- I seem to have the blade sharper on one side than the other and not sure if this is due to stropping or honing. Has anyone had this problem before and what was the solution? The side that it is "dullest" on is the side that needs a bit more honing, but you can't just hone one side. I would recommend going back to the 4K and do 5 circles each way (cw & ccw) on each side, followed with 10x each side, then move back to the 8K. Should straighten you out. Remember...no pressure, just the weight of the blade. I commend you on not using pastes and the such as they can mask issues when learning to hone.
- I have managed to go with the grain and across the grain however when I go against the grain (third pass) the razor seems to grip rather than cut straight through and i'm a bit scare i'm going to cause damage so i stop. Is this a results on the razor not being sharp enough? Hard to know what you are saying here. If a razor pulls, it needs to visit the stones...
- Does the X pattern when honing improve sharpness? I find it difficult because you have to take one part off the hone and apply just the right pressure. Does the x pattern when honing give better results? The x pattern is a must for a smiling blade. It's not a "must", but a method that is proven to work. I would recommend learning it as the x stroke can be very beneficial.
- When using a 1K hone i understand people use tape on the spine as to stop too much metal being removed. I found this odd because i thought that the way SR were designed what that the metal proportion removed at the spine somehow aligned to the removal of metal at the edge and that is what makes the edge sharp. When i hone i have the spine also running against the hone, is this correct? why do people tape the spine? I ALWAYS recommend a new honer to always use tape when learning to hone. It was recommended to me by the pro's and I of course pass this on to others who are learning. The layer of tape helps you to protect against unnecessary spine wear. There are some pro's out there that still hone with tape all the time. I use it regularly on an auction type razor to set the bevel, but not on a finished blade unless requested. Yes, the spine is meant to rest on the stone when honing. All you are doing is guiding the blade along the stone and letting the stone do it's thing.
- Is the HHT done before stropping, either way i rarely get this test to work and the blade just moves the hair instead of cutting it. Do people actually get this test to work consistently? Do i need to move onto pastes to get this test to work? I will be forward: Forget about the stinking HHT right now. The ONLY real test to a shave ready razor is a shave, period...end of discussion. It may work for some who already know how to hone, but not for a beginner. My recommendation to you is to send a razor to a skilled honesman and ask them to finish it on 8K, just as you are. This will give you a barometer of where you are in the honing process. I kept a fresh pro-honed razor around for a good while I was learning myself.
Thanks hope all the questions made sense!