Thread: TI and Norton 1k

Ok, I'm not a newb and I am not a seasoned veteran. I have been having issues with my TI. Yes, it is one of newer ones made of Wolverine's bones. Anyway, I have gotten few razors up to shave capable. I have even had some luck in the past with the TI. Of course I am almost to the point of giving up on the TI now. Today I tried something different. I went all the way to the 220 Norton. Oddly enough it was removing arm hair fairly smoothly. However, when I commenced on the 1,000 side using an X-stroke the edge seemed to become duller, not removing arm hairs at all. Idk, I'm stumped at this point. Any suggestions?

Maybe I'm nuts (or maybe my arm hair is just different), but I don't get much arm hair cutting at 1k with my bevel set and ready to move on. Some tests are just more useful for some people than others. Have you tried progressing to 4k or whatever, or are you still trying to shave arm hair at 1k?

A toothier blade may be better at cutting than a less toothy one--at 1k, probably because a single point can pierce a hair, and at 220, probably because a hair is grabbed in the V between two teeth.

TI steel is significantly harder than English or German; it'll take longer for you to see results than you may be accustomed to.

Put that 220 hone away, though! I think you're probably doing more harm than good with it. Such grit should only be used for extreme renovation honing and blade reshaping. Use your 1k and be patient.

Try circular strokes on your 1k; they'll speed the progress. Also, raise a little slurry on the 1k; that will also increase speed. Before moving on to higher grits, though, do a dilution of your 1k slurry--20 passes, then dilute with as much water as you can hold on the blade, then 20 passes, then another dilution... maybe 5 dilutions. The particlse suspended in slurry speed the honing, but also limit how keen you can get the edge, because the edge collides with them and they microscopically ding it up--like driving through a hailstorm. The dilutions take your keenness to what it can be on the hone with only water. If this wasn't a TI I'd say 10 passes between dilutions, but again, you're dealing with harder steel.

The other benefit you get from raising a little slurry is that it exposes fresh, sharper crystals on your hone surface.

Wolverine's bones; I haven't heard of that model.

Originally Posted by DFriedl

Maybe I'm nuts (or maybe my arm hair is just different), but I don't get much arm hair cutting at 1k with my bevel set and ready to move on. Some tests are just more useful for some people than others. Have you tried progressing to 4k or whatever, or are you still trying to shave arm hair at 1k?

Yes, I'm trying to shave at the 1k level since I can get good results with other razors at the 1k level. My arm hair is not too coarse. My facial hair is.

Originally Posted by Mephisto

I went all the way to the 220 Norton.

220 is quite a harsh grit for a straight razor! 1k sounds better for setting a bevel, however, also in this case don't use that for so long.
I use the 1k only in case the bevel is, like to say, disappeared and needs to be completely restored. After that, I go for the 3k, or a coticule with slurry, and progress up to 8k (or coticule with no slurry) and eventually a finer stone, such as the Chinese.

You didn't say if you got it new or a resale. If it was new personally I wouldn't go below a 4K and I would have started on the 8K. Of course it depends what the condition is but most of the newer TIs seem to be coming with decent edges if not quite shave ready. I'd never use a 1K on that. Start with the finest and work back. TI's will take a little more effort especially if it's the newer steel.

So it was shaving before and this started as a touch up?

Try making sure you are honing perfectly even. Do the magic marker test and a few light strokes.

IMO 220 really shreds an edge but it should come back with a little 1k work.

Michael

The razor was new and never pro honed. I was able to get decent shaves with it out of the box so I never really worried. I have worked with it a little bit but mainly to maintain it. So really just used the phig, crox or the norton 8k. I was confident enough in my abilities to tackle a bevel set with the razor. Since that time I have not gotten it into shape. I have taken old razors and work them up to shave capable. However, this TI has me perplexed. I know that it is a very hard steel which lead me to try something different. Well, at first, my theory was, hey the steel is so hard it could take it. I only did 8 x-strokes more or less. t shaved some arm hair with it and it did fine. When I went to the 1k I did about 20 x strokes. I figured I would be fine tuning it. Nope, it went backwards. Would not pop hair without significant pressure which lead me to believe that it would definitely not be a comfortable shave.

Mephisto, what prompted you to go to 220? Are you using tape?

You must first see what is happening on the blade. I would strongly recommend one layer of tape and a sharpie on the bevel. These two tells, will give you visual confirmation of what is occurring on the stone. To do more laps or go to more aggressive stones is not the answer. You have to figure out what is going on.

Are the bevel and the spine contacting the stone at 1K? The sharpie ink will quickly show you when you are making complete contact. First ensure you are making contact across the length of the blade, then once you are removing ink across the width of the bevel all the way to the edge… then and only then will the bevel be sharp.

Abrasion of tape on the spine will tell you if the blade is flat on the stone, if the stone is flat and if the blade is warped and/or if you are using too much pressure and where.

To quote Glenn, “tape is cheap”… so is ink, use lots of both.

If all else fails sent it to me and I will make it sing for you, my TI is one of my favorites.

I don't set a bevel on a razor unless it is necessary. A new TI would 'probably' not need to have the bevel set. If it did I would use Lynn's circle technique on the 1k and then on the 4k. Move to 8k and so on. I don't even go 220 to remove chips. I might go 600 DMT but most of the time the 1k chosera is plenty. It always varies depending on the razor. Like thebigspendur said, on a new razor I start at 8k , lightly and politely. I only go lower if I have to.