Thread: overhoned?

After much searching in the forum i couldn't find an answer to my puzzle so here goes.
As this is my first year with a Sr i bought a chinese 12k water stone from Invisible edge and have made a double sided balsa paddle strop hoping to keep my Shave ready razor in order, but iam not sure how many strokes to use on the
hone and also on green and red stropping pastes on my paddle.I know it's a bit of an open question but can anybody give me a rough guesstimate.Also is it possible to over hone with the 12k hone.
Thanks.

I think there are too many variables to give an answer to how many laps, but from what I have read around here you would have to try with all your might to overhone on a chinese 12k and even then I dont think you could succeed.

I think your arm may fall off before you overhone on the chinese "12k"

When i use CrO or cerium oxide, i usually do 5 strokes at a time and test.

I do not believe i have used the pastes you have though.

Cannot say about the pastes as i've never used them. Chinese 12K needs a lot of strokes; i would say about 50-100. I do not think you can overhone with it.
When sharpening your razors it is most important to get them sharp enough with the coarser stones before going to 12K.
Wasn't much help. Hope someone can give you more specific answers.

Green-Red-Black Pastes = Dovo????

if that is correct the green is fairly aggressive at 5-8 microns

the red is 3-5

and the black is 1-3

The trick to these pastes is they are soft cutters so they are way less prone to a hash edge than say Diamond pastes

You can use a 20 lap count on those three pastes in that order and end up with a nice edge...

These are not much used around the forum and there is very little info on them, but on older Sheffields these pastes rock I haven't used the green since I bought it, but the red and black I have used...

Of course assuming proper stropping technique on a leather strop...

If these are not Dovo pastes disregard my info

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Green-Red-Black Pastes = Dovo????

if that is correct the green is fairly aggressive at 5-8 microns

the red is 3-5

and the black is 1-3

The trick to these pastes is they are soft cutters so they are way less prone to a hash edge than say Diamond pastes

You can use a 20 lap count on those three pastes in that order and end up with a nice edge...

These are not much used around the forum and there is very little info on them, but on older Sheffields these pastes rock I haven't used the green since I bought it, but the red and black I have used...

Of course assuming proper stropping technique on a leather strop...

If these are not Dovo pastes disregard my info

Yep i'm talking about Dovo pastes, so would these pastes be too aggressive after the 12k?

I would suggest learning to tell when your razor is sharp and forget about 'How many laps'. Laps should be used a a guide to let you know when you should start testing the edge. As honing a razor is different for each person as is the condition of the hone, going on lap counts may get you close but the proof is in the quality of edge you obtain. Oh, and don't count on the HHT as an accurate test for sharpness or shave ready. Try shaving arm hairs one at a time from different locations on the blade. Give it a few more laps and test again. If they just jump away from the blade you are about at peak. You can get a good shave with less though.

Good luck.

+1 to Joed's suggestion. Trying to tell you how many laps to do on each is like counting the stars blindfolded. We don't know the condition of the edge on your razors, even a picture isn't going to tell us everything.

Try wetting a spot of hair on your arm or leg, and try shaving the hairs all along the edge. If the edge shaves hairs, then try popping hairs off your arm maybe 0.5-1cm above the skin. Once my razors can do that along the whole edge, I move onto the CrOx balsa strop for about 10-20 laps, and then the leather strop. Then I'll shave with it, and if it's not quite there, I'll either do a bit more on the CrOx, or go back to another hone, depending on how it shaves.

It's really such a personal thing, it's hard to explain it all without being there, if that makes any sense. Sorry I couldn't explain it better

I don't think you would over hone on ch12k. I have one they are a nice hone. If your razor need's refreshing, and is just loosing its edge. You should be able to touch up on red dovo, if that fails go to green, but make sure you finish after green on your red. Or you could touch up on your hone with aprox 50 /100 laps the finish on red dovo, aprox 10 /20 laps. You have good choice's.I t's trial and error.

Thanks for all the info especially to you Gary ,i know it was a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question but i just wanted a rough guide.