Need Advice for My Stainless

Hey guys, I need some advice....

I just got a NOS stainless razor, "presharpened" of course. Opened the box, shaved some arm hair and that went okay. I lathered up and stroppped, and what do you know.... won't shave whiskers worth a damn. Now call this a foolhardy plan (as I know that I could send it off to Lynn and it would come back perfect) but I've been considering honing it myself with my newb honing skills, if you could call it that.

I don't think I rolled the edge. When I received the razor it did shave arm hair. Then, while prepping for a shave, I did a pass on my right cheek before stropping to see what it was like, and it wasn't smooth by any means, and removed very little hair at that point. In fact it had me worried that it already wasn't sharp. THEN I stropped (approx 80 leather, no linen this time), and it was no better. Razor glides over the skin with very minimal hair removal. This is what I'm up against. The weird thing is that, while the razor won't shave whiskers at all, it will still shave arm/leg hair. I confirmed that today. Am I wrong in assuming that if it shaves body hair then a) the bevel should be set, and b) it just was not sharpened enough by the vendor?

My set-up thus far is a yellow coticule and slurry stone. I know from other threads, especially Bart's, that the coticule should be up to the task for this situation. Will a slurry be necessary, or will water alone do the job? What progression should I use?

Thanks in advance for the help, and if I really f:cen this one up Lynn should be hearing from me soon.

Regards,

Ryan

.....forgot to ask if taping the spine would help matters at all......

I went and found a thread that I thought was fantastic for your question.
Check it out.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/basic...e-friodur.html

Ryan, when you say it shaves arm and leg hair I'm assuming you mean that when it is suspended above the skin you can brush the edge against the hair and the edge pops the hair off easily without coming near the surface of the skin ? If you're touching the skin it isn't demonstrating the level of sharpness as popping hair without touching the skin.

I would look at the edge under magnification and see what it looks like. If the edge/bevel looked good I would try the coticule with water only for maybe twenty round trips on the yellow and see if that improves it. If the bevel doesn't look like it is adequately set I would re-read Bart's tutorial in the Wiki on setting the bevel with the coticule and proceed from there.

Edit; I always tape the spine.

No Jimmy, it only shaves arm hair when the blade is on my skin. And unfortunately I don't have a microscope to check the bevel.

AFAIC if it doesn't shave arm hair when suspended it isn't shaving sharp. If you are familiar with the TPT and the TNT you can see how it feels with the thumb pad. If it feels keen to the TPT try the coticule with water only and do twenty round trips then feel it again. See if it will pop hair on the arm or leg. If it feels keen but doesn't pop hair then do another ten or twenty round trips and test again.

If it doesn't feel keen with the thumb pad I would try the TNT and see if it digs into the nail all the way across the blade. You may also be able to feel any possible roughness if there is any chipping or what have you that you cannot see with the naked eye. If it isn't sharp enough to pass the TNT then read Bart's tutorial and set the bevel and go from there.

BTW, forgot to mention that from reading mparker's excellent posts I have the impression that the linen will actually contribute to a sharper edge while the leather will realign the edge. So if you have linen it might pay to use it before the leather.

If it shaves arm hair, then you can assume that the bevel is complete.
BUT...
We know nothing about the actual bevel shape. Could be convexed, if whomever "presharpened" it used a pasted belt.
Could have a drifting angle, if it was "presharpened" with the spine lifted slightly above the sharpening stones (which is sometimes done to protect the spine from any wear on a new razor).

