Thread: Very smooth but not sharp

Some razors that I have honed have ended up with an extremely sharp edge, but not smooth. A hair just has to see an edge like this and it pops. But shaving with this edge results in red skin and pain. I imagine microscopically this edge would look jaggerd.

But yesterday I honed a Ganco razor that ended up the opposite. The progression I used was a 1k until it shaved arm hair, 3k naniwa until it shaved arm hair with no pressure, just a tiny bit above the skin. Then I did sets of 20 laps on an 8k naniwa until it would pop hair all along the edge. After that I did 100 laps on an 18cm by 4cm coticule. I did a test shave on my dry cheek and it pulled a little, so I went back to another 20 laps on the 8k and another 100 laps on the coti.

The result was an edge that felt extremely smooth, but it pulled a little. Even with pulling a little it gave a great shave I think because it was so smooth. I would like it to be sharp, so it easily glides through whiskers but remain smooth.

I would like to know, did I do something wrong in my honing progression? What would you suggest to get it sharp as well as smooth?

Usually when that happens to me, I drop back down to my Naniwa 8k or my Naniwa 5k and then run back up.

try a pyramid with 5k 8k then finisher .

Nathan,

I had the same problem with my Dovo EnVogue stainless

I went back to the Naniwa 3k, did 5 back-hone laps, then did a 'light' progression with the Naniwa 3 & 8k, followed by finishing on a Naniwa 12k & CrOx on a leather bench hone.

Good luck

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Originally Posted by PhatMan

Nathan,

I had the same problem with my Dovo EnVogue stainless

I went back to the Naniwa 3k, did 5 back-hone laps, then did a 'light' progression with the Naniwa 3 & 8k, followed by finishing on a Naniwa 12k & CrOx on a leather bench hone.

Good luck

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

More like Russ said. You will need to go higher than 8K to finish smooth. CrOx is good for smoothing out an edge prior to plain leather stropping. I'm at the halfway mark at 8K.
my 2c
MIke

Originally Posted by MODINE

More like Russ said. You will need to go higher than 8K to finish smooth.

I disagree with that, but I suppose it'll vary from person to person. I get close, smooth shaves off my Naniwa 8k, and I've done it off the Norton 8k, Naniwa 5k, Dragon's Tongue, and BBW's before (to name a few other stones in the 8k range).