Thread: Have hone need help

I will be getting a hone this weekend. Now I have a brand new razor., which side of the stone do I start with the 8000 or the 4000 side? I have read that it should take about 10 to 15 strokes on a hone to sharpen the blade.

Rene

Originally Posted by Hooligan

I will be getting a hone this weekend. Now I have a brand new razor., which side of the stone do I start with the 8000 or the 4000 side? I have read that it should take about 10 to 15 strokes on a hone to sharpen the blade.

Rene

Hi Rene,

You should read the PDF barbering text chapter on 'Honing' from the FILES section on the Yahoo! forum site.

Which side you start on depends on condition of the edge. A very light touchup might be done on the 8k side. All other work will will start on the 4k side. For just a periodic honing, 10-15 4k-side strokes before moving to the 8k side ought to be enough. If not, just repeat the operation. Finish on plain leather ....

You can also find the file mention in the files section here. Access the help files from the homepage (Portal Home from the forums). Look under Information Archive, then under Honing.

If you got your new razor from Lynn or John or Ray, it's probably ready to go. Just strop it. If it's from eBay or a garage sale then use the 4000 side and then the 8000 side. I'm assuming you're using a Norton waterstone. If it's really really dull, like you can put your finger against it and not get cut, then a 4000 will take forever.

Rule of Thumb. If you're sharpening for more than a minute with no results, drop back to a coarser hone.

For real edge making where the edge geometry needs to be re-established (the definition of grinding) I use a DMT 1200 continuous diamond stone. That will do it really quickly. Then I start refining on a 1000, 4000, and then an 8000.

I like the belgian yellow coticule as the final stone before stropping.

Howard

Welcome to the group!

The new razor you purchased and the condition its in will determine what side to start with and for how many laps. Some razors arrive shave ready and only require stropping on plain leather while other will require some work on the hones.

The 4000 side is the coarsest side and the 8000 is the finest side. Try using the least aggressive side first and if that is not sufficent then use the 4000 side followed by the 8000 side.

Is your razor a stainless steel razor?

Let us know, we are here to help