Thread: hone then paste

[QUOTE=niftyshaving;497286]Paste on a hanging strop or paste on a balsa hone?

I am of the opinion that a polish on the bevel is as important
as the set edge. I want the steel behind the edge that is in contact
with my face to "slide" and not push a little roll of skin that
then results in a nick.

QUOTE]


I don't think the polished edge has much to do with your shaving experience. Razors finised with Naturals like the Coticule, Escher, Nakiyama, etc. produce some of the most sought after, comfortable shaves some people talk about.
If you were to look at these edges under a microscope, you would see that they look like they are sandblasted. Even the polished edge, you are eluding too, isn't all that smooth either.
If this makes you think you are getting a smoother shave then stick with it. I would, however, recommend that you find a way to try one of the honers that finishes with a natural and see what the difference might be.
If you are interested in something like that, pm me and we can arrange it.

Ray

Pastes give you a finer edge polish if you don't have a stone of comparable grit. Without a 30K Shapton, or Japanese finisher, powders (however suspended) of chromium oxide, aluminum oxide, or diamond will be the way to get a finer polish. I find I can shave just fine with an edge finished at 3 micron, but if I want a 0.5 micron edge, I have a chromium oxide loaded strop.

Originally Posted by rayman

...Razors finised with Naturals like the Coticule, Escher, Nakiyama, etc. produce some of the most sought after, comfortable shaves some people talk about.
If you were to look at these edges under a microscope, you would see that they look like they are sandblasted....
Ray

I have a Nakayama Kiita that leaves the bevel looking a little sandblasted/hazy. So I can vouch for some naturals not leaving an exactly "polished" edge. But it does leave a nice edge.

[QUOTE=rayman;497304]

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

Paste on a hanging strop or paste on a balsa hone?

I am of the opinion that a polish on the bevel is as important
as the set edge. I want the steel behind the edge that is in contact
with my face to "slide" and not push a little roll of skin that
then results in a nick.

QUOTE]


I don't think the polished edge has much to do with your shaving experience. Razors finised with Naturals like the Coticule, Escher, Nakiyama, etc. produce some of the most sought after, comfortable shaves some people talk about.
If you were to look at these edges under a microscope, you would see that they look like they are sandblasted. Even the polished edge, you are eluding too, isn't all that smooth either.
If this makes you think you are getting a smoother shave then stick with it. I would, however, recommend that you find a way to try one of the honers that finishes with a natural and see what the difference might be.
If you are interested in something like that, pm me and we can arrange it.

Ray

Thank you for the offer! My 4k/8k Norton and Coticule does just fine. I should
note I tend to want to touch up between honing and that is when I unwrap my
balsa. I suspect that the key point is that my touch goes away as I work through my
set of str8s.

I only need to pull down the Coticule once maybe twice a year. This is not
often enough to keep the soft smooth touch that is so necessary.

It is true that a natural stone like a Coticule on good steel qualifies as magic.

So, should I sell some of my str8s so I can hone more often or should I buy more
so when I do hone I have more edges to get my touch back with?

I personally think, if you are satisfied with the edge you are able to maintain, you shouldn't change anything. What's the point?
Keep doing what you are doing.

Ray

Haven't we got a little off topic here?
I believe Gary was asking:
If you use paste what difference does it make?

I use green Crox after honing if I am not satisfied with the edge, as my skills are improving I find I need it less and less, I never use it for a touch up, if a Razor shaved well before and now lacks the performance I am after I use my Coticule to touch it up

I personally find the longer that you stay on the stones while progressing up the more stable the edge becomes. Now I come off a 30K, then to 0.25 Diamond paste on a paddle strop, then go to a 0.1 micron diamond sheet. The shaves are incredible smooth. Diamond cutting materials are incredibly fast and easy to use. I used to use a paddle strop that went 1.0,0.5,0.25 micron diamond pastes for over a year and got some good edges. As I got the money and killer deals I replaced the 1.0 and 0.5 pastes with the 16K and 30K Shaptons respectively and have never looked back. They offer an edge that is superlative in sharpness and smoothness. The 0.1 sheet just finishes off the edge and cuts the harshness of the 0.25 paste especially after 100 laps on the leather.


Take care,
Richard

Originally Posted by rayman

I personally think, if you are satisfied with the edge you are able to maintain, you shouldn't change anything. What's the point?
Keep doing what you are doing.

Ray

Ain't that the truth!!

I shaved comfortably just off stones for the first several thousand razors I honed and over time, even after using all the stones mentioned in the thread so far, have come to rely on either pastes or diamond sprays only because they produce a very comfortable and close shaver consistently. Can I do without them? Sure, but why when something works with the kind of reliability I get from them.

I do find that when the 30K Shapton hits, it is pretty close to the .5 pastes or sprays.

Yet another area where I really think there is no right or wrong answer and that personal preference prevails and this is also the case as to whether you use films, flat beds, balsa, felt or anything else out there.

Have fun,

Lynn

Nice to hear or the opinions and thank you to every one.

Originally Posted by Lynn

..............have come to rely on either pastes or diamond sprays only because they produce a very comfortable and close shaver consistently.............Lynn

Oh great Honemeister,

I have tried the pyramid you suggest but didn't know what to do after that. Would you mind sharing? I have some 1 and 1/4 micron paste but haven't known what to use them on. Are you using them right after the 8k Norton?

Thanks in advance,

Barry