Thread: I'm doing something wrong....

There is some serious info lacking in this post...

First you don't say if the Dovo was shave ready when you got it,???

You do say the GD was shave ready when you got it...

Have you re-honed the GD???

Are you re-honing the Dovo???

Did the Dovo ever shave??? At all???

Have you honed any razor to shave ready yet????

From what starting point???

We need more info on the Dovo... and your experience with honing SR's

Jeff,

It's that Proraso shave cream your rubbing on your leather strop.....

Originally Posted by zib

Jeff,

It's that Proraso shave cream your rubbing on your leather strop.....

That cannot be the problem as my stropping is just fine. Only the honing is a problem.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

There is some serious info lacking in this post...

First you don't say if the Dovo was shave ready when you got it,???

Received not shave ready.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

You do say the GD was shave ready when you got it...

Correct. The GD was received shave ready.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Have you re-honed the GD???

No. Strop only.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Are you re-honing the Dovo???

Yes

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Did the Dovo ever shave??? At all???

Shaves, but never well.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Have you honed any razor to shave ready yet????

Never yet.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

From what starting point???

From factory setting. I have no used, only from factory new.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

We need more info on the Dovo... and your experience with honing

The Dovo is from factory. My experience is none other than with this razor.

OK now I have the info to help you...

First I am assuming that the hones 1-4-8 are freshly lapped and ready to go...

Tape the spine, one layer, when you get better at this you can decide for yourself whether you want to continue taping..

I keep a slight heel forward position during all this...

On the 1k wet, do 20 counterclockwise circles using some pressure, down/across the stone...Flip the razor and do 20 clockwise circles up/across the stone... Circle toward the edge in other words...

STOP !!!

Feel the edge with your thumb... it should feel sharper sorta like a knife..

Rinse the stone, change the tape...

Now repeat this procedure again only use less pressure... This is what Lynn came up with for the fastest bevel set you will ever find "20 Circles to Sharp"

Stop feel the edge again... It should feel even sharper now..
Now is the time for TNT wet your thumbnail and test from heel to toe it should be just barely digging the entire way...

No?? Repeat last 20 circles

Yes???

Do 20 light even laps making sure the entire edge is moving across the 1k evenly and lightly...

Stop. try the AHT the edge should shave arm hair from heel to toe, yes with some effort, but some hair should cut...

No??? add 10 laps at a time until it does..

Yes ???
Change the tape and move to the 4k hone...

Now is the easy part of honing, you can switch to the Norton Conservative Pyramid or you can stay Progressive from here the choice is yours.....

Once the bevel is set, the rest is sharpening and polishing, keep a light even touch and you'll be fine...

Pardon my interrupting with a newbie honing question.

If you use tape to set the bevel, can you then take it off when you move to the 4K, 8K, and up stones?

I've heard two positions. One is that if you start with tape, you have to always use tape. The other is that you can set the bevel with tape, then continue without it.

I'm interested in this because I think I might be almost succeeding in this honing hobby and the tape question has be a little confused.

I hope this isn't hi-jacking the thread!

Originally Posted by LawsonStone

Pardon my interrupting with a newbie honing question.

If you use tape to set the bevel, can you then take it off when you move to the 4K, 8K, and up stones?

I've heard two positions. One is that if you start with tape, you have to always use tape. The other is that you can set the bevel with tape, then continue without it.

I'm interested in this because I think I might be almost succeeding in this honing hobby and the tape question has be a little confused.

I hope this isn't hi-jacking the thread!

IMHO if you use tape when setting the bevel you have to use with higher grits as well. Think mathematically: The bevel vs spine is a triangle. If you use tape with the bevel and then remove the tape with higher grits, you wont be honing the actual cutting edge any more. Just the sides of it. The difference between tape or not is not much; only say 0,5 - 1 degrees but it is enough.
Some people add more tape with higher grits. This will work ok but doesn't polish whole bevel. Only the cutting edge.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Yes ???
Change the tape and move to the 4k hone...

Now is the easy part of honing, you can switch to the Norton Conservative Pyramid or you can stay Progressive from here the choice is yours.....

Once the bevel is set, the rest is sharpening and polishing, keep a light even touch and you'll be fine...

Not only yes but actually I change the tape at each level of honing, bevel, sharpen, polish...
If you are going to use tape "Then use tape right" make sure you change it as you hone, and make sure you put it on evenly, and leave no bubbles or wrinkles... JMHO

There are plenty of people that say to take a step up 1 layer at the polishing stage but honestly I have never seen a bit of difference... that is your choice as well as whether to use tape at all... The only two reasons I told him to use it here are
1. he is new
2. he has been working this razor already no sense in wearing more spine then need be...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

OK now I have the info to help you...


Once the bevel is set, the rest is sharpening and polishing, keep a light even touch and you'll be fine...

Yes, all stones lapped.

I followed your advice. The edge seems keen. It does pass the HHT on entire length, but the shaving test will have to be tomorrow as I'm freshly shaved.

Thank you for your kind and helpful suggestions.

Fingers crossed here for ya Brother !!!!