Honing breakthrough!

I'm getting razors to pass the HHT straight off the hones! At the BBW stage, Coticule, Thuringian! I know the HHT is no indication of a razor's shave readiness, but it's an indication that my honing is now rapidly improving! Previously i was having to rely on a pasted strop to eke that last bit of sharpness out.
It feels like a real achievement after some pretty frustrating moments over the months.
I had to let someone know, & as my wife thinks i'm a shave obsessed nutter & would not understand, it's you lot!

Well done Ben. It's a very satisfying feeling.

I understand only too well. The hone that finally did it for me is a German Escher type hone.

The difference you will find is that the edge will last a lot longer than an edge smoothed with a paste.

The other thing that helped me more than anything was buying a good quality strop and learning how to use that well.

The problem is that once you know you can get the edges sharp with confidence, you then start to se the real difference between different types of razors, steel and manufacturers. That when the RAD can get out of control.

That's awesome! I'm only just now hitting the point where I can eke out the sharpness with a pasted strop so I can identify.


:rock:

Congrats! I've dropped pastes too and am relying on a coticule and thuringian in my final stages and touch ups. I really like how it feels after I'm done with the coticule and then the thurigian hones, and I gather you feel the same way!

Thanks fella's.
Dave, i think it was a post of your's that spurred me on. I remember you saying that you were able to get a good edge without the paste & i remember how much it annoyed me! We've probably been doing this about the same amount of time & i wasn't capable! I'm catching up!
The RAD should be fine. There's no funds to support it!

So, what do you attribute this breakthrough to? Some particular change(s) in technique? Just got better overall?

Hey Ben.. congrats on your success...

Did you already shave with it?

it is hard to shave with a smile on your face..

Maarten

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ben.mid

Thanks fella's.
Dave, i think it was a post of your's that spurred me on. I remember you saying that you were able to get a good edge without the paste & i remember how much it annoyed me! We've probably been doing this about the same amount of time & i wasn't capable! I'm catching up!
The RAD should be fine. There's no funds to support it!

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Well I wasn't trying to annoy you :p

You have no idea how many hours and hours and hours I've spent practicing honing.....so it didn't come easily to me at all! :rofl2:

Quick, I think it's mostly down to improving my ability to keep the blade flat on the hone. As a result i've been able to lighten the touch toward the end of honing. I'm also just getting to know how my particular hones work best.

Maarten, there's been a few this week. They're all shaving well. I'm happy with them, including a NOS Friodur that's been causing problems. I wanted it perfect so i can offload it shave ready. It's just stored now!

Dave, it wasn't you i was annoyed with, only myself. Just got me more motivated to achieve it!

Congratsulations! This stuff is not rocket science but it is a skill set and requires a lot of practice. Well done.:)

I could only pass the hht of ch.5 since i have had my coticule and bbw and like some one said a good strop ie tm i have twoi can pass hht on the finest of hair without use of paste and like you say patience and light strokes realy light and good tecnique

I know e decent strop is a must. I've got a Jemico, which isn't bad, but I'd love one of the SRP ones, a Miller, or most of all, an Invisible edge one with the wooden handle. Maybe i'll think about it later down the line.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ben.mid

Quick, I think it's mostly down to improving my ability to keep the blade flat on the hone. As a result i've been able to lighten the touch toward the end of honing. I'm also just getting to know how my particular hones work best.

Maarten, there's been a few this week. They're all shaving well. I'm happy with them, including a NOS Friodur that's been causing problems. I wanted it perfect so i can offload it shave ready. It's just stored now!

Dave, it wasn't you i was annoyed with, only myself. Just got me more motivated to achieve it!

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Congrats. It is nice to see progress. It seems we make some then we are kind of on a flat plane until we climb a bit higher. Getting to know the hones and getting the muscle memory and coordination is part of it for sure.