Better of two lapping options
As an avid home cook and habitual perfectionist, I've been maintaining my kitchen knives (and other tools) for years on a series of DMT sharpening stones, ranging from 325 to 1200 grit, with outstanding results. While researching straight razor shaving in advance of my first equipment purchase earlier this year, however, I was amazed to find that you folks (now "we folks", I guess:)) start sharpening razors where I stop sharpening my knives.
After reading some more about the honing process and equipment, and having become a loyal DMT fan, I ordered an 8K DMT hone (D8EE) along with my razor. Upon arrival, when I finished marveling at the insanely smooth surface of the hone, I was able to develop a nice edge on my razor, switch to the strop, and shave. I've been happily stropping and shaving all summer.
I mentioned in another thread that one of my difficulties as a new shaver continues to be shaving against the grain of my beard. A fellow SRP member suggested that I might be more successful with a sharper razor, honed with a 12K hone (http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...tml#post835723).
Again, I've had to readjust my understanding of what 'sharp' is, and have spent the last few hours learning more about the ultra-fine (10K+) hones that I'd previously decided were overkill for my application. I'm convinced at this point that it's worth the investment to add such a hone to my toolbox, though I have a question - rather, two questions - about lapping my soon-to-be new hone.
Firstly, I've read that some folks use a 325 grid DMT stone as a lap. Given my predilection for DMT, I'm leaning that way. Fortunately, I have just such a stone already, for sharpening my kindling axe (you guys will appreciate these: Grnsfors Bruks). Unfortunately, it's only a 6" model (W6CP), which is smaller than the hones I'm considering. Therefore my initial question is:
QUESTION 1: Can I use a lapping stone that is smaller in size than the hone I am lapping?
My gut tells me that the lapping stone should be larger than the hone, to avoid uneven wear during the lapping process. I also observe, however, that the Shapton Diamond Glass Lapping Plate is the same size at the Glass Stone hones that it is designed to lap. So, if it's OK to tolerate less than 100% contact between the stone/plate and hone during lapping, I'll use the 6" 325 grit DMT that I already have.
If the 6" isn't advisable, I'll probably use the sandpaper method, at least for a while, to save some money. I have some 800 grit water paper in my workshop already, which should do the trick. (Many thanks to Josh Earl for his excellent Wiki page on lapping.) This, however, leads me to my second question.
In the end stages of the honing process, precision is key. To a layman (which I still am), using a stone, to flatten another stone, to get a sharp edge on a blade, is pretty obsessive (yet necessary, I agree). It strikes me as odd - nay, inconsistent - that people choose to lap their hones using a counter top, marble tile, piece of glass, or even slab of plastic, according to various posts on this site. Maybe these things are flatter than I think they are, but not as flat, I suspect, as a well-lapped hone. Thus, my second question is:
QUESTION 2: Why is it acceptable to lap a hone to perfect flatness on something as presumably un-flat as a countertop or a tile from the home center?
If the countertop method works, I'm all for it. I'm one guy, with one razor, who will hone infrequently. I can tolerate the infrequent mess and/or difficulty of using sandpaper to avoid having to buy a lapping plate. Nonetheless, when I do lap/hone, I want the results to be perfect. There's no sense in buying the hone in the first place if I'm not going to lap it flat.
If you're still with me, thanks for making it to the end, and for your advice.