Another "first honing thread" but with lapping films.

The reason I chose films, One reason is the fight I had with a set of Norton combo stones but that's another story. Second reason they are cost effective for what my planes are. Third, I live full time in an RV not much room for a bunch of stones, though in the future after I learn some skills I would like to move to a coticule.

Anyway my first restro was a smiling wedge so it was sent out. My second is pretty straight with a little smile at the toe. I figured this would be the one I will start out on. I ordered a 6"x8" granite surface plate for around $20 to place the films on.

I set my bevel on the 12u film then moved through the 5u, 3u, 1u and then 1u with wet paper under it. The 1u was giving me trouble it seemed to be scrapping up the particles. I went though a few pieces and had the same problem. I decided to stop there and not use the .3u. I didn't do any HHT as I don't have any hair other than body hair :) and the wife has been out of town for a while. So I did thumb pad test at bevel then popping hairs on my arm after that. Stropped with .5 diamond on felt then leather.

Went for the shave. Didn't have any pulling and got a close shave but was a bit on the rough side. Had a few light cuts and a measurable amount of redness on my neck.

I started trying to figure out what was going on with the 1u why it was separating from the backing and starting to feel gritty. I went back to the web site I got it from and it was showing the 1u as being green mine was white? :gaah: I got the 1u and the .3 u mixed up and jumped straight from 3u to .3u skipping the 1u altogether. That's like going from and 8k to a 30k. Well now I know why it was rough I guess.

Even with all that it was better than I anticipated for a first try. I went back and touched it back up but wont be shaving today as my neck needs a little time off as it's very sensitive in the first place and still gives me trouble sometimes even with a good sharp edge.

I've tried lapping film and while they are can hone a razor very well I subscribe to the following:.

"My personal goal is not the apparently perfect sterile factory finishes that pastes or sprays provide, those are too perfect and too easy to buy out of a bottle. I long for the inventiveness that natural stones demand, the all important failures followed by the joyous succsses.

The beauty of natural stones is that they themselves are just imperfect enough to demand the burden upon us to be more perfect in learning to use them."

As said by Alx and IMO, apply to lapping films as well.

I have nothing against lapping film and those who use them, they are viable alternative, I just think there is nothing Zen about them.

No but for now they are a means to an end.
I heard it put by one person and agreed "lapping films are science coticule is art."

Edit: double post

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mick

I heard it put by one person and agreed "lapping films are science coticule is art."

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I think you probably heard:

Synthetic stones are a science, Natural stones are a romance.

Being a man of science, I will likely go with all artificial hones when I finally get around to buying a set for actual restore...

However, I do have some naturals and some synthetics and I seem to prefer the naturals...but then again, my natural stones are much, much higher grit than my synthetics. My synthetics are carborundum barber hones and my naturals are Thuringians.

I really want to learn the one stone hone with a coti though...seems like such a cool idea.

I'm not much of a romantic Though I think anyone who can take a coti and using slurry ect. go from setting a bevel to finish polishing is an impressive art but one I'm not ready to take on just yet.

Then there is the fact that I am on a fixed income and a nice natural rock is out of my price range as were the synthetic Nortons that I got and fought with. The films fell into my price range with the ability to bevel and finish. As well I live in an RV and space is a big issue.

So yesterday I took the razor back to the films and ended with a pretty good shave. Nothing special but good close and comfortable.

I think I can use these films as a tool to learn some technique and skill before deciding to move to natural stones in the future.

Is there any different feel comparing 0.3u film to coticule?