Thread: Kamisori "Factory Edge" - Honing it with my arsenal

I have heard that. Maybe I'll try it on the Llyn Melynllyn and see how it feels.

Ok, so I'm still having some trouble with this razor (and my other kamisori, for that matter). I got what appeared to be a good edge, popping arm hair above the skin, TPT no problem, etc., but of course the only real test is the shave test, which both of them failed.

I have tried to be very conscientious about keeping my strokes even and consistent, I've finished them on the coticule, the C-Nat and the LM, all with similar results. In the end, it just doesn't seem to want to shave well. My other kamisori (honed by JimR) feels like I am running a butterknife over my face (very carefully, of course), but when the butterknife is taken away, the whiskers are gone. With my two self-honed kamisori, I'm getting tugging or even, in some cases, skipping off the whiskers. My stroke is fairly consistent, though I must admit the kamisori is a bit of a different animal as far as technique goes, but overall I feel like the edges just aren't quite there.

My inventory of hones is the following:

Norton 220/1k
Norton 4k/8k
C-Nat (pretty hard and smooth, I'd say it definitely falls above the 8k in fineness, as it polishes out scratches quite well)
Llyn Melynllyn
Coticule
Bohemian Slate?
Small Thuri

So are there any suggestions for me to try here? I am in the sort of growing pains stage of honing (ie. my frustration is growing and shaving with self-honed razors usually pains my face).

Of all the stones you have the thuringian might work. I have not tried a C12k on kamisori, but if it does not work you will need a proper Jnat.

I tried this progression thanks to a suggestion from paco664:

Norton 8k 4 x 7/1
C-Nat 4 x 7/1
Slate 4 x 7/1 (I'm not sure about this hone. It feels smoother than the C-Nat to the touch, but on the razor it felt rougher. Definitely harder.)
Thuri 4 x 14/4 (very small Thuri, so I doubled up the stroke count)

The razors both pop arm hair, but I've found my arm hair to be an unreliable measure. Of course...if I need a J-nat, I might have to let SWMBO know that it would be practically impossible for me to shave without one. That might work, eh?

You should be using the highest grit stone you have. With a Kamisori once the bevel is all set the final polishing is really pretty easy and you shouldn't be having to hone and hone on it. If you are getting no where maybe the bevel isn't sufficiently set?

Progressions on a Kamisori ????

Interesting

Set a bevel CAREFULLY

Stop

Use your Coticule to polish that bevel to a nice haze finish

Stop

Use your highest grit or smoothest stone to finish that nice hazy bevel

Shave

The trick to Kamisori is not in the stones or the progression it is in the application of pressure when honing, Kamisori are a very simple razor and edge. You have to master that changing pressure and stop changing the stones... Real traditionalists only use one stone with different Nagura to bring the edge in..

I am just trying to see what I can do here with what I have available to me. My hardest, smoothest stone is probably the black slate. I will test them again and see where they are, then if they aren't good, I'll try your suggestion, Glen. My technique is probably the major issue here.