Thread: Less is more

Originally Posted by stonehenge

One coticule of any size 6 x 1 1/2 inchs or larger. That's it.

I have over 100 stones but I collect them for fun and because I got good deals on them. I only need the one coticule to maintain all my razors, but then they all have good bevels and edges. It is for turning a disaster into a good shaver that requires either several stones or an abundance of free time. The reason for this is if you have to take lots of metal off and not take a year to do it, you need a fairly course stone. That leaves SEVERE scratch marks. To remove the scratches without spending a year doing it requires a progression of stones that will remove the scratches quickly and leave smaller ones. Finally, you can use just your finish stone to remove the final group of scratches which should be thin and shallow and easily removed even with a finish stone.

I can do all that with a single stone, but it takes way too long to do it that way. And it uses up an expensive coticule. But it could be done. Better solution is to have a minimum of 3 stones of your choosing, just so they are 1)course 2)medium fine 3)extremely fine. You can leave one stone out of the group of three, but then you pay with extra time required to remove scratches with a stone that cuts more slowly than necessary.

Hehehe um yeah 20 minutes from crap to shaving with a any finisher you might have, just a 1k and a finisher that can produce slurry and the ability to use it... Search - One Stone Hone, the proof is in the pudding

I agree. on the other hand, I think for those who have the time and money to play around with different stones its a great thing and can produce some of the best edges out there. I have just begun my venture into honing. I currently have a 4k/8k combo and can get a good edge to shave with. But I think I am going to get a 12 k for finishing. I dont think its overboard by any means. just right for me

In general for most typical razors the Norton 1K for the bevel then on to the Norton 4K then the Norton 8K and either the Escher or Coticule to finish with.

The longer I'm in this hobby, the more I lean towards less is more. Searching for "Edgevana" is over.

Chosera 1k
Norton 4/8
Escher or Coticule

When the mood strikes me, I may do 10 lapps on SRD's Wool Felt with .50 diamond spray


Good thread Kelly...

Ok; for my *really* essential honing kit? My well broken-in Eze-Lap model M. It can (and has) taken a razor from butter-knife dull to daily shaver. Mine sits in a kitchen drawer next to a wooden knife tray, where it serves it's main purpose sharpening - well - every knife in the house. However when using it for razors my (untreated) canvas strop becomes essential (to me, anyhow) to a producing a comfortable shave, so the canvas actually becomes the "finishing hone" in that context.

I prefer the 4/8K alone. If a 220 or 1K is easily available I'll use them if need be. But, the 4K is generally more than enough to get the work done, if you take the time to discern exactly what work needs to be done. The only time I use a 1K is when I've given up. After giving up, so to say, I will hone down the razor (including the spine) and set a new bevel. It is always my last resort. Generally I find though that careful attention to the razors geometry is better than "an attack of the hones". When I look at a razor I usually realize that there already is a bevel. I don't really need to "put on a new bevel". That little triangular shaped section along the tip. That's the bevel! What I really need to do isn't to "put on a new bevel", it's really to get the hone onto the bevel. This is an entirely new concept in honing, but it's the way I think.

This process, especially with a 4K can often take longer than "setting a new bevel", but I prefer to deal with the problem more from an academic view, rather than a tearing away at metal view. If there is a way to get contact with the bevel without tearing into the spine and making a new bevel, I'll use that approach.

After the 4/8K I usually transition to a barber hone, so that takes me to three. Instead of the big heavy 8K, I prefer the small barber hone. It fits better on the sink. The Norton looks kind of clunky next to the sink.

Again, 4K alone takes a long time, but I'm not willing to damage a razor of mine simply out of impatience.

I've discovered a lot of Ebay specials that really had decent bevels, they were just "honed" by stropping alone. Tearing away the spine, and even "bevel setting" weren't even required. Wanna talk about using minimal stones? Try finding out that the bevels were set just fine all along!

I love this post! ^^^^^

I might even have to try it, thank you Alan!

This is indeed a very good thread !!

I was actually asking myself this exact question: Since I do get very nice shaves honing with my Norton 4/8k, where do I go next ?? Where does it ends ? Will I get anything more from other hones ?


By the way, thanks to Glen for the videos on youtube !! Helped me alot !!


Cheers,

This is a terrific thread.

I echo JoeBeef's appreciation to gssixgun, Lynn, ToxikWaste and all the others who have posted video instruction. I've honed a total of maybe 12 razors so far, and thanks to these videos, I've had exceptional results and enjoyed the whole process immensely. Here's what I've discovered I like so far:

Norrton combo stones, 1k, 4k and 8k; homemade balsa strop pasted with CROx; diamond pasted paddle strop, given to me by my friend and fellow SRP member Mitch. Also bought a set of jeweler's loupes for examining edges and a condiment squeeze bottle to apply water to the stones. Total outlay: around $150.

Cheers!

Great thread, good statement that needed to be said.

I keep seeing the common misconception when seeing people learning to hone, they think buying more expensive or exotic stones will fix their ability to create a better shaving edge. The best tools in the world will not improve the skill of the user. It's a frame of mind I have commonly seen with everything, not just with razor honing.