Thread: StraightRazorDesigns honing process and materials?

I recently purchased a Dovo from SRD and it shaved really well out of the box. Does anyone here know what they do to sharpen them before sending them out? I am about to purchase a Norton set of 220/1000/4000/8000/flattener and was going to get a paddle strop with felt to use the CrOx spray on it as a finisher after the 4000/8000 pyramid. I want to get it at least as sharp as they sent it to me and what better place to ask this question than here.

Last I checked, Don was using the Shapton GS & Lynn was using a Chosera 1K, followed by a Norton 4/8, then some type of polishing stone (he uses several) & then 0.5 diamond on felt.

Crox spray on felt sounds like it would work fine & you really can't go wrong w/ the Nortons. I personally would recommend a D8C for flattening as it would probably last longer & it doubles as a resto stone if you ever get into that.

I'm thinking now to just go ahead and get, along with the Norton stones, a Shrapton 16,000. Would I be able to use the Shrapton in place of the CrOx on a strop? I see that the CrOx is .50 and the Shrapton 16,000 is equivalent to .92 so maybe that won't work?

Both would improve the edge off of the Norton (which should give a very good shave on its own). Normally you'd go to crox (or 0.5 diamond spray) on felt after the SHapton 16, but if you're new & just learning to hone, I'd keep practicing (w/ a razor you don't care about) on the Norton, making sure you get a good shave off of that before going to finishers.

For just maintaining the razors, you'd probably never need go go below the 16k unless you damaged the edge. I'd personally just do that & practice actual honing on an ebay razor for learning--just do touchups on your finisher (8k or 16k), then the felt if you want as needed on your good razors.

No better place to ask, and you've gotten very good advice already. Since I'm a noob at honing myself, just having acquired the Norton stones and a coticule for finishing, and having honed a total of three razors, I've nothing else to add.

By way of commentary, and because it's like the clown's truth*, I'll say this: you have a long way to go and steep learning curve until you get a razor "at least as sharp" as Lynn. I don't speak for him, but he's been honing for ever, has run tens of thousands of razors through stones and developed techniques that have helped many here become good honers, and some outstanding honers. Should any of them speak up, I'm sure they will tell you how long it took them to get consistent results. I don't speak for them either.

My point is that just like you, many of us are awfully enthusiastic about taking a razor to a stone and make magic happen. Until we actually do take a blade to a stone and figure out that it isn't as simple as it seemed. It turns out the magic is not in the stones but in the hands. As it stands, not my hands... yet.

Take to heart the advise of getting a rat razor from the bay and trying your hand at that. I'd love to hear about your thoughts after you try.

Get to YouTube and check out Glen's honing videos (GSSixgun), and be ready to be humbled when you try - he makes it look easy.

Best of luck,


Marcos

*Clown's truth: Something so evident to those around you that nobody thinks of mentioning it. It leaves you in the dark among those who know.

Last I heard Lynn was using an escher primarily as a finisher these days before he goes to diamond spray. I think he's still using the Norton combo as his main workhorse, too.

That's not at all to say that you need an escher worth $100's to put a Lynn-like edge on your razor, as I don't want to give any false impressions. But practice would be a good start

a naniwa 12K would help also. I happen to use at this time the norton 1-4-8K then a naniwa 12K foloowed by crox on balsa and occasionally a .25 diamond spray. Lately I find myself lusting after a 16KShapton as I loved the edge coming off it. Plus it's only $100 compared to 200-500 for a great natural stone that has a lower grit.
Ryan is right though as Lynn talked at the meet up how the 4k-8K is his main workhorse.

Originally Posted by MNDZA

I want to get it at least as sharp as they sent it to me and what better place to ask this question than here.

You're right this is a good place to ask, and another good place to ask if SRD itself if you haven't already
If you are just wanting to maintain the sharpness of the razor they honed for you, you may not need all those hones. Good luck

+1

Buy whatever you wish, certainly. However, that's a lot of stones. That set does extreme restoration all the way to finishing. For touching up, maybe you want a Naniwa 12k or a Barber's Hone.

On the other hand, if you really are intent on honing....then delay buying a finisher until you know how to use the 8k. You should be able to polish your honed edges well enough with this to get a really comfortable shave. A poorly sharpened edge that has been polished and finished well....is still a poorly sharpened edge. Better to hear the truth than to think you're doing something wrong for a while, and burning through razors too. One step at a time.

Thanks for all the great advice. I'm kinda lost now that I think of the reality of how hard it will be to do this kind of work. So if I just want to keep resharpening to maintain the great edge that my razor now has, should I just stick with the Shrapton 16,000 and CrOx on felt afterward? Should I just skip the 220/1000/4000/8000 for now if I only need to resharpen or will I need the 4000/8000 anyway?