Thread: Shave off of an 8k

Hey all,

So after reading suggestions to try and just shave off of the Norton 8k before trying to use anything higher, I decided to try it out. I haven't just shaved off of the 8k since I first got the nortons, at which point I didn't really know how to use them properly! It is an excellent suggestion, as if the edge isn't ready after the 8k, everything else is just pointless.

So I took out my small Wade and Butcher, whom I have pretty much dedicated to experimentation , and lightly ran the edge over the rim of a glass. I ran it over to arm, and lo and behold, it cut absolutely nothing and was dull as a kitchen knife. I just wanted to start from scratch for fun and to practice. So I set the bevel on my DMT 1200 which didn't take too long at all since it was fine before I lightly dulled it with the glass. I then used my 4k/8k norton, first 20-30 laps on the 4k side, then I did a little pyramid, finishing with a few extra laps on the 8k side. I then did nothing else but stropped, showered, and shaved. I got a surprisingly great shave out of it!! It wasn't as effortless as if I finished it on something higher, but it was surely sharp and smooth enough to get the job done comfortably with no cuts or irritation.

So now everytime I'm going to hone a razor I will strop at 8k and shave with it. If it's ready for higher grit, it will still give a great shave just off of the 8k side. It surprised me to be honest, but I'm pleased to say that I didn't need pastes or fancy stones (not that I don't like to use them....) to get a great shave.

I know this has all been mentioned before, but I just wanted to share this experience to emphasize the fact that 8k is all that you really need.