This is where the good old "Magic Marker Test" comes in handy. (you can read about it in the wiki) Basically, you color the edge with a waterproof felt tip marker(make sure it's degreased and allow the ink to dry for a minute or two). Next you take the razor to the Coticule with water for a few laps, and check if the marker is removed all the way till the apex. If not, you could add a layer of tape to the spine and check again. Some magnification comes in handy to interpret the results. Even a $5 cheap loupe will do.
If the test doesn't remove the marker at the very tip of the bevel, then it makes no sense doing any honing, other than resetting the bevel first. Maybe your Coticule with slurry is up to that, maybe not. Only one way to find out... If the slurry grays during honing, you can use the Coticule like you would use any 1K/2K hone. (After all, the garnet size of a Coticule is withing that ball park).
In case the MMT test tells you that you need to reset the bevel, I would first drag the razor, edge down, gently over the bottom of a glass jar. This removes the arm shaving capability. (check it and repeat a second "downstroke" if necessary) All you need to do now is to stay on the slurry till the entire edge nicely shaves arm hair again. If you do it that way, you won't have to question that the bevel is fully developed, by the time you finish.
Once you have a good bevel, whether you found it with the MMT or you resetted it yourself, you can raise a fresh and thin slurry on the Coticule and hone with very precize and light strokes, adding a few drops of water every 10 laps, completely washing down the slurry over a total of about 100 laps. After that, rinse the Coticule and do another 100 on water only. Except for doing bevel work, I always add a drop of dish washing soap to the honing water (I don't use a spray bottle, but add water with my fingers).
Finally, strop 60 laps on linen and 60 on clean leather and have a test shave. Depending on the Coticule, the razor and your ability to perform a good honing stroke, you have a fair shot at getting an awesome edge with this method.
If not, let us now, there's one other trick you can still try, before sending it to Lynn.

Hope this helps,
Bart.

Hey Ryan,

I've had similar experiences happen to me in the past. I tried the coticule with slurry for about 200-250 passes last night to see if I could reset the bevel on my dovo tortoise. I then followed that by some Belgian blue with slurry and hten finally coticule with water and dish soap. The razor felt somewhat sticky to my thumb but didn't cut as smoothly as I would have liked.

My main problem I think is to identify when the bevel is actually set. The whole thumbnail test never really works for me.

I tried the marker test and it all went away after 4-5 passes on the coticule with slurry. Am I just not spending enough time on the blue or something?

What do you guys think?

Sorry for HJ your thread ryan but I feel like we have a similar issue here

Hope you get yours going soon too

Dups, did you ever get an eye loupe or one of those radio shack hand held microscopes ? It really helps to be able to see the edge up close and personal. I once took an ebay razor and it failed the TPT but passed the TNT. I looked at it with my 30x eye loupe and it was all scalloped on the bevel. Needed to be re-set.

My friend randydance said,"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 (TNT), 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 hand held 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".

You need magnification to see that.... at least I do. :shrug: The coticule with slurry is I guess equivalent to the 1,000 grit or thereabouts I guess depending on your stone. If that is what you have to set the bevel with it will have to do. Here is where I got my eye loupe thanks to Kaptain Zero. Try it you'll like it.

I never got the thumb nail working for me, but I've had razors shave me really smoothly.

I just tried some more passes on the coticule with slurry. I tried some passes with just plain water and in 4 passes all the marker was gone from the edge.

How many passes on the blue should I do after that? light or heavy slurry?

thanks

Dups, you might want to re-read Bart's excellent tutorial on setting the bevel with the coticule here. After you set the bevel using the coticule with slurry you can begin to get the edge sharper with the blue with slurry and then the yellow with water only. If the TNT ain't working the bevel isn't set AFAIC. :shrug: as far as how many passes, you have to use the TPT and maybe hair popping and use whatever amount it takes. It is a progression of honing with the tests to see how you are progressing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dups

I never got the thumb nail working for me

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Can you explain how it wasn't working?

Don't do the TNT after using a hone above 4K grit, you'd risk undoing what work you've done.
Do the TNT by trying to "slice" into the wet nail, using very light to zero pressure.

Passing the TNT means the whole length of the blade moves evenly across the nail with some drag.

If it has rough spots anywhere it failed.
If at any point it glides smoothly without drag, it failed.

It shouldn't be a difficult test, though I guess individual differences may affect it. For example my hair is no good for doing the HHT or cutting arm hairs at a distance from the skin. Even using a fresh Feather DE blade those tests simply don't work for me.

It might be worth washing your hands to remove oils from the nail.

