Thread: newbie(ish)

OOPS!! Their I go again, making inwarrented assumptions!
I assumed that it was a different blue stone like one that I have.
I am hoping that someone with more experience using the barber hones will help you out on this. Just for starters your razor may be overhoned.

Originally Posted by snaggletooth

I've contacted Tilly and she's advised me that the blue hone is rated coarse/medium and I've added a lithide fine hone to finish off the edge. I'll update you all once I've tried these out.

i might add that Tilly is probably the most helpful person I've ever dealt with through ebay, what a gem.

Originally Posted by snaggletooth

I've contacted Tilly and she's advised me that the blue hone is rated coarse/medium and I've added a lithide fine hone to finish off the edge. I'll update you all once I've tried these out.

i might add that Tilly is probably the most helpful person I've ever dealt with through ebay, what a gem.

Yeah, Tilly is outstanding to do business with. Nice to have someone like her around. She not only sells good products, but is actually familiar with them, and can recommend a product for your particular needs. It's sad, but that seems to be a rare thing. Her speed and service are great, too.

Okay, have now received the blue hone from Tilly.
The hone was actually rated as medium/fine which turned out to be more suited to what I was looking for.
I started off on my new Cyril Salter which I had pretty much turned into a butter knife with my previous ham-fisted efforts. Did a good few passes with a bit of force on the blade, could feel the metal being sheared, then finished off with a twenty or so passes with progressively less weight. I then stropped for forty or so passes on a two sided strop until the blade was actually making a sort of musical note at the end of each pass!
Shaved with it this morning and got the best shave I've had in months, I'm well chuffed with myself!!
Repeated the procedure on my dulled Dovo and now instead of one dulled razor I now have a choice of two excellent razors to choose from each day.
I've got a lithide finishing hone coming from Tilly so I should be able to improve on my efforts.

Thanks to everyone for help and advice.

Contratulations on your honing success, snaggletooth!! I'm in the process of ordering the 3 hone beginner set from Tilly, and I'm curious to know... Did you use the hone dry? Could you be more specific on your two sided strop? Pasted or not? Thanks.

I used the blue hone wet, soaked it for about 15 mins before use. Also, I had a go at refining the edge on the lithide hone I received from Tilly today, dry this time. This resulted in a much better edge, although I'm sure I can improve on the end result.
The strop has a very smooth side and a slightly more abrasive side, on the abrasive side I have added some strop paste (badly) which has resulted in a very shiny black coating on the leather (I'm sure this is now dulling the blade during use). I regret doing this now as the strop cost over £70 and I'm pretty sure that side is ruined.

That 3 hone set looks very good, I may add a rougher one to my set to complete.

I'd agree that Tilly is a joy to deal with! I recently rec'vd a Wester Bros. Med/Fine and a Lithide Fine hone from her. Previously I had only used Arkansas white and black with not too good results. I've recently traded them off to a fellow knife collector. My old razors are slowly improving, but after getting a truly shave ready Imperial razor from Lynn for my benchmark, I realize I have a long way to go. I'm planning now on working on the dullest of them, which has no sentimental attachment, till I can get an acceptable shave from it.