Thread: Does Shaving Performance Help Identify Honing PRoblems?

I'm enjoying honing razors and then shaving with them. When a razor isn't quite what I want, I tend just to go "down the progression" a couple steps and come back up. Maybe drop to the 8K, then 12K etc.

This got me thinking, which often is a bad sign.

Are there distinctive problems a razor might have, felt by the shaver, that can be associated with specific problems in honing?

For example, we say a razor that cuts hair but irritates is sharp but not smooth, which means more work on the finishing stones.

Are there other "diagnostics" in the shave that would tell me where I went wrong in the honing?

I realize this assumes I'm using good shave preparation, good touch, angle, technique, etc. I just wonder sometimes if a poorly set bevel, for example, would have a different feeling on the face than a good bevel that didn't get enough work on the 5K stone? Or fine on the 5K, but poorly finished? Or, is there a shaving situation where you would say "Hey, this razor needs 25 laps on a CrOx pasted strop" even if you didn't normally do that?

I hope this is clear--I'm just wondering if it's possible to correlate particular problems shaving with particular issues in honing, or if it's more trial and error.

Lawson, I enjoy reading your posts. Thank you.

Like most of us I have and still am learning from the book of hard knocks. The best I can tell you is that I have found trouble shooting honing problems to be similar to honing tests in that you need to develop your own cues to what's happening. You know what you are feeling in the shave so give your razor a good inspection to see if you can notice anything out of the ordinary. A microscope, loop or other magnification can assist here but don't let the extra close view take you into the weeds.

Look for wire edge (a thin foil coming off the edge, maybe wavy), chips, reflections off the edge itself, rolled edge, extra rough scratches. Go back one or two hones, maybe the 4k. Give it ~ 20 circles followed by 10 laps and move up the hones to your finisher. Give it an other look under magnification before and after stropping. Note any differences. Give it a shave test and note the results and develop your conclusions to the cause if the shave is better. To me, if it doesn't shave the way I like I just invest a few more circles and laps till it is where I like it. I really don't care why. If it's still not there I try different hones based on what I observed to that point. I really don't know of a better way that just 'Gets 'er done and done right!'.

It's hard to come up with a standard list of issues and solutions because every razor is different and the condition it's in can vary by so much. Also are we talking major restoration problems or touchup issues?

I usually access the physical condition of the razor and then decide what the general condition is and have a look with the magnifier and from there I know how far back I need to go and how big a job is needed.

Sure there are some obvious issues like chips and warps and crumbling edges and rust on the edge and wire edges and similar but usually it's a matter of developing a general routine to match the condition and then altering it to suit the razor you're working on.

Too bad you can't compare your edge to a picture of similar and get exact instructions on how to proceed and what to use. That would make it easy.

for me ive noticed that the sharp but not smooth edges come from the man made hones.

Natural stones give me a great shave( like the man made) but they feel smoother to my face.

I think ive noticed other members saying this too. But either way it just the way things work for my face, ive got no clue why it feels better tho.

I agree with Basil here.

I like the 12k Naniwa as a synthetic finisher more than the 16k Shapton, which can feel kinda harsh. But just swapping over to a coticule (which is less than 12k grit) makes the edge way smoother.

My absolute favourite finisher is my Nakayama Maruichi. I just love the edges off that stone, they're unbelievably sharp and smooth as silk. It doesnt even feel like theres an edge on your skin, just this feeling of the hairs being wiped effortlessly away.