Thread: Finishing Threesome

Hey all,

So I found a great combination of hones to be used together to provide an AWESOME finish on a razor. I've tried this on a couple of razors so far and am very pleased with the results.

For the "finishing threesome" I use:

1) A 8"x2" very hard and slow coticule.
2) A small (about 6 1/4" x 1 1/4" I think) yellow/green escher.
3) My beautiful Nakayama Maruichi, about 7" x 1.5". It's a greenish colour, O_S says it's a kiita but just a rarer colour. I also use a small slurry stone made from the same type of Nakayama, so no cross-contamination.

How I used the "finishing threesome":

1) About 50 laps on my coticule with just water
2) About 50 laps on the escher
3) 50 laps on the Nakayama with a very light slurry
4) 50 laps with a very diluted slurry on the Nakayama, by just adding a bit of water to the stone.
5) 50 laps on the Nakayama with just plain water. I rinsed off the razor and the stone to ensure there was no slurry at all.

The number of laps I used were probably too many, but I doubt these stones would ever overhone a razor so I don't think more would hurt at all. Besides, I like to use them so I don't usually count strokes because I get "lost in the moment". All three of these stones are not fast cutting either, so this would only probably work if you had an already very sharp razor (which I did).

I could probably fully get away with just using the Nakayama for the finish, but I like the idea of using the coticule and escher before just for kicks. Besides, I know there's no way in hell that the razor will not be smooth after going through these 3 finishing stones. (Well I'll keep telling myself that anways... )

Anyways, here's a picture of my sexy finishing threesome.

Dave

Originally Posted by StraightRazorDave

The number of laps I used were probably too many, but I doubt these stones would ever overhone a razor .

Dave

Dave the day will come you will over hone the blade in any of them. You can over hone on coticule ,Escher or Nakayama.
it is just matter of time and getting used to know them.
I hope i am not downgrading your work. i think you went to that stones too early that is why you love the results.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

Dave the day will come you will over hone the blade in any of them. You can over hone on coticule ,Escher or Nakayama.
it is just matter of time and getting used to know them.
I hope i am not downgrading your work. i think you went to that stones too early that is why you love the results.

Don't worry, you're not downgrading my work. It seems that all three of my stones are VERY slow cutting, so it's always seemed like I need to do a bunch of laps to even see much sign of it doing anything. But I agree, it is time and getting to know them. I'm not too experienced so I am still experimenting and I like to air on the side of a few more laps than not enough.

Dave try get some cheap hones example norton 4/8k use it for middle set up. This is how i do. when i go to finishing stone edge is almost in there. Depends on Blade i don't make more then 10-40 laps on finishing stone.
You are exactly right they are all slow cutter that is why they are final finish stone.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

Dave try get some cheap hones example norton 4/8k use it for middle set up. This is how i do. when i go to finishing stone edge is almost in there. Depends on Blade i don't make more then 10-40 laps on finishing stone.
You are exactly right they are all slow cutter that is why they are final finish stone.

Oh I have enough hones....I have a full set of Shaptons now!! I've only had them for about a week so I'm still getting to know them, but I'm definitely all set up in terms of hones. I don't have a problem getting a razor shave ready anymore, especially with the new Shaptons it's pretty easy, but I really do think I over-do my finishing. I guess I want to be SURE it's doing something so I throw in a bunch of extra laps.

Looking back at how many laps you I did and after what you said...I think I did WAY too many! Haha, oh well, to live and to learn. I used that many laps on a Boker today and it was shave-ready, so I probably would get the same results if I had just done about 50 laps on my Nakayama with just water. But I like to experiment and learn from my mistakes.

Thanks for the advice.

Carn't fault you you might as well use all three rather than collecting dust. I like to finish on coticule why i just like the coticule for some reason but i do somtimes well most times go bbw s 50laps then 50 coticule with water then chineese 50 laps and guaranteed smoothness . most people say it is impossible to over hone on coticule i never have infact i don't no if i have on any hone the only thing i've found is somtimes my edge will shave great but feel abit gritty then it might be over done i guess but i just rehone untill good smooth edge

Hey Dave, those are some beauties you have there. What I've been doing is seeing how the razor shaves at the 8k level. If it is good I go on to one finishing stone of choice and see how much I can futher improve the edge/shave.

If I feel the shave off of the 8k is lacking something I go back to the 4/8 pyramid or the equvalent if I'm using something other than a Norton. I stay there until it is dialed in and then move up in grit when, as I say above, the shave dictates I'm ready. Randydance got me on that procedure and it is kind of fun.

The Shapton USA site says, "The most important concept when using the Shapton system is achieving consistency at a given grit level before moving up to the next finer stone. At the 2000 grit level, your tool should be perfectly shaped. It is ineffective to attempt to reshape your tool at any finer grit level. If you have built a good foundation at the coarse grit level, very little work will be required at the finer grit levels."

BTW, some people say that you can't overhone on a coticule, Escher or Nakayama. Randy told me he once did a test to see if he could on a coticule and he did. Took a lot of laps and I forget how many it was but it can be too much of a good thing.... Sham is right on.

Thats what i have been doing latley shaving of the 8k when happy moving to coticule then paste test ing at each 8k then coti then paste i have found the shave of 8kn to be very good. How much differance would you say the coti makes jimmy? compared to the 8k shave?

Originally Posted by gary haywood

Thats what i have been doing latley shaving of the 8k when happy moving to coticule then paste test ing at each 8k then coti then paste i have found the shave of 8kn to be very good. How much differance would you say the coti makes jimmy? compared to the 8k shave?

The coticule smooths the edge and if it is my 8x3 natural the yellow will definitely add sharpness to boot using water only. I know some are better than others and that 8x3 happens to be the best of the many I have so far. If I didn't like fooling with different hones so much I would be fine if that 8x3 was all that I had.

IIRC, David Polan aka Heavydutysg135 who I don't believe is active on the site any longer was adamant in his opinion that you could NOT overhone on a coticule. I thought I remember he did an experiment where he did 300 skadzillion passes (I think skadzillion is the proper mathematical term) and never had an overhoned edge at any stage. Coticules differ, so who knows.

Chris L