If you started out with a razor that didn't shave arm hair, and If that razor now shaves arm hair along the entire edge, and you have not done anything that could mess with the flatness of the bevel panes (such as using a pasted strop for finishing), then you can be absolutely sure that the bevel is good.
The only thing that needs to be done, is refining that bevel. The BBW is capable of that. Light slurry, 50 to 100 laps. Keep slurry on the Blue (don't go to plain water on that hone) Strop the razor on clean leather for 50 laps or so. See if you can pass a HHT, with a clean thick hair, held at the root side. That should not be a problem.
Finish with 70 laps on the Coticule with water. Strop again and perform another HHT. Should be better. If not, strop 60 laps on linen, and 60 on leather. Probe with the HHT again. Time for a test shave. In time you'll learn to read your HHT, and know what to expect of it during the various stages. There are several little nuances to witness on how that test performs and I use it, in combination with the TPT to know where I am with the keenness of an edge.
Provided that I didn't overhone (which never happened to me on a Coticule or Blue), if a razor pops a hair after the Blue, I know I'm on a good course of getting an outstanding edge. Light strokes seem to make a difference there.
If the razor is not sharp enough after the BBW, don't expect to make it sharper while finishing on the Coticule with water. Coticule with water is just that: finishing. It adds very little keenness to an edge, if any. When you run into trouble somewhere during the progression, try test shaving of the Blue. It should provide a decent shave. If not, you need more laps on the Blue. You don't need to test shave your whole face. Just wipe of the lather and get back to the hones. I often used to hone with half a beard. :)
The stroke you perform makes a huge difference on a Blue. You need to get the maximum out of that hone, to get enough keenness. There's only a very narrow landing zone. Make the final 30 laps on the Blue your very best. If fatigue keeps you from doing those right, call it a day and do them tomorrow. Finishing on the Coticule is less critical: a light steady stroke without lifting the spine will suffice.

If you still can't get sufficient keenness after going back 2 or 3 times to the Blue, as a last resort, you can add two layers of tape to the spine and cut a secondary micro-bevel with 30 laps on the Coticule with water. Because you're working on an extremely narrow strip of steel, the hone will for once "keenify" the edge. It gives you a whole new shot at reaching the keenness you're after.

Bart.

I just tried some passes on some 800 grit sandpaper followed by the coticule with slurry. Still not much going on there. When I run in accross my nail i can see a little line like it's somewhat cutting in the nail but not much really.

Hey bart,

I got the razor so shave leg hair after the coticule with slurry. it doesn't exactly pop hair but removes hair somehow. Should I then move to the coticule with slurry?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dups

Hey bart,

I got the razor so shave leg hair after the coticule with slurry. it doesn't exactly pop hair but removes hair somehow. Should I then move to the coticule with slurry?

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Yes, if the razor shaves leg hair, the bevel panes are fully developed. Make sure you check it on the heel, toe and middle part of the blade.

You could try to maximize the keenness you can get of your Coticule by performing a "diluting slurry" cycle. All possible tests should improve: the TPT should be more sticky, the arm hair test should perform more effortlessly. Don't do the TNT, it will make your edge less keen. Should you get awesome results and even get the HHT going, I would only strop (60 laps) and test shave.

If not, you can go to the Blue with slurry. Use a watery slurry and don't ever let it become too dry. You can also skip the diluting stage on the Coticule and go to the Blue straght away.

By al means, since you're having trouble, I really urge you do a bit of test shaving after the Blue. (strop it first). Next finish it on the Coticule with water, strop and test shave again.

it shaves and not pop off the coticule with slurry
is that okay?
also if i notice that it doesn't cut all along the blade, how can i target specific areas or will simply more x strokes eventually develop that paert as well

thank you!

Off the undiluted slurry, no edge will "pop". The goal is to shave arm (leg) hair, or cut a hand-held hair at the holding point.
If a certain part of the edge doesn't develop well, you need one of the alternative X-strokes and patience to remove the steel that needs to go.
Here's the wiki entry on honing strokes:

Strokes for honing a razor - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Ryan, sorry for :HJ your thread so much.

Bart.

sorry Ryan!
didn't mean to detract from your question
i just thought2 canuck with a new coticule would share some questions

Don't worry about the hijacking, as I'm absorbing all this info for my purposes too. The difference is that I don't have a BBW, so all my honing work will be with a yellow and slurry stone. However, I do notice there is some conflicting advice going on here. Don't get me wrong, all the advice is wanted and appreciated, and I am by no means disputing anyone's experience or techniques, as I have next to none. I am curious as to why some members are advocating full out bevel setting, yet Bart is saying that if the razor does shave arm/leg hair then the bevel should be fine in theory (sorry if I misunderstood you Bart)?

