Thread: Getting Frustrated

I've spent at least 5-6 hours on honing a new never-been-sharpened 6/8 Solingen half hollow using a Norton 4/8K stone followed by a 12K chinese stone. There's finally a bevel showing and it just barely cuts. I'm not satisfied with it. I'm running out of patience with the process.

Any ideas? I don't know what sharp is for this razor since I don't have anything to compare it to. Does a 6/8 half hollow ever get as sharp as a 5/8 full hollow? (That's all I have to compare with.) Thanks.

Not the answer you're looking for but I do know a couple of things.
- You're better off starting on a 1K, a 4K will work but it takes longer. And will greatly increase your frustration.
- Don't go past your bevel setter until it cuts arm hair along the entire edge or you're wasting time
- If you've run out of patience you should definitely put it down for a while; maybe even a week
- There is no comparison between whatever 5/8 and whatever 6/8, that's dependent on the quality of the steel and the skill of the honer
- I got a 6/8 Dovo Best Quality professionally honed when I started, I couldn't even see the bevel without looking real close and getting the light just right. It doesn't have to be all that visible to work like a dream. Perplexed me too in the beginning, now it's something i partly strive for. But even that doesn't have anything to do with how sharp an edge is.

So here's the answer and my suggestions: Slow down, be patient, read everything, watch all the videos, read all the other posts. Because it's sad but true, practice, there is no substitute.

Try reading through this thread

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...on-2012-a.html

It is about using only the Norton 4/8 to hone and there is quite a bit of info in the 500+ posts

+1 on both deadrift and Glen. The only problem you are facing at the moment is the lack of a sufficient bevel. Once the bevel is established, you need then to start polishing with the 4k, 8k,12k,strop,shave.
Simple as that................

JERRY
____

Grab a decent 1k stone and you will set the bevel much faster than with a 4k.

Originally Posted by mainaman

Grab a decent 1k stone and you will set the bevel much faster than with a 4k.

4 times quicker...