Thread: I am a magician, I make edges disappear.

I was honing my 1/2 hollow barbers use the other day.

1k ceramic for the bevel. Set really well, thanks for the advice guys.
3.5k Arkansas for initial edge 75 - 100 laps
6k King (Yeah I went and filled in my hone gap) 60 laps
It is making arm hairs run away at this point.
C12k for polishing and it was a mirror finish on that edge. 80 - 100 laps
5 laps on a Swaty.
Still making arm hairs flee.

Strapped it 25 linen 50 leather. The edge disappeared. It would not cut butter. Still had a shiny polished bevel. I could not feel a rolled edge. WTF.

Started over. Started at the 3.5k and worked up to the C12k. Still not cutting arm hair. Tried to shave with it this morning to see if I could suss out the problem.

It does shave, but it leaves a lot of stubble behind and will not pick up anything that is not real long. In short it leaves about half a days growth behind. I did not strop it this time btw.

So I am open to suggestions because I am out of ideas.

it's ok after the hones but then you strop and the edge goes .....
maybe putting too much pressure on the strop ?
Hopefully one of the guys will nail the problem a little better .. I'm no expert .. but I've never had an edge lost on a strop ..
I've had a strop lost on an edge when sliced through it ..

cheers Garry

your progression from one hone to another is a
little bigger i think.
is this the only hones you have available?
if yes lets do out best to get a good edge from this hones.
at first . after 12 Chinese you shouldn't go to swaty. if your blade has been sharpened right you will dull the edge.
3.5 Arkansas is fine
6k where it is made? in Japan then i think i will count it same as 4 k( i know many people will doubt about it ).after this you are going to 12k
this is a problem. you will need days to get anything out of 12k at this point.
As you said you are getting hair cuts on this level it is because of 4k edge not 12k.
lastly you mention that after stropping your edge is totally gone.
Your stropping may be wrong ? too much pressure you may putting in.
Solution.
in my point of view.
after 4k (your 6k )go to swaty and leather it up make 200 laps after this you can go to Chinese 12 and make 100-150 with slurry (make it from Chinese).then light strop and try shave test. good luck
hope this helps.

I used the same pressure on the strop that I do for all my razors.

The 6k is a Japanese King Water stone. I'll try Bud's trick and see what I get unless someone else has any other ideas.

I've got a combi kingstone like this
I only really use it on razors that are in pretty good shape .

I am finding that my surgical black Ark., is quite a bit finer than my swaty...what kind of Arkansas are you using and what is the lapping process you use...just curious.

Thanks,
Mac

The Arkansas stone is a 3.5 k surgical and it is white. I lap it with 100 grit sandpaper on a flat surface.