Thread: Can anyone recommend me a honing progression with what I have?

Het there,

I have a 1000/6000 combi waterstone and a drangon's tongue slate hone, all lapped and ready to go. Could any of you kind people recommend me a honing progression, assuming that I'll be starting from a totally dulled edge (ie bevel setting onwards). I know it's all personal and subjective, but if have some opinions and maybe a few different ideas then at least I have a starting point.

I have 2 razors which are there for playing with, but are of decent steel (a cadman near-wedge and a Sir Walter Scott Full Hollow) so I have no issue with honing them to death.

Cheers!

Iain.

you will start on the 1k , then 6k.
The dragons tongue when well lapped is in the 6-8k range I believe so try it after the 6k.
After the stones you can try pasted strop to finish the edge but IMO you will need at least a true 8k stone to get a nice shaveable edge.

Well, that's an easy one

Start with the 1K until you have the bevel set, it should be cutting hair effordlessly all over the edge, then go to the 6K until it undecuts the water on all the lenght of the edge on both sides, then you use the DT, you can use plain water, although I would recommend to start with a light slurry an dilute every ten strokes or so until it's just water left and finish with a few light strokes on just water before stropping.


Good luck

Edit: Like mainaman said, the DT is in the 6-8K range, and a dedicated 8K would be recommended, but the DT is still capable of giving a decent shaving edge, not the best, but shavable.

Hello,

I'm not familiar with the dragon's tongue, but if it's 6-8K as the others posted, you might want to try to put some lather/bar soap/oil on there with a few very light passes. Wont make a big difference but i tried rubbing bar soap on my hone and did a few extreamly light x-strokes and it made a little more finished edge. To try and get the most out of your DT and possibly get a nice shave.

If i remember correctly glen and some others have tried shaving from each stone, shaved right off the 1000, 4000, and so on to get the best edges they could from those stones before moving on. Some of the methods they used to get the best possible polish would help you shave off the DT.
Anyway hope that made since, and helps.

Nathaniel

Thanks for the input!

I'll get myself down to the hardware store on the way home today and have a look in the catalogue for something aound the 8-10k mark.

Any more advice or opinion is welcome, of course!

A lot of people swear by the Chinese 12k if you can get one at an acceptable price - this may also give a bigger step up than going with an 8 to 10k if you are already nearly there with the DT

Edit - just noticed where you are (UK) - you might find it difficult picking up a high grit stone from a store. The Internet might be a better place.

Originally Posted by mauledbyakitten

Thanks for the input!

I'll get myself down to the hardware store on the way home today and have a look in the catalogue for something aound the 8-10k mark.

Any more advice or opinion is welcome, of course!

IMO, You might want to find something for in between 1K and 6K... I may take longer to get the 1K marks off with the 6k than say, a 3 or 4K

A regards the Dragon's Tongue stone, mine was purchased from Neil Miller and he decided that my particular stone is about 9k and I believe that is fairly accurate because the shave from the DT is every bit as nice as from the Norton 8k.

I generally lap with the DMT 325 and finish lap on the Norton 1k. I think the 1k helps the DT surface. You might like to try that.

Jerry
____

Thanks, Jerry. I'll bear that in mind once I get the 1000/6000 combi, which shoud have been here days ago but still hasn't materialised!
Do you use the 1000 to raise a slurry as well? I notice Glen (Gssixgun) used a DMT325 to raise a slurry on his one-stone-hone video, but I don't have one so it's not an option.

Originally Posted by UKRob

Edit - just noticed where you are (UK) - you might find it difficult picking up a high grit stone from a store. The Internet might be a better place.

It's not the availability that is the issue, it's the price! Holy cow! £100 for a 10k stone?! Yup, i think I'll hunt me down a chinese 12k. There's a few on fleabay.