First time hone attempt - help!
Hi SRP, this is my first post after about two months of visiting the site and doing extensive research on my new found passion. Rather than be your typical noob who asks the questions that are doubtless available in the wiki and forums, I've (hopefully) done the right thing and read up as much as I can on the areas I'm uncertain about and am now hoping to get some specific answers to areas I'm still unclear on. Forgive me in advance if what I've asked has been asked before...
Bit about me - been shaving with a straight for a couple of months, so would say I'm very much starting out on the journey, however, I am well and truly bitten by the bug and loving it! My first purchase was (naively) a Dovo 'Special' from Poland which I bought on eBay, together with a lovely Dovo XL Russian leather strop. However this coincided with my timely discovery of the SRP site and learning most new razors 'out of the box' aren't shave ready!
So, as yet this puppy hasn't been used; when I asked the vendor if it was shave ready or would needed honing, he confirmed it would be the latter...guess I learnt the hard way!
As I didn't then have a means to hone and was just starting out, I figured it was worthwhile investing in a shave ready razor, so I bought a Black Star from classicshaving.com. Lovely results. Immediately in love with it.
With the bug now well and truly in me, I bought another shave ready beauty, a Prima Klang singing razor from Lynn, together with his DVD. Even more lovely.
After much insight from these forums; the purchase of a Norton 4/8k combination; a DMT 8C and a Naniwa SS 12k, together with a host of other goodies I now feel I'm ready to begin my journey into honing.
My first project? The trusty eBay Dovo Special.
I lapped and chamfered my stones two nights ago with the DMT, following the useful wiki and commentary on SRP. It took me ages and to be honest, I'm still uncertain if they're flat as, with the best will in the world, the pencil marks don't get removed evenly. I've read other posts with similar comments, so yesterday purchased some 400 and 600 grain wet/dry sandpaper and a tile to see if that would do the job better. Just tried my Naniwa and again, the pencil isn't being removed uniformly... just about to relap my Norton as it's soaking while I type!
Anyway I digress...my main question is about honing and the issue of taping. When razors come shave ready, am I to assume they have been taped, as when people say they're honing others' razors they often DO use tape. Therefore when I'm honing for the first time on a razor that has come shave ready, would the fact I'm using tape (which I plan to in a bid to preserve the spine) alter the honing process? I'm uncertain if Lynn's razors come honed with or without the use of tape.
I am holding off honing my shave ready razors as they're not ready for honing yet, but was hoping to get insight into this before I do so I don't mess anything up. I'm about to hone my Dovo Special today with Lynn's pyramid progression as per his DVD, namely starting with 5 strokes on the 4/8k.
Apologies for the long winded epic and look forward to your advice,
MrMarx