Thread: How sharp off the Norton 8K?

I'm wondering how sharp everyone is able to get their blades right off the Norton 8000.

I've been at this honing thing about three and a half months, and I'm still not quite at the point where I can pass the HHT off the hone. The hair snaps in half but doesn't cut all the way through, or it literally splits down the middle and peels back...

I have some diamond pastes in the mail, but that's almost cheating, isn't it?

It seems like the 8K Norton should be able to give me an edge that would easily pass the HHT, but I'm starting to wonder if my expectations might be too high.

Do true honemeisters like Lynn still need to go to a higher grit stone or a pasted strop?

Josh

AFAIK Lynn uses a coticule or Escher after the 8K before stropping his freshly honed razor.

FWIW, most barber's hones are only about 8k.

You should be able to pass the HHT off the 4k, and get a fine shaving edge off the 8k - there are several guys here that stop at the 8k norton. The higher grits add a little more sharpness and smoothness, but at the expense of some edge strength. I rarely go above 16k, and lately I've been stopping at around 12k (boron carbide).

The Norton combo is fine enough for me...

Nenad

You can pass the HHT test from the Norton (and from both sides, as mparker says). Really light touch is the key for me.

James.

I think I might need to work on my technique with the 4K side right now. I have gotten a razor to pass the HHT of the 4K side once, but only on part of the edge.

The biggest challenge for me, I think, is keeping the blade flat when I'm using really light pressure. Even an eighth of an inch of movement in your hand up or down and you can trash the edge.

I do support the scales with my pinkie, but even that only goes so far.

More practicing for me, I guess...

Josh

OK, I spent a little quality time with my Norton and a 5/8 Keen Kutter, and I think I'm making some progress.

I was able to get the blade to pass the HHT quite nicely off the 4K side of the Norton. I did about 10 strokes, starting with some light pressure and then easing off. When I tested it with a medium thickness hair, the free end went flying.

But I can't seem to maintain that edge once I go to the 8K. Ten light, light strokes on the 8K and it's back to snagging hairs and cutting partway through.

I even tried some backhoning on the 4K and 8K, and it didn't seem to help.

It seems counterintuitive. I doubt I'm making such a weak edge on the 4K that it can't take the 8K, because I've tried so many different approaches that I don't think the razors are overhoned. I don't see how I could use any less pressure. Maybe I'm junking up the edge by not keeping the razor flat enough.

But I did make some progress, I think. Thanks for the help everyone; I'll keep at it.

Josh

Try going back to the 4K for a stroke or two and then 30 on 8K and forget about pressure for the first 25 laps, keep the razor flat and use up to twice the weight of the blade if needed to keep it flat, then 5 very light laps to finish and see if you can maintain cutting ability. Its essential, I mean essential, that you keep your pinky rolled under the scale and that the scales be positioned at the exact angle that the blade fall into the hone and falls slightly forward (edge first) into the stone for the last 5 laps. That puts the scales bent towards you and at less then a 180 degree angle to the blade so its not a straight line, its bent in about 20 degrees.

If you lay the blade flat on the hone and start moving the scales by pivoting them you'll see that some positions have tremendous effect on the weight distribution of the blade on the hone, find the spot that has the best effect. Thats slight less than straight (in relation to the blade).

And ofcourse re-lap the 8k slightly beforehand, even 40 strokes gets it slightly concave.

Originally Posted by joshearl

The biggest challenge for me, I think, is keeping the blade flat when I'm using really light pressure. Even an eighth of an inch of movement in your hand up or down and you can trash the edge.


Josh

I support the spine with three fingers of the hand that does not support the scales. Works well for me to try and keep spine and edge in full contact with the hone. The fingers on the spine apply only little pressure.

Do you use two hands when you hone? I know this is probably a personal preference thing, but I find using both hands gives me (at least the feeling of) more control. My dominant (right) hand drives the motion from the scales end, while the other hand guides the tip and makes sure it stays on the hone over the full range of motion.

James.