Thread: success....sort of

I had some success in my first attempt to hone a razor.

It is a brand new dovo 5/8ths full hollow. The shave was not perfect and it tugged some and I came away from it without much razor burn. I could keep the blade angle low and did have to use a little pressure.

I have not been straight shaving very long and thanks to a member sending me a honed razor, I knew what shave ready ment. His razor gave me a standard to mesure by and mine needs a little work. He aslo sent me a few others to work on also. Thanks for your help Jaswarb!! I may hang on to the torrey and try to work the chip out my self after i get one of the others honed up properly.

I followed the JaNorton thread to the end and used that as my guide along with several other vids. posted here and on Youtube.

I started with slurry and 40 circles on both sides. Followed by 20 heel forward, and 20 or so straight and 20 x. There was a few small chips....very small that I needed to work out. not much pressure. but some. i used two hands but kept my pressure light with my off hand.


I went to the 8k and did

20 straight
20 heel forward
20 x strokes

I can see where the 8k hit the blade but its not all the way across the toe is not being touched. I was afraid of using my off hand finger when finishing on the 8k and so i am going to try the pyramid scheme and then some more strokes to finish on the 8k.

Thanks to gssixguns for the vids and the JaNorton thread and all those who posted there. That thread is fantastic and I learned many things that made my forray into this much easier. I vote for making that a sticky thread, everyone who gets interested in honing, this should be required reading.

I will post later on how the rest of the finishing work goes.

Check out the rolling x stroke here and read the 1961 barber manual excerpt on honing PDF here. You don't have to do a full rolling x to get that heel and point. just a modified procedure suited to you blade profile.

File:Help Files Permanent Archive Barbering Textbooks 1961 Barbering Text - Honing.pdf - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Ain't it just so cool when you get another notch in your belt. This stuff is fun.

It just keeps getting better.

well i took a look at my 4k/8k and i saw some scratches in it. i have been using some 150 grit wet/dry sand paper on a piece of polished tile for my lapping. so i got some 400 grit and put them both on that for a few laps. looks like i got them out. can this effect a honing?

so i got my dovo back on the 8k for 50 more light laps and tried the rolling strokes to get the ends. i am right handed and when i am drawing the razor to me i can tell that i hit the blade all the way across. when i am drawing the blade away i seem to not get the toe completly. i dont want to rush this so i am going to strop and shave. any suggestions?

i worked on a torrey that i dropped and got a chip/rolled edge near the toe. this is a 4/8th with a smile in it so i took it to a 1000 grit for 10 strokes and this seemed to get the chip right away. every 5 strokes i checked it and once i got to ten i hit it two more times for good measure. i went to the 4k for 50 and the 8k for fifty and i have stopped there.

so we will see.

Sounds like you are progressing normally.

A DMT 325 grit plate is what is most often referred to here as the lapping stone of choice so your 400 grit should be just fine.

The best test is to strop and shave. Just a short stroke against the grain will tell you how the blade is doing. Try a toe stroke and see how you are coming along. The toe can be a real hurdle as the tendency is to drop your right elbow and lift the pressure off the toe. Practice holding your elbow out away from your body and it will have the effect of setting the toe more flatly to the stone. I still tend to touch(not press) the spine above the toe to keep good contact and move the toe evenly along the stone. It is also possible to lightly torque the blade towards the edge to keep good contact but all these things require a light touch as even a little too much pressure will remove metal unevenly.

YOU GOT THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR PERFECT! YOU DON"T WANT TO RUSH! Stop and strop and shave frequently it will tell you a great deal and it doesn't take long.

When you get to where the 8K is giving you good shaving results the fun really begins as you look to polish the last sliver of performance from the steel. You seem to be making good progress.


IT just keeps getting better.

well i stropped the dovo 50 linen 100 leather.

lathered up and essentially did two passes. one pass with the grain and the second pass against with some touch up work in around the chin. i have to run across the grain right out on the point of my chin. im still a little wary about going against out there.

all in all nice fairly smooth in most places. did good against the grain. only a tad bit of tugging. im going to stick with it. i have seen some mention that the shaves can get a little better after a couple of shave.

Great news congratulations with your success. The tugging ATG can be overcome with a keener edge.......I didn't get there until I started using Crox before stropping. There are others here I am certain which can get there with only the 8K.

NOW you begin your slide down the slippery slope of seeking the ultimate edge and the stones which can take you there. The "honemeister's chant" is just beyond the clearing......

Originally Posted by jaswarb

Great news congratulations with your success. The tugging ATG can be overcome with a keener edge.......I didn't get there until I started using Crox before stropping. There are others here I am certain which can get there with only the 8K.

NOW you begin your slide down the slippery slope of seeking the ultimate edge and the stones which can take you there. The "honemeister's chant" is just beyond the clearing......

i dont know about honemeister yet. i worked on the white celluloid scaled razor. the smile in it is a trick but i think i have the nick/chip out of it. there is a black scaled that says full hollow that i have honed up too. so now i have three razors that i can work with. thanks for your help.

Happy to hear you are getting along so well. Best thanks you can give is help out at least two others along the way.

im resisting the urge to put steel to stone and ride out this little game. shave number two is about the same as the first. i have some technique to work on. my stropping could use some critique. i am debating making a vid and posting for others to speculate on. i think it is light and i use x strokes. i hope that it is not undermining my honing. so i will wait this out a few more shaves and then maybe do a little more lapping.


question.....after a bevel has been set, on either a 1k stone or performing a dance of strokes on a 4k, you should be able to cut arm hair? yes?