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So assuming that there is no damage your blade and your razor just needs a touch up, what is your typical touch-up sequence?
I have a full set of Naniwas, so I typically do 5-10 laps on my 8K and 5-10 laps on my 12k. I have had very good results with this sequence. My reasoning is that these are the last two operations I use when honing a razor following bevel setting and sharpening.
Anybody else?
Alembic,
Weekly I do 10 - 30 laps on a hard leather paddle strop dusted with 0.5 micron CrOx.
Monthly I refresh the edge on a 10 or 12 k Naniwa stone, again, 10 - 30 laps followed by the CrOx'd paddle.
In the last month I have been refreshing the edge using 0.25 micron diamond spray on a Spyderco UF bench stone, again followed by the CrOx'd paddle. I have had with great results uising the Spyderco UF like this :)
Have fun !
Best regards
Russ
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alembic
Same as mine, I call it "Drop 2 and go"
Which basically means drop two grit steps from where the razor was honed last, and go hone :)
If it happens to be one I did on naturals (rare for my personal razors) then I use the end sequence of the "One Stone Honing" technique that Lynn and I posted some time back, basically about 20 of those pigtail strokes on light slurry and then dilute out to clear water with X strokes...
Same here. I drop down to the 8k for 10 strokes and then go onto a natural finisher and then onto my daily strop.
It seems there is a pattern:
Drop to the 8K for 10, maybe 5 more reaaaalllly slow ones to damp, PHIG or Naniwa 12k.
Fabric, leather, shave.
Usually the 8k, then an Escher, J nat, or Charnley. Sometimes, I'll break out the Coti in lieu of an 8k, and sometimes, I'll break out the Shoubudani with Nagura and just use that....Like I did yesterday for that big ugly Filarmonica 13 they sold at Classic, I think. It's about 15/16, and does not like taking an edge. It didn't respond well to my Nagura system, so, I'll re set the bevel, and try something else...It shaves like a rusty steak knife....But it looks good.....!
How conform we all are:)
I usually do 5-10 strokes with a hint of slurry, then 10-15 without on my 10K, then on to a finisher.
I tend to strop rather vigorously the first time after touching up, about 60 Linen and 60 leather.
I like to catch my razors at the first hint of roughness before the actual sharpness starts to go so depending on the razor 20 passes on the Coticule or Escher or maybe just the CrO. I don't drop down unless I've let the razor actually begin to dull a tad.
Wow, lots of guys dropping right down to 8k to touchup their razors.....
I try to keep it simple: 3 seperate touchups with chrome (length of time in between indeterminate) before going to a finishing hone. I sometimes let my razors go a little too long before touching them up, and I've never had to drop below a 12k or coti w/ medium-light slurry.
Five strokes on a barber hone and I'm done!
+1. I have one razor that hasn't seen anything but a Swaty for over a year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
When I have a razor that starts to pull a little, I normally will give it 10 light X strokes on either .5 diamond spray on felt or Chromium Oxide. When this quits working, I drop down to 10 light X strokes on a finishing stone followed by the paste or spray. If this doesn't work, then I'll drop down to the 8K or do a quick 1-3, 1-5 pyramid followed by the finishing stone and paste or spray. I have also used either a barber hone or just a finishing stone with success as well.
Have fun,
Lynn
This is what I often call "sneaking up on it." Do a minimal touch up, strop, and shave. If it did the trick, great. If not, then do something a little more aggressive the next time and then shave test that. It's a great way to get a better sense of the sublety of what you are doing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynn
So it's looking so far like there are two main camps.
The is the pragmatic "I know what gets me touched up and I use it consistantly" camp (which I fall into).
Then there is the artists "I work my way back" camp, or as Utopian put it, "the sneak up" method.
I suspect there is a lot of personality that leads people into one camp or the other.
If the razor starts to pull or leave a lot of stubble, I use my PHIG with a moderate slurry, and dilute it as I hone. When it's all said and done, I do a few trailing strokes against a damp stone without slurry, then it's straight after my ugly mug with no stropping. This is, of course, when the edge starts to deteriorate, so it only happens ever three months or so. Sometimes, after a few weeks of stropping only, I'll run the razor over some Flexcut Gold for about 10-15 strokes, then another 20 or so on clean leather. If I do my part, the razor runs buttery smooth over my nightmarish grill.
I still haven't figured out what I like best for touching up. When it works, I like doing nothing at all, but sometimes stropping is required and sometimes some honing. Sometimes the razor talks to me though and I just know what it needs by feel. Honemeisters won't generally get to know their own razors this well, since they hone and shave with so many different razors day in and day out. I strive to be a know-ones-own-razormeister
Usually 4 to 10 laps on a barber hone. Sometimes followed by newspaper.