I should also mention that my regular go-to shaver will not shave arm hair suspended above the skin, yet it provides a comfortable close shave.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

I should also mention that my regular go-to shaver will not shave arm hair suspended above the skin, yet it provides a comfortable close shave.

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You'll find members here who insist that if a razor doesn't pass the HHT it isn't shave worthy in their eyes. I have found personally that I have gotten good shaves off razors that didn't pass HHT. For me though I don't shave with a razor that won't pop hair suspended above the skin. Just what works for me. As Lynn says, the only important test is the shave so if it works for you that is cool.

how big is your coticule Ryan? Mine is 1.5' x 6. I wonder if that is considered a small coticule therefore requiring more strokes...?

Made any process on the friodur?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dups

how big is your coticule Ryan? Mine is 1.5' x 6. I wonder if that is considered a small coticule therefore requiring more strokes...?

Made any process on the friodur?

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Mine is 6x2.... bought it as a finisher for touch-ups and that's why I didn't go for the combo that Zib offered me originally. It's a versatile stone though, so that's good. I just didn't think that I would be doing more than a touch-up this early in the game. As for the Friodur, that will be a this weekend project. Hopefully.

Your coticule sounds like it should be fine. The narrower stones are supposed to be good for multiple purposes, including targeting specific areas of the blade, which a 3" stone would have more problems doing IMHO. I did read your thread about that Dovo tortoise. Just throwing this out there but do you think it is possible that with the narrow hone some of your honing pressure is applied on other parts of the blade other than the heel?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

I am curious as to why some members are advocating full out bevel setting, yet Bart is saying that if the razor does shave arm/leg hair then the bevel should be fine in theory (sorry if I misunderstood you Bart)?

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A bevel is just two flat planes, that are meeting at the keenest possible tip.

Now, you need to establish the flatness of those planes on a hone that can remove steel fast enough. Once they're flat, the only way to make the tip narrower, is to remove a layer of steel off the entire planes. Also that calls for a hone with sufficient abrasive force and speed. Let's look at a picture of the razor I'm working on tonight:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...-w-b2-side.jpg

Looks fine, doesn't it.
Suppose I can move up to the next hone, slower but finer...

But wait, lets put the blade up side down under the scope and see if we can get a focus on the actual bevel tip...







http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...42-w-b2tip.jpg
What's that shiny strip in the middle????
Well, it's the width of the bevel tip, still way too wide to do anything beneficial on a finer hone that would take me all year removing steel from the sides to refine that tip.

To conclude, my point is, that once the tip is narrow enough to shave arm hair, you can use fairly slow and fine hones to remove another thin layer of the bevel sides and get the tip even keener.
Each stage has it's goal. Coming of a 1K-2K hone, shaving arm hair is good. If that results in a fairly "toothy" edge, that edge will feel very sticky to the TPT and might also pop arm hairs above skin level, because the teeth add a lot of "catch" to the edge. Sadly such edges also like to catch facial skin... But if done on a hone that doesn't leave a "toothy" edge, such as our Coticule with slurry, the edge won't be that performant. Shaving arm hair is good enough.
The Blue, or in your case the diluting slurry cycle, is used to get the bevel tip narrower. If you had a synthetic 5-8K and a synthetic 8-12K you could get the tip even narrower.
The higher up in the progression, the less the hone will be able to remove, but the less there is required to remove.
To make a bevel tip of 20µ 50% keener, we need to bring it down with 10µ. That may represent a lot of steel that needs to come off the bevel sides. To make a bevel tip of 1µ 50% keener, we only need to bring it down with 0.5µ. It should not be that hard to understand that working on an edge of 20µ with a hone that's only capable of removing 0.5µ in a reasonable time frame, would not be very advisable. If all this sloppy math tells us anything, it's that you need to complete the right amount of work on each hone. Depending on the hone, it may take 20 laps or 200 laps.
Getting the bevel ready to take the first leap, is the goal to be achieved on your Coticule with slurry. That goal is reached when you can shave arm hair with the razor.

