Thread: honing help dovo

I have just bought a new dovo bismarck and it not been honed any more than the factory standerd. I do not think it is sharp enought.
I woul like to sharpen it myself but I only have a 6000 grit stone? I dont want to spend much money if I dont have to.
Could I touch it up on the 6000 grit then strop? Would I get a good edge if I bought some paste for a strop and went that way?

thank you

Originally Posted by jclowes

I have just bought a new dovo bismarck and it not been honed any more than the factory standerd. I do not think it is sharp enought.
I woul like to sharpen it myself but I only have a 6000 grit stone? I dont want to spend much money if I dont have to.
Could I touch it up on the 6000 grit then strop? Would I get a good edge if I bought some paste for a strop and went that way?

thank you

best option is to send it out for honing, getting the right stones, and learning to hone , especially on that kind of blade = waste of time and possibly blade.
If you want to learn honing, read the wiki, get a cheap blade from eBay and a Norton set of stones from Amazon, but please do not start with that razor.

+1 to mainaman.

I'm sure there might be someone near you that would be able to hone that razor up for you. Best to have one that is "up to snuff" and practice on another until you get the hang of it. There's a lot of good razors you can find off ebay for excellent prices, that you could use to learn to hone

Read the wiki, check out all the video's about honing, and read all the old posts here, and you should have a good start. A lot of it is just practice and feel, and you will pick that up after a while of practicing

Good luck!

I've had a thew bismarks, there not the easiest blades to hone. The one's i have had have been pritty good out of the box. I go away on sunday night. Stafordshire, i'm sure that's in the uk. Send it to me asap i will hone it up. I go away on sunday night. If you can post to me tomorrow it will arive friday.I will post back on same day you will have razor back by saturday or monday. PM if you are interested. It's no problem.

Send it out to someone who specializes in honing RAZORS. This will be your cheapest route, and will provide the greatest chance of success in shaving for you.

I recall from previous post that you live "in the sticks". I would assume then that you probably ordered the Dovo on-line? If so, then sending it out should not be to difficult.

I also recall that you started with a Joseph Elliot that you indicated was shave ready, but you had doubts about the edge. How has that worked out?

If you have not already done so: see the wiki here: Straight Razor Place Wiki

And some good advice here that will pay huge dividends if heeded: http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...tml#post528408

Get your razor proffesionally honed and fight the temptation to touch it or test it. It should only touch a good quality strop and your face. If the shave is poor, chances are you have neglected good prep and proper skin stretching. The temptation will be to blame the razor. Hit the wiki again if neccesary, and don't forget to map your beard growth.

Good luck

Originally Posted by jclowes

I have just bought a new dovo bismarck and it not been honed any more than the factory standerd. I do not think it is sharp enought.
I woul like to sharpen it myself but I only have a 6000 grit stone? I dont want to spend much money if I dont have to.
Could I touch it up on the 6000 grit then strop? Would I get a good edge if I bought some paste for a strop and went that way?

thank you

+1 mainaman

Which 6K stone? Regardless 6K is a bit coarse
but with a gentle hand it might get the job done.
The factory edge should be better than a 6K hone....

Remember....
You can have it professionally honed for a tenth
of what a set of quality hone stones cost. Since
it is new the factory bevel and the maintainable bevel
could be far from each other. A pro can fix that in
no time for you if need.

Shop for a barber hone or a ~12K finishing hone and
after the second trip to a honemaster but before the
third trip add to your rock pile. If in that year+ you find a
bargain pull the trigger...

The new line of Bio-Diam sharpening pastes being sold by Thiers-Issard
may also prove to be a solution to investigate. A number of
folk here have tried them and while the jury is still out the
early news is positive. BioDiam could give you a full personal solution.

Me I have HAD so do as I say not as I have done.

I have the full range of bio paste. Im getting good results. It's very expensive thats the only thing. Having said that it should last for years, this new stuff realy can sharpen a very dull edge up , or touch up with a thew laps. It cut's extremly quik.

Originally Posted by shooter1

Send it out to someone who specializes in honing RAZORS. This will be your cheapest route, and will provide the greatest chance of success in shaving for you.

I recall from previous post that you live "in the sticks". I would assume then that you probably ordered the Dovo on-line? If so, then sending it out should not be to difficult.

I also recall that you started with a Joseph Elliot that you indicated was shave ready, but you had doubts about the edge. How has that worked out?

If you have not already done so: see the wiki here: Straight Razor Place Wiki

And some good advice here that will pay huge dividends if heeded: http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...tml#post528408

Get your razor proffesionally honed and fight the temptation to touch it or test it. It should only touch a good quality strop and your face. If the shave is poor, chances are you have neglected good prep and proper skin stretching. The temptation will be to blame the razor. Hit the wiki again if neccesary, and don't forget to map your beard growth.

Good luck

My first razor off ebay was not shave ready at all, with he said it was, but it was an old razor. I sharpend it up and I can shave with it now but it pulls a bit, not as sharp as the dovo.
I have always shapened knifes so if didnt take me long afer reading everything on wiki and more, I got the razor as sharp as I could with that stone.
I dont want to try with the dovo even though I am confidant with sharpening them because of not getting the other razor sharp enough.

Why is it harder to sharpen a dovo bismark?

I am in staffordshire UK.

thanks for all you help

Originally Posted by jclowes

My first razor off ebay was not shave ready at all, with he said it was, but it was an old razor. I sharpend it up and I can shave with it now but it pulls a bit, not as sharp as the dovo.
I have always shapened knifes so if didnt take me long afer reading everything on wiki and more, I got the razor as sharp as I could with that stone.
I dont want to try with the dovo even though I am confidant with sharpening them because of not getting the other razor sharp enough.

Why is it harder to sharpen a dovo bismark?

I am in staffordshire UK.

thanks for all you help

Hard to hone,I found all four i had were easy to reach sharpness, I just found smoothness was'nt quite getting there. Maybe with a thew shaves the razor would of been much smoother. Either that or the razor just did'nt feel right for my face. They look nice but i my self just did'nt like the shave i got from the newer bismark. Just me, other people love them.

I found paste did'nt suit the razor, Paste with only a thew laps seemed more uncomfortable. I did'nt like the tinny sound the razor made when shaving with it. Like i say it every one to there own, so don't let this put you of.

Originally Posted by jclowes

I have just bought a new dovo bismarck and it not been honed any more than the factory standerd. I do not think it is sharp enought.

It probably isn't sharp enough, but have you stropped it tried shaving with it?