Something wrong is going on

Hello !

I bought a 1961 Soviet/Russian straight razor from ebay , as well as a sharpening stone :
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...#ht_2125wt_999

The issue is , I havr been honing it for 4 hours , without it getting sharp enough . I did all the tests ( falling hair , wet thumb , shaving arm hair ) and it is not sharp enough . At one point , I tried shaving some arm hair and it did cut one . Feeling optimistic , I went and shaved half of my face , with some success . I went back to the stone , and continued sharpening . The issue now is I suspect the stone is not fine enough , or I have been doing something very wrong . Any help ? If any honemesiters in Canada (I am in Halifax , Nova Scotia) , that would hone it for me it would be greatly appreciated as well ! Thanks !

That looks like a low grit knife sharpening stone to me, but assuming they are honest in their grit ratings...

1) 3000 grit is a bit low to shave off of
2) Your bevel is not set off the 1k.

Sorry to tell you the "razor" sharpening stone sold to you may not be that suitable.
I certainly never heard of it and it does not look trustworthy. And it is definitely not fine enough for you to shave off comfortably.

I recommend to you the following.
First, get your razor fixed by a honemeister. He will sharpen it for you properly, so you can see for yourself what a good edge should be like.
Then get a couple of good stones, recommended stones if you wish to learn sharpening.
An example would be a norton set of 1.000, 4.000 and 8.000.
Learning to sharpen a razor (and shaving with it anyway) is a great experience that takes patience and many trials, so hang in there

That stone looks like those coarse 220/320 knife stones, it is not good for razors.

Nothing wrong.
You got good one.
if you check posts about russian razor you will see.
They are PITA TO HONE it but when you get it done
you will love it

Hello hi_bud,
you are referring to the razor as good, not the stone, right?
It is a bit confusing, since I believe not the razor is the problem, but the stone!

btw. the brand of the stone (I just realized) is known (and feared) among straight razor users in Germany.
My personal experience is: stay away

Hi Lesslemming
I am talking about the razor.
Russian razors do have very hard steel. (Not all of them but good ones do).
honing them will take some time.
i was talking about the razor not stone.is he trying to use this stone and sharpen the razor?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lesslemming

Hello hi_bud,
you are referring to the razor as good, not the stone, right?
It is a bit confusing, since I believe not the razor is the problem, but the stone!

btw. the brand of the stone (I just realized) is known (and feared) among straight razor users in Germany.
My personal experience is: stay away

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Heres the razor folks :
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...T#ht_500wt_922

I just finished shaving ! My face burns :) after 5 and a half hours of honing , the blade is semi shaveabl3 ! I feel like throwing tjis crappy stone in the garbage or save it for knives . Anyone have experience with electric straight razor sharpeners ? I found one locally at a bargain !

Please don't try to hone it anymore, you will only ruin it! And forget about an electric sharpener.
Have it honed professionally.

PM sent...

Also stropping helps. When I honed my razor it never passes the hair tests. After I strop about 100 times only then it will pass the HHT.

Quote:

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i was talking about the razor not stone.is he trying to use this stone and sharpen the razor?

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Apparently yes!

Please Gax,
learn about honing before you ruin a perfectly fine razor.
Get it sharpened professionally so you know what it is supposed to be like.
Meanwhile read the Honing 101 on the Wiki and learn what to do, and what not to do.
Using unknown stones is something you do not do.
Using an electrical device for honing your razor is something you r e a l l y do not do

I have been in contact with the OP. He is sending it to a honer in Canada where he is from. This is good news that he has learned his limits and doesn't want to damage the razor.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gax1985

Heres the razor folks :
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...T#ht_500wt_922

I just finished shaving ! My face burns :) after 5 and a half hours of honing , the blade is semi shaveabl3 ! I feel like throwing tjis crappy stone in the garbage or save it for knives . Anyone have experience with electric straight razor sharpeners ? I found one locally at a bargain !

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Ah, that's just rubbing it in.

I tried to get that razor with a snipe, but obviously, your max bid was higher. Congrats, I hope you enjoy it. I really love those scales.