Bart.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bart

Getting the bevel ready to take the first leap, is the goal to be achieved on your Coticule with slurry. That goal is reached when you can shave arm hair with the razor.

Bart.

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Sounds good Bart, I'm finally feeling optimistic about my chances with this razor.

Now, I've already established that this non-whisker shaving razor will indeed shave arm/leg hair. So would you recommend first trying coticule with water only? Should I go directly to the diluted slurry stage? Or should I try some combination of both?

PS - for my specific razor, a 7/8 SS Friodur, I have heard that it is highly recommended to use 3 to 4 layers of tape with these. This razor is supposed to respond well to this method. Is this something you would advise?

Thanks for your patience,

Ryan

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

Sounds good Bart, I'm finally feeling optimistic about my chances with this razor.

Now, I've already established that this non-whisker shaving razor will indeed shave arm/leg hair. So would you recommend first trying coticule with water only? Should I go directly to the diluted slurry stage? Or should I try some combination of both?

PS - for my specific razor, a 7/8 SS Friodur, I have heard that it is highly recommended to use 3 to 4 layers of tape with these. This razor is supposed to respond well to this method. Is this something you would advise?

Thanks for your patience,

Ryan

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I never make a difference between honing stainless or high carbon steel. I normally don't use tape. Only if I need to protect a fancy spine, I add one layer of tape.
For honing a wedge, I make an exception and I might use 3 layers of tape, to get a narrower and more even bevel.
Sometimes if a razor refuses to become sharp enough, after repeated attempts, I add 2 layers of tape and cut a small secondary bevel with my "keenest" hone (the Chosera 10K) and finish that on a Coticule. I rather do that than convex the edge on a pasted strop, which offers a similar shot at striking more keenness.

But I have never observed any steady differences between stainless and carbon.

I own exactly the same Friodur, and it took an awesome edge without any peculiar problem. I didn't use any tape. That razor is lend at the moment to a member that had longevity problems. He speaks quite lyrical about its performance. Here's the thread:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...-holds-up.html
For honing it, I dialed in a correct bevel on a Coticule with slurry, did the diluting slurry cycle that I always try after the bevel stage on a Coticule, and found the razor not ready. Refined the bevel on the Chosera 5K and next on the 10K. Finished on the Coticule with water. Shaved like a dream.

In your case, having only one Coticule, I would add 100 laps on water after the duluting stage, strop 60 on linen and 60 on leather and stest shave. If not pleased, I'd add 2 layers of tape and cut a 2nd bevel with 30 extremely light laps on the Coticule with water.
Remove tape, strop on linen and leather again and test shave.

It would surprise me is not one of those two methods gave me a very decent edge. Maybe not as keen as what I can achieve with the Cosera's included, but neverthless a nice and certainly very smooth edge.

Good luck,
Bart.

Bart,

I remember the thread, "I Want A SHarp Razor That Holds Up" too well, and I think I even PM'd you on that one.

Anyway, thanks for the advice mate. If you weren't so far away I'd buy you a case of beer :D, but my gratitude will have to be enough for now.

PS - You've probably had it with foreigners talking about Stella Artois all the time; is there another Belgian beer you could recommend?

Regards,

Ryan

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

PS - You've probably had it with foreigners talking about Stella Artois all the time; is there another Belgian beer you could recommend?

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:OTAmong beer aficionados in Belgium you'll find very little sympathy for the Belgo-Brazilian multinational Imbev, that brews Stella Artois, and also owns Anheuser-Bush. They do produce beverages and call it "beer", but one can hardly call it brewing what they do. Long story.
If you would like to enjoy real Belgian beers, here's a short list of excellent beers that you should be able to buy across the pond:

-Chimay, preferably blue label or large botlles black label.
-Chouffe, several great beers from the Ardens region. La Chouffe Blonde is the flagship.
-Liefmans Goudenband "Gold Ribbon", now owned by Duvel-Moortgat.
-Westmalle Tripel, probably the best tripel you'll ever taste.
-Celis White, if you want to taste an authentic wheat beer, brewed in Austin, Texas founded by the Belgian brewmaster Pierre Celis.
-Rochefort, preferably the 8° and the 10°
-everything from Brasserie Dupont.
-"3 Fonteinen" Old Geuze, or any other traditional style Geuze for that matter.

