Thread: help i m trying the first hone ! pearlex dovo

hello friend i m triyng finally my first hone of the pearlex dovo carbon steel 5/8 on the belgian stone--the razor is NEW .......

the normal number of lap on the belgian for this "dovo shave ready" out the box....is 60 ???

could we tell me a simple reference number?? 5 30 100!

thanks

Danzyc,

There isn't a simple answer to your question. The number of laps you need to do depends on how sharp your razor is to begin with. We'll need you to help us figure out how sharp your razor is now before we go further.

Look through the forums for information on the "thumbnail test," the "thumb test" and the "hanging hair test."

Try to perform the thumb test and tell us what happens. Then try the hanging hair test and tell us what happens.

We'll walk you through it.

Josh

danzyc, give this link a try http://babelfish.altavista.com/, it may help break down some barriers.

could you explain me the hangin hair test??? .... i have "free fall " my hair.....and the blade have not cut the hair....

belgian coticule is too poor to develop a very sharp edge?? i d like to buy a norton waterstone???

Danzyc,

Here's what I wrote in another thread about the hanging hair test. Let us know if you still have questions.

To perform the hanging hair test, you take a hair, usually one from your head, and slowly touch it to the edge of the razor.

I rest the spine of the razor on my desk for this. You do not want to move the razor--only the hair.

In a perfect world, when the razor edge touches the hair, the free end (the hanging part, see?) smoothly disconnects from the rest of the hair and falls. This should happen all along the edge of the razor.

Various levels of sharpness will give you different results. The hair might break but still be connected, or it could cut partway through and start splitting and peeling, or it could cut all the way through with a tiny "pop" that sends the free end flying. Or you might see the edge is starting to catch the hair, making a little sound.

You won't believe this test until you see the results on a truely sharp razor. A sharp razor edge actually seperates the hair at the molecular level; the blade's not cutting but just sliding between atoms. Way cool.

The main problem with the HHT is that it works differently on different thicknesses of hair. This is because thicker hair means more resistence against the edge, making it easier to cut. Thin hair will bend out of the way. I have pretty thick hair, so a duller blade will pass the test. But on the sides of my head the hair is thinner, and I have to get my razor sharper to make it pass.

I cut my own hair, so I grabbed a handful last time and I have a good supply. Some people use hair from their dog, or wife or girlfriend, or they ask their barber for some.

many thanks josh !! you are clear....

i have another question....the belgian coticule (the only stone that i have) is a "finishing" stone...... could i hone my razor only with this hone?? or i should buy a 4000 grit stone to sharp the blade??

remember my condition is a peralex dovo new that non shave at all out of his box )

thanks

Which belgian do you have, the blue or the yellow?

The blue is a working stone, roughly equivalent (I think) to the 4k norton, and the yellow is more of a finishing stone.

i have yellow coticule

I know that Norton 4k stones are manufactured in Italy, so you may be in luck. If I were you, I'd get the DOVO honed by a honemeister and get an antique e-bay blade to work on using the professionally honed one as a benchmark.