My journey into honing so far.

Recently I have been trying my hand at honing a Vintage Ebay Razor "Allen & Son Sheffield" It has a smile and had to be sanded and polished leaving it totally blunt.

My initial attempts (about 4) have not produced an edge which gives a comfortable shave but each trial has shown an improvement. Most recently I changed the position from being in line with me to being perpendicular so I'm honing towards and away rather than left and right. I have found this to be an easier way to maintain a light touch.

My honing set up is minimalist; a king 1/6K combination stone, a Dragons Tongue (properly lapped) and a Chromium oxide balsa paddle strop.

I am currently practising the rolling x, circles and so forth. Putting in the occasional opposite (stropping) stroke and building a feel for the hones.

My progression is 1k, 6k with slurry, 6k without slurry, DT with slurry,DT without, 10 laps on the Cr2O3 strop.

A couple of days ago I did a test shave before the Cr2O3 but last night I did one after, while the edge improved it wasn't much better, however I made the following observations.

1. About the last 8mm to the toe of this razor is properly sharp as is the 6mm from the heal.
2. Knowing point 1 means that I know my hones are capable of producing an appropriate edge.
3. Knowing point 1 also means that I know the steel is capable of taking an appropriate edge.
4. Knowing points 1, 2 & 3 means that the problem currently lies between the stone and the chair.

I hold a black belt in a martial arts system based on Tae Kwon Do, one of the tenants of which is perseverance :D

So far I'm happy with my progress and the next things I know need to try are:-

1. Marker test.
2. Re-setting the bevel.
3. I've been advised to look into using a figure 8 pattern, any info on that would be appreciated.

But also I'm open to suggestions and observations.

Being in Martial Arts should help as you know the importance of repetition to develop muscle memory...
Honing is much the same..

But you have to break it down just like you learned martial arts...

You build upon the the base

In honing the base is the bevel, to continue on from the bevel without getting it perfect first, would be the same as learning a technique without having learned a proper stance, a weak base, makes for a weak outcome...

Go back to the 1k and stay right there until that edge is sharper than any knife you have ever touched from toe to heel that creates the base to build upon... Most of us consider the bevel set when it will pop hair on the arm at the skin level (Some people can't do this with a proper bevel) Once you have that bevel everything else just refines it... I have said this before, as well as many others "90% of honing is in the bevel"

I have never used a figure 8 pattern but I use Lynn's Circle technique to near 100% success... Look at the webcast vids for a live demo...


BTW yes I instruct :

http://straightrazorpalace.com/conversation/21767-lifetime-goal-accomplished.html

Many thanks Glen,

I had indeed spotted the muscle memory aspect and decided that I need to re-address the initial bevel i.e. the base to build from.

As with MA I recognise the importance of learning it correctly and not repeatedly practising the techniques incorrectly.

Congratulations on achieving your goal and in the intervening couple of years I'm sure you have guided more students to their Blackbelt and beyond. A good student is usually the result of a good teacher!

My instructor studied TKD prior to the introduction of sinewave then went on to train in Wing Tsung, Jujitsu, Boxing, Mauy Thai, Savate and Escrima then along with a Karate guy who followed a similar route started teaching a blended style which grades using TKD patterns but uses hip twist to develop power and includes ground fighting and elements from all the other styles he has studied.

Bit if a late post but still time for a quick whisky.

Tonight's progress

- Stoned Re-lapped to 1200 Grit
- Bevel set using circles
- Improved sharpness along the blade as a whole but a slight reduction at the toe.
- The test shave showed the razor to be appreciably sharper but not as smooth as I would like but I did not use the crox, so that may be the feel I want.

The marker test showed that I was indeed getting the bevel along the length :)

I am happy that the bevel is fine so I'll start on the 6K with a slurry next time.

I am a little concerned that the DT appears to release the occasional particle of what I would can best describe as a visible size. Not big enough to feel gritty to the finger but I think I feel a slight catch/scratch while honing.

I may get a Chinese 12k from The Invisible Edge partly as a comparison but mostly because it is 25mm thick and I find the 12mm thickness of the DT quite tricky.

Wax on, wax off.