Usually I find 10 - 20 X laps on a balsa bench strop with CrO sorts it out. If not, about 40 laps on a Peoples Hone and just water, then the CrO.
This thread is very helpful! Thank you all! I'm at the point where I need to touch up my razor (for the second time, the first time I couldn't get it and sent it to SRD for a honing). It's great to see all the different options.
Thanks again!
Ken
Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
Same for me, Why go to extra and unnecessary work?
Some have said the barber hone is more like an 8k grit and not too comfortable to shave off of. I've been shaving the last week with my Leader off the Swaty with Canvas/Leather stropping (no pastes/CrOx, etc.), and getting my best shaves yet. But I'm still a newb.Quote:
Originally Posted by nun2sharp
Anybody here tried Davis' graphite strop trick as a finisher?
20-30 strokes on the Chinese waterstone.
Edit: 12000 grit eliminated :o
I'm new to this 'game' so here's what I just did for my 3rd shave, and it seemed to work great: small pyramid on the 3k-5k; small pyramid on the 5k-8k; and a small pyramid on the 8k-12k. Then 60 laps Linen and 60 Laps leather. This was after I screwed it up stropping for my second shave.
But since I'm such a FNG at this I'll take any advice anyone has to give...?
WP34:)
Sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfpack34
Strop more carefully!
I would guess that you did not need to drop down and do that much. Unless you completely trashed the edge, requiring a bevel re-set, then you probably could have gotten by with the 8k-12k pyramid, though I would have started with just 10 strokes on the 12k alone.
Thanks...My new 'Motto': Rectus gladius ictus non detrimentum vos!
WP34;)
The OP referred to "touching up" a blade that had no issues, wasn't particularly dull, no chips, etc. Early in my breadknifing career I would start over at every honing session and reset the bevel and go from there. After a few five hour honing sessions, a bout of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and severe weight loss issues, I finally wised up. I started thinking a little bit, assessing what shape the blade was in, and doing only what it really needed to be brought back to life. If you're going to give your Corvette a tune-up, you don't rebuild the engine. You do that only after the tune-up when you blow it up at the Drag Strip.
So now I finish from the top down, using the highest numeric grit I have. If that doesn't work, then, but only then, I drop down in grit. I have plenty of work to do, and there is no reason to increase that amount of work.
I try a few laps on a finisher first, and only drop down to a 8k if it is necessary. Many times I just give it a few laps on a Cro pasted strop, if I am lazy to get the stones out.
Hi, Guys,Quote:
Originally Posted by Alembic
I'm getting close to 4 months shaving with my SR once a week. And now I want to refresh the edge because I'm feeling that is not so good as it was before. But I think there are too many information available and I'm getting confused.
What would you guys recommend to start the refresh process? Use a strop with paste/spray?? Or a water stone? A water stone should be a Naniwa 12k?
Thanks a lot!
--
Andre.
if you can afford a nani 12k get that then you wont have to keep sending it out professionally. crox is great on a tight budget but will eventually give up and it will need to be honed but you could probably get away with one honing a year like this. i think most people who have a nani 12k still finish on crox anyway but thats just personal preference the nani gives such a smooth edge anyway its not really necessary
In the time since my last post, I've used barber's hones, Norton 8k's, and a Thuringian to retouch a blade. The Barber's hones give a smoother edge than the Norton 8k. The Thuringian gives the best edge out of what I've used, but can be pricey to get a hold of.
You can go with strops and pastes; plenty of guys do. But they aren't necessary.
If you plan on honing your own razor at any point in your life, you can get a comfortable shave with a little practice and a Norton 8k. From there you can move up if you aren't perfectly happy, but you'll still have a very useful tool at hand.
If you're dead set against doing any honing, then I'd go the paste/spray route.
Peace,
Jim
Yeah, Thanks a lot, guys!
I'll decide what to acquire and then I'll let you know the results! :)
i think quite a few people find the diamond spray a little harsh, crox is much more popular
If stropping doesn't get me back to HHT positive, I look at the bevel with a 20x and 40x loupe. That tells me how much work the bevel needs. Depending on how it looks, I go back to 5 micron, then 1 micron, then 0.3 micron tapes. Sometimes I can skip the 5 micron step if the bevel isn't looking too bad. Then leather strop to finish. I've read differing estimates as to what these micron tapes grit out as, so I just use the micron designations.
My linen strop is covered with Dovo white paste that isn't abrasive. Can I apply CROX over this white layer? Do you guys think it's a good idea? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by bombay
it is not advised to apply it to your everyday strop. make a bench hone from balsa wood would be my suggestion.