Thread: Norton hone help

I've done the longer pyramid and then if the razor still needed more went to the abbreviated one in 'alternative approaches' and maybe repeated that if I needed to. Until the razor pops arm or leg hair without touching the skin, I don't even try shaving with it. Just the way I go about it. Everyone is going to have their own preferences.

I for the first time shaved a finger size hair test shave..lol..didnt feel a thing,,,,so thats probably the interpretation of shave ready and keen enough..I always that no 2 razors can produce the EXACT edge..and yea interpretations vary..im a hairy guy...lol..so popping and shaving to me are the same...felt very smooth and easy..I have 4 razors..1 is Swedish Steel...1 is American..1 is German..1 is Japanese..kamisori..and 1 is a GD
In any event if I miss spots after waiting 3 days to shave again..that might be an indicator

It's really depends where your razors are at to begin with. That will indicate where you need to start, hone wise. I'm in the "less is more" camp. In other words, I use the least amount possible to get the razor shave ready. If that means, I can touch it up with 10 lapps on .50 diamond on felt, or 20 or so lapps on my Escher, that's what I do. For some time now, I've been using an Escher almost exclusively. Works great, and can actually do quite a lot when you use the rubbing stone to creat a slurry. I only reset bevels if they absolutely need to be reset. Invest in a Jeweler's loupe. That'll help you check out the bevels too.

Remember, each time you go to the rocks, your leaving some of your razor behind. Especially with the lower grit hones.

Originally Posted by smalltank

I have 4 razors..1 is Swedish Steel...1 is American..1 is German..1 is Japanese..kamisori..and 1 is a GD
In any event if I miss spots after waiting 3 days to shave again..that might be an indicator

I thought you had two German razors...

If you can pop or shave your arm hair at the skin level from heel to toe then don't do back to the 1K side as your bevel is set.

Now to the Norton 4/8:
Sharpen the razor on the 4K side, maybe 20-30 strokes and then move to the 8K side. Does metal show up on the 8K level, black swarf on the stone? If so you went to the 8K too early and need to go back to the 4K side. You should only need 30 strokes or so on the 8K when you're ready to be there. If you see black on there at all then you need to move back to the 4K. When using the 8K side you should only be seeing clear water on the stone.

Nortons need to be lapped so they feel glassy smooth all over the surface.

For MY arm hair (I have dark heavy Italian hair) I use these markers for level tests:
1k level shaves arm hair from heel to toe
4K level can shave arm hair from heel to toe above skin level, mid length, should pop.
8K level should pop hairs above skin level again but smoother, more silently. It depends on your hair, we're all different.

I would only shave off the 8K level when testing, do not test your edge on the 12K level. Once you have a good shave, smooth faced, then you can move to the 12K level and put icing on the cake. 12K isn't a sharpening level so if you're shaving isn't good enough yet then don't move to the 12K.

I like using a jewler's loupe when I hone, nothing big. They cost about 10$ and you can see how you're progressing through your stones. you can check the bevel after the 1K and see if you have little chips on the edge that need to be worked out. Sometimes these little chips aren't seen with the naked eye but are there when looking through the loupe which means you need to even that out even if you're shaving arm hair on the 1K. If not you progress upward and the chips can become brittle and break down becoming worse, making the shave test not so good. Then you went all the way to the 8K level with chips and need to start over again.

You can also see as you move through the hones if you're removing the previous stones scratch marks from the heel all the way to the toe. This can help you guide on how you're making your honing strokes.

PRESSURE: keep in mind the higher grit you're using on the stone the lighter pressure you need to use or you can damage the edge. Also finish on each stone with very light strokes to make the edge ready for the next level.

Very nice write up Nick....

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Very nice write up Nick....

+1 Excellent, concise comment.

Question: Can you describe what is meant by hair "popping"? I have seen others write that, but am not quite sure what it means.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by blitzt

+1 Excellent, concise comment.

Question: Can you describe what is meant by hair "popping"? I have seen others write that, but am not quite sure what it means.

Thanks.

For me its as soon as I touch the razor to the hair you'll hear the hair cut and fall away, it jumps as its cut.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Very nice write up Nick....

+1 Nice Job!

Watch your arm hair, though. Could end up with bald spots on your arms. I also sharpen my knives, and if they shave arm hair, they're sharp enough. My wife loves my hairy arms and she gets upset with the bald spots.