Thread: Why Pyramid?

Jeff,

No lynch mob starting up over at your house. I'll tell you the little I understand about the process just to finish out. I find the Norton 4k/8k won't do the job. 4K is too rough and 8K may be too smooth, but 8k may work. Its close. What I use is the carborundum 103 for the technique. Its somewhere in the mid/fine barber hone area. Where, I don't know. But here is what I do. I start with the blade in a perfect honing position, angled heal leading and use a back and forth motion, keeping the same angle and literally try and scratch the striations into the blade (no need for heavy pressure though, just light pressure), then flip it over and repeat. You can not change the angle or slide the blade against the direction of where the needed striation are required for even one stroke! This back and forth movement ensures the blade is sharp, but not ultra sharp and not overhoned. I usually begin test shaving from there. I'll run a typical x pattern just like it says in the barber manual if its needed, but I won't go beyond the stone itself, there isn't any need. No .1 paste, or .5 paste, or .25 paste. Sometimes not even one extra stroke is needed. Now, its pretty sharp, its in the 8K (my current guess is its actually in the 6K area) area I'm pretty sure. So I'm not claiming its actually dull, but it shaves and shaves nicely. You can feel it cutting, its not like a pulling, its like you put a little motor into the sucker....ok not quite that good. It shaves a lot better than if you just honed it mindlessly to 8k and tried to shave. I've never experienced a good 8k shave to be honest with you, despite Ray telling Nenad I should. I have a thick beard everywhere though. But I have on occasion created a blade the feels different, smooth, not so sharp, and shaves effortlessly. Its really cool.

I can assume that everyone will think I'm crazy, but I still believe that before the advent of injection molded blade development that striations were put onto straight razors with a purpose. I'm not saying this type of honing is the cat's pajamas, just that striations have benefit. If I can hone up one of these old Ebay specials I have lying around with this method I'll mail it to you. I need some more time experimenting though because I'm working alone here. :-)

Wait, I hear the natives assembling outside MY house . . .