Honing my ebay cheapo

Hi Guys,

I bought an ebay cheapo to practice my honing on for the first time (so I don't ruin my immaculate Bengal). Thought I would let you know how I got on. I noticed there are a few newbies like me on the forum so maybe people can learn from my experience.

The razor when I received it was in resonable condition but with a few patches on the blade that weren't a perfect edge. I guess you could call them knicks.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWN%3AIT&rd=1

It was also unshavable to the point where shaving with the hone would have produced better results!:D

So, today I did 20 laps on a 1000K japanese waterstone (enough to get a nice straight and even edge). I then preceded to do the conservative pyramid mentioned in another thread on this forum with my 4K and 8K waterstones. i stropped 20 times on the canvas and then 20 times on the leather.

Well, the razor has gone from being unshavable to reasonably good. I could shave with it, which was a nice surprise, but it still drags and is painful. I could have done my whole face but I completed my right cheek and then reverted back to the shavette.

The good thing about this was I got to feel the difference on the edge with my thumb between the blunt and sharper state. I now think I know what i am looking for.

I will do the pyramid again tomorrow and test shave again. Hopefully I will be there next time although I suspect it may take a few pyramids yet.

Catch you all tomorrow

Rob

Good luck Rob.. Looks like you're making great progress :tu

Aye up again Rob, looks like your well in the curve now, keep on being strict with your technique and you will soon see an even more dramatic improvement .

Keep us informed .

Dunk

P.S. The Spireites are catching you..

Sounds like you are making progress, Rob. Keep it us and above all..be patient!

Just done the conservative pyramid again and the razor is even sharper. Managed both to shave both cheeks with it in reasonable comfort this time but it wasn't good enough to do round my chin and top lip.

Do I do another pyramid tomorrow or do I change tack at this stage? Maybe some sets of 1 then 5 on the 4K and 8K respectively?

Advice is appreciated

Rob

Do the arm-hair test.. If hte blade is effortlessly popping hair with every part of the blade (heel, mid, toe) then do a two to four 1-5s, if not, do another pyramid and try again.

to do the arm hait test do i hold it against my skin, like when shaving, or do I hover it above? I have quite long arm hair, it is like a fuzz over my forearms:D

So far so good, you are doing well.

Just use it like a flymo. Don't let it touch your arm. If you can cut hair with out touching your skin you are nearly there.

Peter

Hover above, but not at the very tips. Probably about half-way down.

Try using a 3/5, 1/5,1/5,1/5 next. Then go down to 1/5, 1/5,1/5 after that until it is as sharp as you want it.

When it's really close you can also try a couple times on the 8K side only using 3-5 strokes, then strop and test.

Lynn

Thanks guys,

It isn't cutting any arm hairs yet on the arm hair test. It can't be far off though as it seems to grip the hair so it must be cutting into them to some degree. With a bit of a tug it cuts maybe one or two occasionally.

I will try a 3/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5 next and see what happens. I guess this just takes time and it will get sharper day by day until I am where I want to be. Better to do it slowly than overhone and get into problems I think.

Catch you next time

Hi guys,

I tried a 5/5, 3/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5 last night on my 4K and 8K. A wierd thing happened. The razor feels much sharper on the thub test and has even started cutting arm hair at a few places on the blade (but not all) but the actual shave with it wasn't as good as yesterday. I didn't shower for as long so that may have been a factor but even still it was noticably worse. I will do the same sequence again tonight and prepare better and see what happens.

Anyone got any thoughts on this?

Sounds like it is overhoned. Look though some old post about over honing there is some very good advice about recovering the edge.

Peter

After an outstandingly good workout in the gym (feeling as strong as an ox today) I had another go at honing my razor. Did a 5/5 3/5 3/5 1/5 1/5 1/5. stropped x20 on canvas and then x20 on leather. The razor is popping arm hairs easier now.

Had a nice long shower and tried my blade.

:y :y :y

Managed to shave my whole face in relative comfort today! I have very minor razor burn in a few places but am very pleased, especially after yesterdays failure.

I think I will give it a 1/5 or 1/8 each day now until it is passing all the tests and shaving super smoothly.

Thanks for all your help guys. Any further advise is still appreciated as I am still nowhere near Lynns level.

Did a bit more honing tonight. 3/5 1/5 1/5 1/5.

The edge is still the same, it shaves but is not great. It still sounds like someone striking a match at times.

I just can't seem to get a really good finish.

Don't know where to go from here. Maybe I am over honed?

You'll have to check for that, overhoning that is. How about 5 passes 8K with a little pressure, 5 passes 8K with slight pressure, and then 5 passes 8K with just the weight of the blade. Then strop . . .see if thats any better.

Thanks AFDavis11,

I backhoned for two laps today, didn't think it could do much harm, in order to get rid of any over honing if there was any and then did a full pyramid. The razor is even sharper now. Some parts, like the heel and the toe, are sharper than other bits, such as the middle. I think this is because my razor has a frown, meaning there is a slight bend in the razor edge and the middle bit is narrower in section than the heel and toe. I guess the more I hone the more this slight anomally will come out and straighten up.

Another point to note is I put tape on the spine this time. This slowed down my honing stroke giving me more control as the razor didn't skid across the hone. The razor now easily pops arm hairs in a few places, but not all.

I'm getting close!

Sounds like your getting really close. Exciting isn't it? Sounds like it was a little overhoned. I suspect that more honing, over time, will increase your problem, not eliminate it. Look in the barbers manual (1961) for how to correct this. I'd suggest taking care of it now, simply because shaving with an imperfect edge isn't much fun.

Take note of the possible overhoning, this knowledge is critical in your path to success.

I just gotta say that 8K just is not quite fine enough to
put a good polish on a blade...10K is better. However I have
found that (this is a big surprize) some razors are better then
others.. Had one that I had given up on (had a etching of a
ship on the blade)..So I gave it the full 5 hone treatment..
It still sucked. So got out the Radio shak microscope..And faith and
Gamorah....The crystals structure of the steel was so coarse that
this thing could have been made in Pakistan...put it back into the
"to sell on ebay, as a collector only" pile.....

that extra 2K of fineness seems to make just that "enough" difference
that it is worth the bother....


jim 2k or not 2k in Gold Bar

Did a 1/8 on my 4K and 8K last night and I can now shave quite comfortably with my razor for the first time. I think I was overhoned before.

I watched Lynns DVD and it is excellent and after watching this I had done way too much honing. Once the nicks are out the blade doing the circular movement of honing, a 5/5, 3/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5 is all that is needed to get the edge it seems. After that I guess it is just touching up on the 8K. I am going to try a further set of 10 on the 8K to see if it will go any sharper. I supsect I may need a finishing stone like a coticule or a 10k or 12K waterstone now.

Now I have my ebay cheapo sharp I may move onto my Bengal now I know what I am doing.:)

I removed the frown from the razor with my 1K stone and sharpened it up with 20 circular strokes on the 4K each side followed by a 5/5 3/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 on the 4K/8K.

Will test shave it tomorrow as I had already shaved with the Bengal that is shaping up nicely. I did my honing Lynn style this time, using one hand only. It cirtainly gave me a lighter touch but is much more tricky. The razor is easily popping arm hairs now and passes theHHT in a few places.

Will test shave the ebay cheapo and the bengal again tomorrow.