Thread: Wakamasori Help

I have a Japanese straight. I have the bevel set. I put it on my Arkansas to get an edge on it. I think I have put 200 laps total on it. Nothing, it is a great leg exfoliator, but nothing.

I am following the instructions translated by JimR and I have practice on my micortome before this razor arrived. The micortome turned out great, the Japanese razor not so much.

Do I need to get some Diamond hones? I think this steel is just hardcore and doesn't want to move.

Help meee!!

The general rule with those things is to use a 12K using back and forth honing with alot of downward pressure with a ratio of about 3 strokes on the concave side to 1 stroke on the convex side. The art is knowing how much pressure to use.

A 12k??

Really. OK, I'll try anything once.

What's the HrC of Japanese razors? If they're 60's Rc hard and using Hitachi steels you'll need a lot more than a 12k stone to move metal.

Also, I thought that both sides are hollow ground?

Refresh the surface of the Arkansas stone. That should help. The Microtome probably "dulled" the stone. Use silicon carbide sandpaper and lap it for 20 laps.

One thing you must keep in mind; the wa is laminated.

Which means there can be a tendency for the soft steel to abrade while the hard edge steel slips across the hone getting very little. so you have to compensate with accurate pressure

I get better results honing the front of the razor(with the finger notch) the omote; then just a very few passes on the ura

Best of luck on the Ark.


Omote

Originally Posted by DaveMartell

What's the HrC of Japanese razors? If they're 60's Rc hard and using Hitachi steels you'll need a lot more than a 12k stone to move metal.

Also, I thought that both sides are hollow ground?

Nope, they are asymmetrical and the two sides have differing profiles.

12K is assuming you are doing basic honing nothing extreme needed. remember you are exerting pressure as you hone unlike western honing where its minimal pressure.

I figured on them being asymetrical but I see two hollow grinds. If it's a right handed razor then I see one hollow grind being on the inside/back/left side and the other on the outside/front/right side. This is just like a single bevel Japanese knife.

Originally Posted by DaveMartell

I figured on them being asymetrical but I see two hollow grinds. If it's a right handed razor then I see one hollow grind being on the inside/back/left side and the other on the outside/front/right side. This is just like a single bevel Japanese knife.

Sounds exactly accurate to me.