more prone to getting the chippy edges, and more care needs to be taken when approaching the end of their honing cycle...

Use the TPT very, very, lightly to feel for a rough spot, (using the calloused forefinger tip actually works better for me on this) use magnification to look for a jagged spot... If you find neither then I would go with Jimmy's suggestion and give it some laps on the .50Cr to smooth out a harsh edge...

For those of you that haven't tried this yet, if you want to see just what it takes to overhone one, use a crap blade and put it on a lower grit synthetic hone and apply heavy pressure and use a circular pattern and stay in one spot, and hone until the edge falls apart... You are going to be very surprised at just what it takes to overhone an edge...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

First I gotta ask what kind of blade is this???

Second it is not really all that easy to overhone most edges, it takes two things really either pressure or an excessive amount of laps to actually create an overhoned edge....
Third you can normally feel an overhoned edge with the TPT and you can usually see it under a 20x loupe...

Overhoning creates one of two things sometimes both, a wire edge forms and breaks off leaving a jagged rough edge (too many laps) or you take the edge to far and you get a rough chippy very, very, fine edge that falls apart (too much pressure)
Certain razors are more prone to getting the chippy edges, and more care needs to be taken when approaching the end of their honing cycle...

Use the TPT very, very, lightly to feel for a rough spot, (using the calloused forefinger tip actually works better for me on this) use magnification to look for a jagged spot... If you find neither then I would go with Jimmy's suggestion and give it some laps on the .50Cr to smooth out a harsh edge...

For those of you that haven't tried this yet, if you want to see just what it takes to overhone one, use a crap blade and put it on a lower grit synthetic hone and apply heavy pressure and use a circular pattern and stay in one spot, and hone until the edge falls apart... You are going to be very surprised at just what it takes to overhone an edge...

Glen, can you provide a little more detail of what an overhoned edge would feel like on the TPT vs a properly honed edge?

The best way to find an overhoned edge is actually the TNT but it also can dull a perfectly good edge, so I don't recommend it's use for testing for an overhoned edge...

I would look under a magnifying glass first, then use TPT to confirm... Hard to describe what it feels like other than a little rough spot....

Those of you that are now thinking that you are going to go test your blades, STOP!!!!!!!

Overhoning is not a big of an issue as most think it is, I still haven't had one overhoned edge come to me for repair and honing, I have overhoned one blade, and that was me intentionally pushing the heel of a warped W&B back into line....
If your blade is pulling, skipping, or generally, not performing as expected it most likely is underhoned, not overhoned....
I didn't want to write a book here but if you start explaining this you are almost obligated to do it right...
You can actually really fool yourself on an edge too, if you don't get the bevel set correctly, and evenly, you can have an overhoned spot and an underhoned spot on the same edge....
Again it all goes back to having a sharp even bevel to start on and life is grand...

Back to my post above, overhoning can become an issue when two things happen, either excessive pressure, or excessive laps... But that description doesn't tell you much....
"100 laps" just start with that, on a Norton 4k, way to much, on a yellow Coticule ??? kinda depends huh?? on a Chinese 12k from what I hear you just might be getting started...
So the description really means excessive laps on the hone you are using, and some people say it is near impossible to overhone on some stones...
So that leaves pressure, since everyone "only uses the weight of the blade", how would that ever happen????

So then why is it that every time somebody's blade skips a beat, the first reaction is "It's overhoned"?????

Like I said, take an old hone worn POS razor, and set it on a 1k Norton or similar and TRY to overhone it, I think you are going to be rather surprised at how much work you are going to have to do to get the edge to finally fail....

Originally Posted by gssixgun

The best way to find an overhoned edge is actually the TNT but it also can dull a perfectly good edge, so I don't recommend it's use for testing for an overhoned edge...

I would look under a magnifying glass first, then use TPT to confirm... Hard to describe what it feels like other than a little rough spot....

Those of you that are now thinking that you are going to go test your blades, STOP!!!!!!!

Overhoning is not a big of an issue as most think it is, I still haven't had one overhoned edge come to me for repair and honing, I have overhoned one blade, and that was me intentionally pushing the heel of a warped W&B back into line....
If your blade is pulling, skipping, or generally, not performing as expected it most likely is underhoned, not overhoned....
I didn't want to write a book here but if you start explaining this you are almost obligated to do it right...
You can actually really fool yourself on and edge to, if you don't get the bevel set correctly, and evenly, you can have an overhoned spot and an underhoned spot on the same edge....
Again it all goes back to having a sharp even bevel to start on and life is grand...

Back to my post above, overhoning can become an issue when two things happen, either excessive pressure, or excessive laps... But that description doesn't tell you much....
"100 laps" just start with that, on a Norton 4k, way to much, on a yellow Coticule ??? kinda depends huh?? on a Chinese 12k from what I hear you just might be getting started...
So the description really means excessive laps on the hone you are using, and some people say it is near impossible to overhone on some stones...
So that leaves pressure, since everyone "only uses the weight of the blade", how would that ever happen????

So then why is it that every time somebody's blade skips a beat, the first reaction is "It's overhoned"?????

Like I said, take an old hone worn POS razor, and set it on a 1k Norton or similar and TRY to overhone it, I think you are going to be rather surprised at how much work you are going to have to do to get the edge to finally fail....

Great post Glen! The few razors i have honed so far i have been so worried about overhoning, i underhoned and had to go back to the hones the next day.