When to move from the 4k to the 8K
So, I am still working on these ebay cheapies, and first off let me say a HUGE thanks to everyone who has offered advice and helped get me this far in the process of figuring out honing.
My question is kind of specific to signs that it might be time to move from a 4k to an 8k hone.
Here is where I am at:
I got a set of Beauty and Barber straights from eboy. (before anyone chimes in, YES, I know they are bad...... but I am using them to work on my honing skills). I am Working on one at a time, so all of this applies to one blade.
I have a very coarse stone (honestly not sure what grit... but probably 200-300 ish) that I have used to set the bevel. I am able to cut arm hair well with it, it passes the thumb nail test, the TPT (to the best of my knowledge, I do feel it biting, and there are no "smooth" spots, sharp all the way down).
I moved on to my 4K, with a slurry and worked it, slowly reducing the slurry until none. It seemd to get duller.
so I went back and worked the bevel some more. I am fairly certain I have the bevel set correctly (it took aout 45 min WITH pressure), and I went back and worked the 4k again.
Here is what I am noticing:
Blade seems to be making excellent contact with stone. I am definitly getting the squeegee effect. I can feel "suction" on the blade as I do my passes, and it is actually undercutting the water down most of the edge (water is flowing up onto the razor as I do passes).
I honestly didnt count the amount of laps I did (probably in the ballpark of 100) and I moved up to the 8K. same thing... great contact, squeegee effect, undercutting the water on the stone, so I did about 50-75 passes on the 8k, until it "felt done".
then I did 25 on the chromium ox (.3 micron) and 25 on the Iron Ore (.1 micron) and did a bit of stropping (probably 60).
It did shave. which is a miracle with this thing, but it certainly wasnt anywhere near as nice as my honed razors from Whipped Dog or my wapi from Slartibartfast.
I am thinking I should go back and do more time on the 4k, to really get that edge dialed in...... so how does one know when you are done with the 4k? are there any clues?
Or are pyramids the answer here? and if so, I would still be curious as to what to look for to know I am there? anyting? Shy of shaving with it?
FWIW, I have NEVER been ablt to pass a HHT with this blade, and that was my goal until I kept reading that sometimes is just doesnt happen. My Wapi passes the HHT flawlessly, my two shave readys from Whipped Dog dont, but shave wonderfully, so I am not really sold on that being an indicator of a shave ready blade.
Any help is appreciated.
BTW: sorry for being so winded. :boohoo: