Thread: Honing issue @ 4K

Part 1: Venting frustration

UUUGH!


Part 2: question:

I have been trying my hand at honing and am getting frustrated..maybe I am just tired..

Anyway I started by breadknifing to take out some chips...then moved on to 220 and 600. Everthing is nice and sharp and I am not having any problems cutting arm hair. Then I move up to 4K and it seems the blade is loosing its edge! after a few rounds on the 4k, it no longer cuts my arm hair. Technique is more or less the same throughout stones. I am not sure what is going on. Any ideas?

I will get some sleep and try again in the A.M., it has been a long day.

Thanks ahead of time,
C

I'm not sure, but i'd suggest using another stone in between. 600 to 4k is quite a jump

YIKES!! 220-600 ?? I thought I was wacky for using a 1k. One posability is a wire edge, very common accurance from the lower grits. Being tired can also cause a lack of consistancy (speaking from experience ) that will show up on the edge. If you have a 1k, use it to get rid of the scratch marks from the coarser stones. The 4k will polish out the 1k marks with little effort.

Lynn talks about a nice smooth and consistent stroke. Repeating the same motion every time. A little pressure on the bevel setting and lightning up as you move along until it is only enough to keep the blade flat on the stone. Using the x pattern.

It is suggested that you use the marker test in the very beginning to see if the blade is making consistent contact throughout the stroke. If necessary you may have to do a heel leading x stroke @ 45 degrees or in some cases the rolling x.

Anytime you breadknife a blade you create a lot of work to get the bevel back. When I do feel it is necessary to do that I always back hone a few strokes on each side to take off any roll in the edge before I get back to setting the bevel.

If the razor is cutting arm hair while suspended above the hair it is doing something. IMO if it is shaving arm hair as in making skin contact as it cuts the hair that is not a very reliable test for a straight edge.

If you haven't looked at this tutorial here in the SRP Wiki give it a read and see if it helps ..... or even if you have looked at it before give it another go. Even if you're not using Nortons the fundementals of bevel setting apply. Most of the problems in sharpening razors go back to inadaquate bevel setting.

Originally Posted by DwarvenChef

YIKES!! 220-600 ?? I thought I was wacky for using a 1k.

I figured I would start at really low grits as I had just breadknifed the edge. I am guessing that it would take an eternity to set a bevel on a 4k stone.

Now that I got some rest, I will give it another shot. Hope it works out better. Otherwise, I might order myself a 1K stone today. I was really hoping that I was done spending money. *Sigh* but if I have too, I have too.....right?

I also just notice that there seems to be a similar/active post with way more discussion and information in it. That is what I get for being frustrated and tired at the same time.
I feel like a knob for missing it. Anyways, thanks for the replies, back to research and the hones.

C

If you have the 220 and the 600, then yes, you should get a 1K. The 1K should be your workhorse bevel setter. The lower grits only need to be used for chip removal. I doubt you will regret having/using it.

I got pretty lucky, with some asking around, I managed to get a hold of a 1.2k diamond stone. Seems to do the job.

Now the razor is freaking sharp, but I still can't seem to get a hair to pop on the edge. Maybe I should use a finer hair (mine is really coarse). OK, who am I kidding....I have to refine my honing method. Well back to research and practice.

Thanks,
C

I STARTED WITH 220 WET SAND PAPER THEN TO 800, THEN 1000. SEE POST CAN'T BELIEVE I DID IT IN THE WORKSHOP. DON'T KNOW HOW TO ADD LINK TO POST.

CAN SOMEONE HELP?

Originally Posted by paco

I STARTED WITH 220 WET SAND PAPER THEN TO 800, THEN 1000. SEE POST CAN'T BELIEVE I DID IT IN THE WORKSHOP. DON'T KNOW HOW TO ADD LINK TO POST.

CAN SOMEONE HELP?

Help with what? linking a post? If so, then you need to:
1) Find the page with the post that you want to show us. Copy the address. The address should read something like: "http://straightrazorpalace.com/basic-honing/37021-honing-issue-4k.html#post395789". The example I used was for this thread. ..get it?
2) Start writting your reply
3) Highlight a word you want to make your link. Click on the button that looks like an earth with a little grey box in the bottom righthand coner. This button is in the top part of the grey box. When you put your pointer over it, it should say "insert link".
4) Insert the address that you got in step 1. and click ok.

That should do it.

Unfortunately, I can't help you with honing, sanding etc...I am still too new to the process.
C

AHA! got it solved...I was using WAY to much pressure when using the 4/8K. I used a much lighter touch and now the razor shaves like a dream.

Thanks to everyone for the info,
C