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  1. #1
    Junior Member tab75336's Avatar
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    Default Journey to the center of the hone.

    I've been shaving for about a year to year and half. I've been using a Lynn honed Solingen blade I purchased from Cutlery World here in Kansas City about 17-18 years ago. Tried to shave with it out of box and abandoned it. Found this group about year+ ago and have been shaving straight since. I just purchased my first hone, a Norton 4k/8k at a great price from Craftsman Studios (www.craftsmanstudio.com). Felt like a heel not getting it from Ray but I do purchase my other sundries from him.

    Anyway I've reviewed the archives and the current forums on honing and will be looking over the old Yahoo SRP index for old posts. My blade currently shaves okay after a year but could do better. I'll start with the "Conservative Honing Ratio" posted for Nortons by Randy Tuttle.

    Sorry to ramble but very excited about starting the journey on learning this artform.

    PS Are there any other straight razor guys with a wife who just doesn't get it? "Why by a sharpening stone, just take it to MarBeck, they sharpen all our kitchen knives...if your going to spend $60 dollars on a stone, you should buy a new razor then you won't ever need to sharpen it...its just a razor how could it cost $200?

    My question to her, "How do you know so much about something you think is dumb, have never seen performed, or every read anything about?" Oh yeh you're a woman, you know every...(ducking to avoid thrown shoe).

  2. #2
    Senior Member blabbermouth JLStorm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tab75336
    PS Are there any other straight razor guys with a wife who just doesn't get it? "Why by a sharpening stone, just take it to MarBeck, they sharpen all our kitchen knives...if your going to spend $60 dollars on a stone, you should buy a new razor then you won't ever need to sharpen it...its just a razor how could it cost $200?

    My question to her, "How do you know so much about something you think is dumb, have never seen performed, or every read anything about?" Oh yeh you're a woman, you know every...(ducking to avoid thrown shoe).
    I have a fiance that thinks I am nuts, wasting money, and thinks I spend more time shaving or talking about shaving on this forum than I do with her. Funny thing is a few months ago, she said I needed a hobby...never happy, go figure!

  3. #3
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
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    Not to interfere with any mans plan but, just to let you know, I would run the razor about 5 passes over the 8K and test shave. The conservative honing ration is great, but you don't want to botch Lynn's bevel work too quickly.

    Unless ofcourse your point is to learn to hone...then knock yourself out!
    Last edited by AFDavis11; 02-24-2006 at 08:13 PM.

  4. #4
    The Hurdy Gurdy Man thebigspendur's Avatar
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    Heck, most men would never understand why someone would use a straight, if you find a woman who does let me know, she's a very rare person.
    No matter how many men you kill you can't kill your successor-Emperor Nero

  5. #5
    Super Shaver xman's Avatar
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    Cool

    You have to out fox 'em. It's hard 'cuz they're so wily and they never seem to fall for the same thing twice.
    Mine often gets away on me.

    X

  6. #6
    Junior Member tab75336's Avatar
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    Default Norton came today

    Got the Norton 4k/8k today and have a couple quick questions:
    1. My razor was Lynn honed quite awhile ago and isn't shaving like it used to. Should I just touch it up on the 8k side with about 6 round trips, or 1-4k and 6-8k(is that too aggressive)?

    2. Secondly, do I need to prep the Norton in any way other than soaking 10 minutes prior to honing?

  7. #7
    Junior Member tab75336's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tab75336
    Got the Norton 4k/8k today and have a couple quick questions:
    1. My razor was Lynn honed quite awhile ago and isn't shaving like it used to. Should I just touch it up on the 8k side with about 6 round trips, or 1-4k and 6-8k(is that too aggressive)?
    This is as good a picture as I could get on current razor condition. I don't think its too bad(of course I don't know what I'm doin and could be wrong), but needs a touchup.
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    Last edited by tab75336; 03-02-2006 at 02:10 PM.

  8. #8
    Junior Member tab75336's Avatar
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    Default First honing session is done

    Well for better or worse, its done. I soaked the Norton and did
    15
    15
    35
    15
    15
    and then checked it in the scope. It seemed "ok", better than before but still major striations on the bevel, and still had some major looking notches at 100x magnification. Performed the overall set again, and checked again. This time the overall edge was more uniform but there seemed to be a shadow along parts of the edge...almost looked like a scorch mark or line. I assumed I may have overhoned. I immediately backhoned 3 laps on the 4k side and then performed the overall set again. This time no dark lines and the edge is looking uniform. I called it good, stropped 50 times on smooth leather, and now the beveled edge lookeds straight shiny and the brighter area looks uniform and less striated. Anyway, the shaving test will be tomorrow morning. Here's keeping my fingers crossed.

  9. #9
    Junior Member tab75336's Avatar
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    Red face Could use your help.

    Am needing some direction on how to continue honing my razor. As you can see from my previous posts I'm VERY new to honing. My razor was not shaving as well as it had so I bought the Norton 4k/8k and did the conservative pyramid. It is now shaving worse that before starting.
    I definately could feel the cutting edge of the 4k side, but the 8k was so smooth I don't know if it was having much effect.

    Could I have had too much water on the 8k side?

    My blade fits entirely on the hone and I've been honing with a slight angle with heel leading. Do I just need a few more 1,3 trips or should I use more 8k by itself? Any help is greatly appreciated.

  10. #10
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
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    Thats a tough question based on the information provided. Can I assume you did
    1/5
    1/5 and so one, and not fifteen laps?

    I would back hone on 8K to remove all the burr created earlier. Then hone using an x pattern stroke using ever so light pressure for 3 strokes, then hone on ultra light pressure for about 10-15 strokes. Ultra light being less than ever so light...so thats a touch of pressure for the first three strokes then move to an ultra touch.

    Then I would strop and start feeling for a draw on the strop. I would play with it a little until I achieved draw.

    I assume you don't have .5 paste, which is what I'd usually start messing with, but you need to use the x pattern soon and a light touch, but I think you've done a little damage to the edge at this point so a few extra 8k passes may help. I would suggest applying lather to the 8k and work on it for a little seeing if you can attain draw on a strop, or cut arm hairs. After you complete the actions in the first two paragraphs. So thats lather at the end of the process, which may help as the razor gets sharp.

    For a beginner you can often have better results by caging the blade with you finger lightly on top of the blade to ensure it stays flat atleast for the first few iterations.

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