Thread: Will this work until I get a finisher?

I don't hand a finishing done yet, I did just get a barber hone, will this work as a finisher until I can get a new stone or should I just go off the 8k until I have a finisher? I currently have the norton 220/1000, 4000/8000, .5 chromium and diamond sprays? Thanks

-dan-

The barber hone or paste will likely give a finer/smoother edge than the 8k, nut you can get a great shave off just the 8k. My usual advice is not to go higher than the 8k until you can get a good shave off it. If your edge isn't where it needa to be off the 8k, a finer stone wont help you.

Basically what Dylan just said too, you already have a finisher

I keep reading not to go to a finer grit until you can get a good edge off an 8k. If you get a good edge off the 8k what do the finer stones get you? Also is there some number of shaves that take an edge that was finished on 12k down to the equivalent of an 8k?

Finer stones get you broke.

They also get the edge smoother and finer. Basically the difference between shaving hair and removing it with a squeegy effect.

Number of shaves for anything is highly subjective and i don't believe that an edge feels the same progressively as regressively.

Well I went as high as the 8k and chromium, it was sharp (not REAL sharp). Not the worst shave but not really great, need some more practice. Still at least this time the blade got sharper while I honed it and not duller like last time lol. Thanks for the tip, I'll try and get a good shave from the 8k before trying with a 12 or 16k.

-dan-

Was this from factory edge, off buffers, touch up, breadknife?

It was from one I tried to hone before and after that first try it was basically unshavable, so I think I am making progress. I got some tips from lynn this past weekend, so now I'm determined to get this right.

-dan-

Originally Posted by mesker

I keep reading not to go to a finer grit until you can get a good edge off an 8k. If you get a good edge off the 8k what do the finer stones get you? Also is there some number of shaves that take an edge that was finished on 12k down to the equivalent of an 8k?

Well, I can get a decent shave off of a 1k, but that doesn't mean I prefer it. The advice of not moving up from the 8k simply means that you should not try to fix a poor 8k edge with a higher grit. Most critically, you should not move up to any higher grits until the bevel is fully set, whether that is done on a 1k or higher grit hone.

What moving up to a higher grit gets you is a sharper and more importantly, more comfortable shave. The 8k gets you most of the way there, but the higher grits do improve it.

Regarding your last question, no, there is no particular number of shaves that leads to a particular level of degradation. Also, the degradation of the edge is not going to revert it back to the level of a lower grit's edge. The degradation of the edge involves folding and microchipping. It is not a uniform reduction back down to the edge created by the lower grit.

Are you able to remove arm hair after setting the bevel? Along the entire edge length?
Do you have a loupe? How does the edge look?