Thread: Initial touch up

This is the second time this has happened, wondering if others have had this experience.

Got a new razor about a month and a half ago, prehoned when it shipped to me. Decided it was time to touch up the edge on the stone. Used coticule + water for many many laps-- zero response. Backed off to BBW + slurry, still no response. Had to back off to coticule + slurry which is normally "bevel reset" territory to get a response, then came back to BBW+slurry then coticule + water, now I have a really nice edge.

Same thing happened on my first razor, but as I was new to honing, I thought it was just me (I've done a lot of work on a practice razor since then).

The logical explanation is that the razors were initially honed with tape, but I know the first razor wasn't, and the second razor was honed by the same guy who honed the first razor, so I highly doubt that one had tape. Could it be differences in technique? Or something that happens when intially moving from nortons to naturals?

-Chief

Hard to say without having seen the razor before, during and after. OTOH, yes I have done more or less the same thing. In my honing journey I have had the experience of getting a razor to a level of satisfactory level of sharpness and then adding a few more strokes thinking more is better and going past it. IOW, losing the sharpness and having to get it back. Not sure if that was the issue. There are so many variables.

One thing I make sure to do if I get a razor that was pre honed ( and I know who honed it) is to ask if they used tape or not. One way or the other I will use tape but I like to know anyhow.

I've done some looking at tape>then no tape and the change doesn't seem drastic

is this a hollow or a wedge?

The first was a Dovo full hollow, the second was a half-hollow Livi

-Chief

Best thing to do is run some marker along edge and hone if marker is left along the cutting edge the guy as most likly used tape. You can hone untill marker disapears then you have the bevel you want i hone wit out tape the choice is yours

I did do the marker test and it wiped clean after a few strokes. I really doubt it was taped.

-Chief

Originally Posted by BHChieftain

Could it be differences in technique? Or something that happens when intially moving from nortons to naturals?

-Chief

I personally think there is. I have Norton, bbw/coticule, Naniwa, Shapton and DMT stones. Every one seems to have both its pros and cons, but the greatest change in both feedback and performance seems to be in changing from a synthetic to the bbw/coticule IMHO. You will eventually find the technique needed to get the bbw/coticule to respond the way you want it to and this will become a moot issue. I think, though, that Jimmy is probably the defacto expert on bbw/coticule's in this forum and he can explain the subtle differences that exist between individual Coti's much better than anyone here.

Ray

Well, the good news is I have a really nice smooth edge. Just took more work than I expected. I'll try to remember to provide an update if the next touch up needs anything more than a coticule + water now that the razor has had the "full treatment".

-Chief

My theory is that the razors where finished with paste and that this created an edge that forced you to reset the bevel when touching up the first time.

i somtimes finish 10 laps on .5dp then ch.ox only ten but i never touch up on paste i go straight back to coticule this way i no bevel is still good shape and worn or convexd throough over using paste