Thread: OK, I give up!!...

I noticed my TI 6/8 Blond Horn Supersteel wasn't staying sharp during my shaves and trips over the hanging strop weren't gettin' it. So, I went to my old reliable .50 pasted paddle strop. After that the razor would pass the hanging hair test and shaved OK for a few passes, but I had to make a lot more passes over the same spot to get the same results I got from my Merkur DE's. Time for the hone.
I used the pyramid method with my Norton 4000/8000 wet hone but just could not get the razor to even pass the hanging hair test. I worked on it for an hour and a half and gave up, partly out of fear of over honing. I used almost no pressure, just like I do with my strops. And I even (after awhile) made a few passes on the 8000 with the blade trailing in case of a wire edge. I did notice after about 50 passes or more on the pasted strop I got a hair to just begin to catch on one area of the blade. Should I just keep using the diamond pasted strop until I get the results I want? Anyone have any suggestions before sending the razor to Lynn or one of the other honemeisters on this forum? Thanks in advance.

Tom

Try a 3-3, 1-3 and 1-5 rotation on the Norton 4K/8K followed by about thirty strokes on the .5 if you don't have a Coticule stone and let us know what that does. If it gets closer and not quite there, you may want to try it a couple times. Lynn

I've also found with the few TI's that I've honed (3), that they benefit from leaning on the razor a little at the start of the honing cycle. Just MHO though.

X

You guys nailed it between the two of you. I can only add you may want to lap the hone to ensure that its flat, although it should be. Lighten the pressure as you progress.

An hour on a Norton might bowl it a touch even with a light touch...

I think X is saying to add a little pressure, maybe a pound or two, not actually leaning on the razor with your body weight.

OK, after Lynn's recommendation regarding the pyramid technique I'm about back to where I started. The TI is popping hairs now all along the blade. I repeated the 3/3, 1/3, 1/5, pyramid about 4 or 5 times then spent about an hour with a .50 pasted paddle strop, checking my progress all along with the HHT. I went back to the 8000 Norton a couple of times with a blade trailing technique then directly to the pasted strop. I finished up with about 50 trips over the pasted strop then 50 trips on the hanging strop after cleaning the paste off the razor. I'm about to take a shower and shave so I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks to Lynn, AF and xman for your advice. I may still have Lynn do his magic if the razor shaves the same as before. I may just not have the bevel quite right. We'll see in a little bit. Thanks again guys.

Tom

Well, it shaved OK for about one side of my face. Not great, just OK. I then stroped it again 20 rounds and tried the other side of my face. It was so bad I had to quit and finish up with my DE (great shave, by the way). The TI was just gliding over the whiskers and all I was getting was burned. The TI must have been close to being ready as it passed the HHT no problem. I just can't seem to get it to hold an edge, which leads me to believe I'm not getting it sharp in the first place. I do have a heavy beard and tender skin, and I had a 2 day growth. Therefore, I need to be able to get the razor really sharp. And I don't think I'm quite getting there.
So, what now? Should I go back to the 8000 Norton wet hone, then pasted strop, then hanging strop? Or, just go back to the pasted strop then hanging strop? Maybe I should just call it quits and send the razor to Lynn? But then I need to learn how to hone sooner or later. Decisions, decisions...