Thread: Scratch Patterns on Edge

Hey guys I have another question on my honing. I spent alot of time last weekend working on a couple razors with your help from your posts and have them shaving good. Got little razor burn when I shaved but im new so still alot to learn on just shaving. My razor was really nice to use just figure razor burn is skin getting used to it and bad tecnique. Last night i got a jewlers loop and started looking at the edges on my razors and could see a few deeper scratches on the edge that looked liked I had not spent enough time on the 4k norton before moving to the 8k side. On this razors i wint from 250 to 1000 to 4k to 8k. I did not move from the 1000 untill it would shave hair on arm and then went to the 4k8k. Im nervous about using to much pressure so my strokes are really light on the 4k 8k stone and i cant see scratches with just my cheaters and thats all I had at that time. Do you think I a should go back to the 4k untill in has an even scratch pattern looking at it through a 15x jewlers loop or is that just being anal about it. I really enjoy the hoing though and unless i get some more razors to hone im going to wind up with no blade left on the ones I have. I wish i had a honemiester living next door, Thanks for any help
Glenn

Were you removing some damage on the 250? If not, I think it is overkill to go below your 1k.

Light even pressure is important. Why not try doing some conservative pyramids.

Pyramid honing guide - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Originally Posted by rgc58

Hey guys I have another question on my honing. I spent alot of time last weekend working on a couple razors with your help from your posts and have them shaving good. Got little razor burn when I shaved but im new so still alot to learn on just shaving. My razor was really nice to use just figure razor burn is skin getting used to it and bad tecnique. Last night i got a jewlers loop and started looking at the edges on my razors and could see a few deeper scratches on the edge that looked liked I had not spent enough time on the 4k norton before moving to the 8k side. On this razors i wint from 250 to 1000 to 4k to 8k. I did not move from the 1000 untill it would shave hair on arm and then went to the 4k8k. Im nervous about using to much pressure so my strokes are really light on the 4k 8k stone and i cant see scratches with just my cheaters and thats all I had at that time. Do you think I a should go back to the 4k untill in has an even scratch pattern looking at it through a 15x jewlers loop or is that just being anal about it. I really enjoy the hoing though and unless i get some more razors to hone im going to wind up with no blade left on the ones I have. I wish i had a honemiester living next door, Thanks for any help
Glenn

I was removing some chips from the edge. I got the razor off ebay it is a Mauser with 3 monkeys on one side solengen on the other. Im not sure of the quality of it but it was my first razor to buy on ebay and it looks pretty nice now that i cleaned it up. I got the nicks out on wet dry sandpaper and they were about 1/32 deep so i took off about that much of the blade off on the sandpaper. It was straight but dull when I started on the 250 stone. I put 3 piecies of tape on the spine and started honing. When it looked and felt as though i was getting closer to having an edge i removed 1 piece of the tape and kept going on the 250 untill i git to 1 piece of tape and a bit of an edge but it would not cut hair. Thats when I moved to the 1000 still using 1 piece of tape and honed untill the edge would cut hair on my arm nicely but mabey I left some scratches in it from the 250 grit stone. I honed it on the 4k 8k using a pyramid of 25 20 15 10 5 and then a few more for luck and sometimes my counting was probly a little off with almost no pressure because of what ive read about overhonig. I know i have alot to learn and really like to do it. I figure all the great honemiesters had to one day start on thier first razors also so theres hope for me
Glenn

I wouldn't worry about overhoning. Yes it is possible, but it does take a bit. Have you watched the youtube videos put up by gssoixgun? or the one I put up of him at last years NW meet?
you will learn a lot there and even more if you make it to the meets.

Thanks Gerrit I will watch those for sure and i hope to be able to make it to some functions and get a chance to see the big boys in action on the hones
Glenn

250 ? i don't which stone is 250 grit?
Slartibartfast is correct about starting on 1k when you hone a straight razor.
My personal advice to you will be Don't pay attention to scratch marks.
if you start to learn by checking them and moving forward from one grit to next then you will waste a lot time.
check the sharpness of the edge and move forward.
hope this helps.

It's a king combination stone that I have for woodworking tools 250 1000. I just find it really interesting to look at the edge and try and get it better almost wish I had microscope to goof around with. I'm getting better at the tpt now though.

Just for now I would invest in a little 600 grit wet/dry until you get a stone between the 250 and the 1000.

I dont think the 250 needs used at all.

1000 should be sufficient and cutting power can be increased if you build a slurry on top of it.

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

Just for now I would invest in a little 600 grit wet/dry until you get a stone between the 250 and the 1000.

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

I dont think the 250 needs used at all.

1000 should be sufficient and cutting power can be increased if you build a slurry on top of it.

I agree and I didn't word my post well. I was suggesting that he use the 600 for chips and not the 250. Sorry for the poor wording.

I have not assisted near as many new honers as Ben, but I try not to suggest another variable like slurry into the mix since one persons thick slurry could be another persons thin. I also want to make this easier on Glenn since he is learning to hone and shave at the same time.