They all taste well while honing razors.:rofl2:

Bart.

Well, I had a "day off" work today;) so I thought I'd use my time off to try my hand at honing up my Friodur. This is what I did:

My razor has a scalloped spine (or ridged, whatever you prefer) so I used one layer of tape for protection and better glide. Did the MMT and gave it a few laps on my 6x2 coticule with water only. The marker was removed along the entire edge, so I went straight to Bart's diluted slurry method. I raised a slurry and did the prerequiste 100 laps, diluting after every 10. Shaved arm hair a bit better after that. So I did another 100 laps with water only (forgot to mention dish soap was added to my water during the entire process), then took it to the strop. 60 linen and 60 leather, then took it to my thick leg hairs. I will say there was a definite improvement from when I tried to shave with that razor last week. I even tried a small patch on my face (dry) and this time it even severed a whisker or two :D ; another improvement. I did have a few observations:

-During the MMT it seemed that, even though the marker honed off along the tip of the bevel on both sides, the marker seemed to remain on one side of the edge a lot longer than the other side. I do not know if this is an issue with the bevel itself, my honing stroke or both.

-While raising the slurry, my slurry stone seemed to stick occasionally. I don't know if this is normal. But after a couple minutes of slurry raising all I got was a very thin inconsistent slurry, nothing like the thick milky type I see in Bart's pictures. I didn't really notice much greying of the slurry either. I suspect that my coticule is quite hard. I also do not know if this affected the performance.

-After everything was said and done I also suspect that my blade is sharper in some sections than others. The middle is definitely the sharpest.

So, after all that my first true honing at least wasn't a complete failure. This razor is not a good type to learn honing with (the custom scales are 6 1/2"and are loose, the razor is 11" fully open; quite difficult to maintain flat on the hone at all times). What do you guys think I should do next? Start another cycle? Add more tape?

Thanks,

Ryan

[quote=Ryan82;352518]Well, I had a "day off" work today;) so I thought I'd use my time off to try my hand at honing up my Friodur. This is what I did:

My razor has a scalloped spine (or ridged, whatever you prefer) so I used one layer of tape for protection and better glide. Did the MMT and gave it a few laps on my 6x2 coticule with water only. The marker was removed along the entire edge, so I went straight to Bart's diluted slurry method.
Sounds good. If you started out with a complete bevel, there's no need for prolonged slurry honing. I would normally recommend doing a bit of slurry work anyway, in case the bevel wasn't fully extending all the way, but I don't think your particular Coticule is up to that job. So let's hope the bevel was good to start with.
I raised a slurry and did the prerequiste 100 laps, diluting after every 10. Shaved arm hair a bit better after that. So I did another 100 laps with water only (forgot to mention dish soap was added to my water during the entire process), then took it to the strop. 60 linen and 60 leather, then took it to my thick leg hairs.
What is it with you Canooks, that you have to shave leg hairs instead of arm hairs??? Now I have to imagine you sitting at the hones, with your pants down. I sure hope your wife doesn't catch you in the middle of the night in such a pose...:roflmao :gth
I will say there was a definite improvement from when I tried to shave with that razor last week. I even tried a small patch on my face (dry) and this time it even severed a whisker or two :D ; another improvement. I did have a few observations:

-During the MMT it seemed that, even though the marker honed off along the tip of the bevel on both sides, the marker seemed to remain on one side of the edge a lot longer than the other side. I do not know if this is an issue with the bevel itself, my honing stroke or both.
Be sure to use a permanent marker and let it dry a minute. Degrease the blade if you previously had oil on it. Otherwise the MMT can give false readings. DAMHiKT.

