Thread: Issues with a near wedge. Please advise.

Just a little update: Although initial tests on arm hair seemed magical, I overestimated it's keenness. lol. She wasn't quite prepared for a shave test. I may head back to the Norton's this evening, and see if I can't work that bevel some more. I could tell in comparing it to my "member honed" blade, that it wasn't quite there yet, but just had to give it a shot. I think the bevel could use a little more conformity, and I'll spend some extra time one the finisher when I get to it. Thanks again to everyone!

Originally Posted by regularjoe

Just a little update: I think the bevel could use a little more conformity, and I'll spend some extra time one the finisher when I get to it. Thanks again to everyone!

I think you need to spend more time on the 1k . When I restore an edge , I set the bevel on the 1k using a little pressure until the edge feels sharp . Then while still on the 1k , I hone with only enough pressure to keep the edge and spine in contact with the hone , until the edge will cut arm hair ABOVE skin level , along the entire length of the edge . Then I move to the 4k to refine the edge , and hone on the 4k until I feel suction between the blade , and the hone . At this point I move to the 8k and give it 5 laps . I've found that 5 laps on the 8k and higher grits is all I usually need , and that too many laps on the high grit hones are detrimental .

Originally Posted by regularjoe

Just a little update: Although initial tests on arm hair seemed magical, I overestimated it's keenness. lol. She wasn't quite prepared for a shave test. I may head back to the Norton's this evening, and see if I can't work that bevel some more. I could tell in comparing it to my "member honed" blade, that it wasn't quite there yet, but just had to give it a shot. I think the bevel could use a little more conformity, and I'll spend some extra time one the finisher when I get to it. Thanks again to everyone!

You are not that far from me. I drove by your town on the way home from Chicago yesterday. You are welcome to come to Cape Girardeau any time and I'll be happy to help you and share all the hones over here with you.

Have fun.

Thanks Lynn, I'm gonna make that trip one of these days. I won't be able to make the trip until around the holidays though(Dec18-Jan4), and I know how busy everyone gets. I wanted to go to the Chicago thing, but time gets away from me. Thanks again for the offer. If you'll be available in between those dates, please let me know, cause I'll be there for sure.

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I think you need to spend more time on the 1k . When I restore an edge , I set the bevel on the 1k using a little pressure until the edge feels sharp . Then while still on the 1k , I hone with only enough pressure to keep the edge and spine in contact with the hone , until the edge will cut arm hair ABOVE skin level , along the entire length of the edge . Then I move to the 4k to refine the edge , and hone on the 4k until I feel suction between the blade , and the hone . At this point I move to the 8k and give it 5 laps . I've found that 5 laps on the 8k and higher grits is all I usually need , and that too many laps on the high grit hones are detrimental

Thanks Dave, this info is leagues beyond my current capabilities. I think I'm gonna print it and set it by the stones while I'm honing. Right now, I'm just doing my best to notice the different types of feedback, and using everyone's input to decipher it all. Does it matter if i brush the blade across the arm hair ATG or WTG? Should it cut smoothly in both directions on arm hair? My blade only grabs WTG hairs, and that's at skin level. It's a good time anyways. Learning a skill like this is pretty rewarding. Every little fraction of sharpness makes my day. haha.

ATG or WTG , it will work either way . The bevel is formed on the 1k , some people say they can form a bevel on the 4k , but when I tried it I soon realized that there isn't enough time in the world , for me to do it . Maybe they use their 4k differently than I do mine . How long it will take to form the bevel on the 1k will depend on the hardness of the steel , and the condition the edge is in . I hope you can meet with Lynn , soon . It's your golden opportunity to learn from a master razor honer . I'm certain that , one afternoon with Lynn will save you literally months of trial and error of learning on your own .

Success!!! One layer of tape, twenty strokes on the orange side of my India stone, followed by 20 strokes on the hindostan, then about fifty strokes on the strop put me in a really good place with this one. Looking at it under a magnifying glass (it was free, don't judge me), showed what looks like a reasonably good edge to a noob. I spent some extra time on whisker prep, and got a very pleasant shave. I really liked the way this little wedge felt compared to my hollow ground. Very rewarding morning!

I'm happy to hear that you've made progress with your razor . I mistakenly thought you were honing with a Norton 220/1k , and 4k/8k , so I may have confused you a little , with my advice . I know what a Norton India hone is , but I've never heard of a Hindostan . Who makes it , and what is the grit size ?

Well really this Hindostan is kind of up for debate. It's a stone that was quarried in Indiana in the late 1800's up until I'm thinking about 1970. I asked about it on here, but there isn't much information about it. I think it was estimated at around 10-12k. Neil Miller, IIRC, had one up for sale, and most of my info pertaining to the Hindostan's use on razors was gleaned from his advertisement. If you search it on SRP, you'll come up with three posts from me, one from Geezer, and a couple from a guy who I guess moved on. He was using an old Indiana geological survey map to find more, and sending it out to honemiesters for evaluation in 2010. Nobody ever did a review on it though. Back in the day, I think they mainly used it with oil, but I cleaned it, lapped it, and use water. My description might not be worth much, since I'm still pretty inexperienced, but here goes. Seems very hard, very dense(super heavy for it's size), and feels like glass to the touch. Mr. Miller, IIRC, said it's a slow cutter, good for final polish, and recommended using water. I've got some pics of it in a post titled "three old hones, three old questions". They were before I lapped it or cleaned it, but show it's major characteristics well enough I think. If you want a pic of it after boiling, easy off, and lapping just let me know.

Your information was great man. I still have the Nortons, and I still have plenty razors to use your advice on. I couldn't follow it to the letter, since I wasn't on the right stones for it this time, but trust me, I'll use it. I did start with the Norton waterstones, and was asking advice on them and/or on me, in the OP.

I googled "Hindostan whet stone" , and found more info on the stone . The stone is very hard , dense , sedimentary rock that was formed 350 million years ago . Although the rock made an excellent hone , it's also famous for the tombstones that were made from it . They are noted for their extreme durability , and were made from around 1815-1850 , when they were eventually replaced by marble .