Thread: Newbie questions

Hi Everyone

I have some pretty basic questions I was hoping everyone could help me with. I'm very new to straight razor shaving having started a couple of weeks ago but i think it's going pretty well. I have managed to hone my own razor (a Dovo stainless steel). My setup is very basic i am sharpening on a 4000/8000 then straight to leather strop (no paste).

1. 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?
2. 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?
3. 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?
4. 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?
5. 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?

Thanks hope all the questions made sense!

Here is my take on your questions. Others answers will differ but the right answer is the one that works best for you. Based on how I read your post you are sharpening the razor yourself and have not experienced a razor sharpened by a honemeister.

1. What do you mean by sharper? Is the bevel a larger on one side than the other? The bevel can be a different size but should not be a significant difference. If this bothers you, you can go back and reset the bevel with it the same on both sides. It could also be that a wire edge was created by over honing making one side seem sharper than the other. Here is the wiki for it. http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...php/Overhoning

2. It could be a combination of the razor not being sharp enough and a lack of experience since you have only been at it for a few weeks now. Just remember to keep a very shallow angle on the razor. When I do my ATG I try to keep only a spine width or two of angle. If this doesn't help it might need to be honed again.

3. The X-stroke does help me when I hone and I use it all the time. It give me a more even stroke on the hone and removes the metal evenly across the bevel when I do it right.

4. I use tape on my razors when I hone because I took the time to hand sand the entire blade and don't want to mar it up. This is personal preference and either way does produce a great edge. If you decide to ever tape your razors make sure to replace the tape as it starts to wear through so the same angle is kept throughout the honing process.

5. I personally don't put a lot of stock into the HHT. Everyone has different hair and what passes with my hair might not pass with my wifes hair. In the end the test that I use is the shave test. Does the razor feel smooth and effortless as it goes across my face. If not I might need a few more passes on my hones.

I don't use any pastes as I like the edges that I get off my Norton 4k/8k combo stone then linen strop then leather strop. Then again I don't have any pastes so I don't really know what they are like. I learned a lot of information from the wike entries on honing. http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...ategory:Honing

It might be worth getting a second razor and having it honed by one of the guys here so you can compare your edge to it.

Good luck and I hope that I helped a little bit.

Marc

I think the best thing for you to do , is look at the honing videos , and read everything on this site about razor honing . IMHO , you need to learn more about the basics .

Originally Posted by aquapura1

1. 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.
2. 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...
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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!

Please understand that honing is not something you will learn overnight, in a few days, or a few weeks. Take your time, I can't stress this enough. Think about what is going on while you are guiding the razor over the stone & most of all, enjoy the experience. If I can be of further assistance, please feel free to PM me and we can go from there.
Scott

1. I do this. The solution was for afdavis to teach me to use even pressure and even strokes for honing. He corrected a couple of my razors on the 4k norton. Could be other things.


2. Don't try to get a perfect three pass shave right away. Finish with a more familiar means if you have to

3. X pattern gives you more even honing. Takes practice to do it without pressure

4. 1k stone can quickly do damage to a razor in unpracticed hands. Don't ask me how I know this

5. The hht is about your razor and your hair. You have to judge the razors fineness by yourself. The way to do this is to look at your edge, try to see and feel what you are doing to it as you hone

I am sure you are learning all you can on the forum and on your own. But it's tough to do it all at once and all by yourself. Uncertainty can make honing very difficult and frustrating, even if you are doing a good job. It helps a lot to get help from someone on this forum. If I were you I would contact the mentor in the above post and see what he has to offer.

Michael


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