-While raising the slurry, my slurry stone seemed to stick occasionally. I don't know if this is normal.
Yes, this is normal.
But after a couple minutes of slurry raising all I got was a very thin inconsistent slurry, nothing like the thick milky type I see in Bart's pictures. I didn't really notice much greying of the slurry either. I suspect that my coticule is quite hard. I also do not know if this affected the performance.
You clearly have a slow Coticule. It'll be a great polisher, but not a very fast stone to do much bevel correction. You can produce more slurry if you use a good quality sandpaper or a DMT-C on the dry Cotcicule, to create a layer of Coticule dust. Next add a few drops of water and use the slurry stone to rubbingly mix it to the desired density. But still, the Coticule will be a slow performer, because the slurry isn't able to abrade the hard binder and release fresh garnets while honing. (For honing kitchen knifes and chisels, where you can apply more pressure, this is less of a problem and the hone will be faster for these purposes)

-After everything was said and done I also suspect that my blade is sharper in some sections than others. The middle is definitely the sharpest.

So, after all that my first true honing at least wasn't a complete failure. This razor is not a good type to learn honing with (the custom scales are 6 1/2"and are loose, the razor is 11" fully open; quite difficult to maintain flat on the hone at all times). What do you guys think I should do next? Start another cycle? Add more tape?
I recommend starting a new cycle. Maybe try the trick for a better slurry. Take your time diluting.
If the results don't improve, add a layer of tape and do 100 laps on water only. Test again. If the results max out and the razor shaves decent during a test shave, but just a tad below where you want it, try 10-15 laps on your new CrO strop.

Good Luck,
Bart.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bart

What is it with you Canooks, that you have to shave leg hairs instead of arm hairs??? Now I have to imagine you sitting at the hones, with your pants down. I sure hope your wife doesn't catch you in the middle of the night in such a pose...:roflmao :gth

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:rofl2: I'll admit that that is not a very flattering image, but it is cooler on the legs :D! Seriously though, I already have a few bald patches on my arms from honing this Henckles, and people will start to notice now that we Canadians can (almost) resume wearing short sleeve shirts following a very long and gruelling winter. Bald patches on my legs are less noticable.

I think I will put myself (and my face) at risk and try a test shave right away to see where I'm at. I'll let you guys know how it went.

I had my test shave tonight and it went fairly well. I will say it was 100% better than last weeks non-shave; First WTG pass was smooth as far as first passes go. I could tell it wasn't quite there (this is the point where I should mention that I've never experienced a proper honemeister edge) so I didn't tempt fate and attempt a second pass. I'll be honest and admit that I had to finish with another razor, which I haven't had to do since my 1st and 2nd straight shave.

So overall I'm quite satisfied with this attempt. I still think there's some uneven sharpness issues; I'll try Bart's refining advice and see how it goes.

Thanks guys,

Ryan

Ryan,

I ordered 2 more of those 7/8 Friodurs and honed one up today, with awesome results, among the best edges I ever got. And I didn't use anything else but one Coticule.
Because this might be of interest to you, since you're honing the exact same razor, I'm posting a description of what I did.

I had already honed 3 other razor, and wanted to give this one a quick go. I looked with magnification and saw a pretty lousy honing job, a lot of "toothiness" at the edge and a number of small chips missing (not viewable with the naked eye). Next I honed a bit on a medium Coticule with slurry, and checked again with the scope. The hone was not touching the very edge, but it wasn't far off. I contemplated for a few moments, to keep honing at the new bevel that was already forming, but I decided to put one layer of tape to the spine, because of the spine has ornamental filing, and perhaps also a bit because I was in a hurry:o.
With the tape in place the Coticule started honing immediately at the very edge, I did 100 back and forth laps on one side of the razor, flipped it over, and repeated at the other side (all on slurry), checked again and saw that all the teeth and chips were nearly gone. I did another 50 b&f laps (on both sides) and had a clean edge. I performed about 40 regular X-strokes after that and started my usual 100 laps diluting stage. I finished with 70 laps on the Coticule with water. After that, when a hanging hair was dragged across the edge, it catched and popped. After stropping 70 laps on clean leather, the HHT improved to as good as silently severing the hair. The test shave was amazing: this 7/8 Friodurs remain among the best shavers I have ever used.

Thought I'd let you know. If I can do it, so can you.

Best regards,
Bart.