Thread: YAHQ (yet another honing question)

UPDATE:

I tried the magic marker experiment mentioned by BHChieftain and found that the Coticule+water took it off quite unevenly -- not a good sign.

Before blaming it on the blade I lapped the Coticule to try again. Turns out the Coticule was very uneven. After lapping, the magic marker came off evenly except for the heel and toe which just wouldn't come off at all.

So, I did (now lapped) Coticule+slurry using a little extra pressure until most of the magic marker came off, leaving just a tiny bit on either end. I didn't try to eliminate it completely so as to avoid over honing. Followed up by water only then 0.5 and 0.25 paste on paddle strop.

I will see how this evening's shave goes!

Typically (I'm tempted to say "always"), more passes is a better alternative to more pressure. (The exception might be with a very stiff/thick grind on a hone that causes wire edges.) Also, I believe the general consensus is that you cannot "overhone" on a coticule. You can, however, overdo it with slurry and round your edge.

Also, I'm not sure what you do with regards to diluting your slurry, but I would suggest that once your razor is keen and you're just polishing, that you gradually dilute your slurry until you finish with passes with just water on the stone.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Also, I'm not sure what you do with regards to diluting your slurry, but I would suggest that once your razor is keen and you're just polishing, that you gradually dilute your slurry until you finish with passes with just water on the stone.

Nothing that sophisticated. Worked up a slurry. Honed with that for a few laps. Rinsed it off and honed again for a few laps.

If an edge already has an established bevel, you should be able to keep it shave sharp with the strops, a finer stone that has been properly lapped is good for when the edge needs the microscopic chips honed back out of it...

Just my experience with maintaining an edge.

Originally Posted by TexasBob

UPDATE:

I tried the magic marker experiment mentioned by BHChieftain and found that the Coticule+water took it off quite unevenly -- not a good sign.

Before blaming it on the blade I lapped the Coticule to try again. Turns out the Coticule was very uneven. After lapping, the magic marker came off evenly except for the heel and toe which just wouldn't come off at all.

So, I did (now lapped) Coticule+slurry using a little extra pressure until most of the magic marker came off, leaving just a tiny bit on either end. I didn't try to eliminate it completely so as to avoid over honing. Followed up by water only then 0.5 and 0.25 paste on paddle strop.

I will see how this evening's shave goes!

I have a french point razor that I was having trouble getting the toe sharp. Check out the wiki under honing, and look up the rolling x stroke which moves the pressure from the heel to the toe. That really helped me.

-Chief

PS, you can't really overhone on the coticule + water since it is really smoothing out the bevel vs. reducing it. I've honed for hours on a practice razor trying to get my stroke down and have never gotten a burr.

Another UPDATE:

Well last night's shave was a little better yet, but I still needed so many passes from various angles, and buffing action with much of the ATG, that I suspect the blade is still not sharp and/or smooth enough. This time ATG on the cheeks (the easy area) went much better. No nicks (except reopen an old one) but plenty of razor burn.

So today, back to the Coticule -- water only this time. Will do many more than 10 laps, very lightly.

I assume you have continued with pasted strops after these attempts.

It sounds a bit unusual to have most of a shave quality edge(just almost there) that is not brought up to snuff with those.

You might try using a different touch on those until you get that shave, or perhaps skipping straight to cloth and hide strop. Just to see what happens

For me honing was a fairly straight forward exercise, but I was always missing out and/ or messing up on the Strap, and even now I do not believe i get all there is from it- so still learning.

Sharpness was an issue. Much better shave after some more gentle honing. Still needs more, I think, so will do just a bit more (water only).

And yes, I did follow up with 0.50 and 0.25 paste.

So as not to bore everyone to tears, this will be my final daily update in this thread!

Today's shave was one of the best I've had, so razor seems to be back in "shave ready" condition. Seems every time I give it just a light touch on the Coticule it gets a little better so I will keep on with that for a while, but it certainly isn't making as much difference lately as it did at first so I might be getting to the razor's optimum point.

One final question. I have been finishing up with 0.5 and 0.25 paste. Would I do better to add a Naniwa 12K, or does the 0.25 get me to the same place?

Originally Posted by TexasBob

So as not to bore everyone to tears, this will be my final daily update in this thread!

Today's shave was one of the best I've had, so razor seems to be back in "shave ready" condition. Seems every time I give it just a light touch on the Coticule it gets a little better so I will keep on with that for a while, but it certainly isn't making as much difference lately as it did at first so I might be getting to the razor's optimum point.

One final question. I have been finishing up with 0.5 and 0.25 paste. Would I do better to add a Naniwa 12K, or does the 0.25 get me to the same place?

Glad to see you are making progress! Note that use of paste on a strop will eventually round out your bevel, and you'll need to reset it, therefore I like the idea of a higher grit stone better (magic marker test will tell you when you need to do this). I personally stop at coticule + water as I get a nice smooth shave off of it, and I don't worry about overhoning with that stone (I've done 100 passes on it, no issues).

But I think technically you'd get maxium sharpness using paste after the hone, but I think getting maxium sharpness isn't always the goal- I aim for a comfortable shave.

-Chief