Thread: wet & dry sand paper

Very, very new to straight shaving (getting some razors ready). On a small budget right now, so... to sharpen a blade can I use wet & dry sand paper as a hone (some how mounted to stay in place)? I figured I'd have to keep the (is it spine?) protected, then strop it? If so what grits and how?
Thanks,
Vinny

The sandpapers from the hardware store will not work as they're far too coarse. www.handamerican.com sells sandpapers that are suitably fine for razors, their 4000 grit and 9000 grit should be sufficient.

3m Lapping films also come in suitable grits, down to .3 micron. They do diamond abrasive microfinishing films too. Expensive but high quality. I have even washed the metal dust from mine and reused them.

Because they are plastic you can use water to 'stick' them to a flat surface like a piece of glass or marble. That will work to an extent with paper/latex based wet and dry sandpaper. So much less messy than 3m77 etc.

Handamerican sell a tacky adhesive that doesn't dry for a similar purpose, it's called supergrip.

Can this be used as a substitute for the Norton stones? It seems to me that if it is not necessary to hone that often, these would be a suitable substitution for those of us who are penny conscious.

How long does one sheet of wet/dry last at the 4000 level? Can you hone one razor many times? One sheet per razor per session?

I'm curious as to the process.

Would you follow the same pyramid pattern recommended?

I'm new to this and just have lots'a questions.

http://members.cox.net/~yuzuha/jisgrit1.html

http://users.ameritech.net/knives/grits.htm

You could cut about 2 or 3 hone sized sheets from one piece of paper or film. I reuse my lapping film many times and it is still cutting, but it is not cheap either. I think if you care for a sheet of wet and dry it would certainly stand up to a few honing sessions, but it would depend on the pressure you are using hardness of the steel etc. Also you may slice into the paper, normally by catching the edge, so factor those failures in too.

Unless you're really destitute, I'd just bite the bullet and get a real hone. You'll be thanking yourself over and over again over the decades.

Originally Posted by Firestart

Unless you're really destitute, I'd just bite the bullet and get a real hone. You'll be thanking yourself over and over again over the decades.

Why?

I use both, and they both have advantages and disadvantages. Have you actually tried scary sharp Firestart?

I cannot afford a shapton 30k glass stone ($280 US and even more in the UK), but i can sure as hell afford a pack of £20 0.3 micron lapping film. I bet you could get it cheaper in the US too! So i have stones up to 6000 grit, but lapping film thereafter.

The sandpaper (aka scary sharp) obviously has a much lower initial investment. If you buy a glass 'chopping' board (these should never be used for chopping - destroy the knife edge) you have a very flat surface to do your honing on. It will never need lapped. You can also use a granite or marble flat surface. So it never needs maintenance in that sense, whereas waterstones need to be lapped or flattened periodically. You can pick up many different grades of sandpaper, or lapping film, which would be extremely expensive to replicate in stones. You can also make the sheet any size you want, it can be bigger than
However there is the possibility of slicing your sheet of paper, but then you can also gouge a stone.



Actually, now that i come to think of it, i cannot think of a reason not to try scary sharp. You will also be able to use it for your knives chisels etc.

So it is not that easy to dismiss the scary sharp system, but all that said i do not think you would regret buying a norton or other good stone, and i'm sure if you lost the SR bug, someone would take it off your hands.

I'm not saying that everyone should have a $300 shapton, but... $30 pair of Japanese slip-stones will get your razor up to the point where you can use abrasive pastes to get the finest edge possible. And if you're gouging sandpaper with your razors, then your technique is WAY off and you'll never get a blade shave ready.
The reason I haven't tried scary sharp (I only use 1k grit sandpaper to establish the initial bevel) is that I already have a few good hones and it isn't necessary.
For finer work, you can build a bench-hone for $10-15 in material and get 1lb of 0.5mic abrasive powder for $20 (going 3-way splits with Jason and David and that will last us a lifetime lol).

I can see this as maybe a good idea for the beginner like myself, that way i can ruin a $1.15 sheet of paper practicing my honing technique instead of gouging an 80 dollar hone and having to try and lap it. And then when the technique is narrowed down, move to the norton or slipstones.

This is beginning to spread paranoia

There's NO CHANCE of gouging your hone while honing a razor by accident. You'd have to do it on purpose. Even if you decide to give the gouge-honing method a try, you can always fix the hone by lapping it, so it won't be ruined.