Thread: Help with bezel setting.

The dovo was honed by Lynn and was in great shape. I have two razors, a red point and this dovo that I trade out after a month or so. At this point the red tip has gotten somewhat dull after about a month and a half usage and I normally switch to the dovo. Well the dovo is in need of touch up too. Figured this would be the time to take it to the stone and learn from the ground up since it's long overdue. So update:

I spent a good hour and a half on the 4k stone re-setting the bevel as it were. Doing circles on both sides and basically removing metal until the sharpie came off without a doubt in one stroke. This means that the edge is wide in some places, I mean like a good 1 mm wide and only about .5 mm in other places but the blade makes full contact. I took it up to the 8k in time and did circles and strokes on that. Then I went for a shave.

I should mention two things: 1) I hadn't shaved in 4 days so I was getting some good whiskers. 2) I've never, even with a freshly honed straight razor been able to shave every single day without getting serious razor burn and places that just plain won't shave (specifically under the jaw line around my neck) and that has caused me in years past to take serious care with pre-shave prep. I lather with Musgo, let that sit for about 5-10 minutes, boil some water while waiting, dip my towel, apply a hot towel to face and neck, let that sit for about 2 minutes, whip up my lather and apply that, let that sit for about 5 minutes, wash it off, apply another hot towel then apply final lather and shave. This is about the only way I can keep my neck from reacting badly.

That being said, the razor shaved. But it didn't feel quite right. 4 day growth usually gets cut like butter. This felt like it was just short of dragging also when compared to how it shaved after lynn honed it, I felt like I was shaving with a spoon. The edge felt wider if that makes any sense at all. It performed. It cut. It didn't really "drag" the hair but it didn't slice through like when others had honed it for me, that much was noticeable. I don't know if what I'm feeling is the difference between a razor honed to 8k and a razor honed to 12k or more or what. The usual test of sharpness, for me, is whether or not I can do a pass around my adam's apple and not have too much stubble left over. Stubble after a pass usually increases as the razor gets more dull.

Overall I'm happy that I got this blasted thing to shave at least and I'm definitely not giving up but I would like some wisdom as to what that feeling is caused by, whether it's the hone or if I'm still screwing up.

Originally Posted by pinklather

You mention the shoulder giving you trouble, which makes me wonder about the state of the blade. If the shoulder contacts the stone during a normal stroke - it may mean the shoulder needs to be ground up so there's more unmolested edge to ride the stone w/out interference.

I think that when I first started on the 1k I kept hitting the stone with the shoulder and also accidentally laying it down with the shoulder making contact with the stone. This made the whole razor uneven and caused the toe on one side to make significant contact while the heel rose up because of the shoulder being on the blade, on the opposite side (upstroke) I had less of this problem because of the being right handed and the way I was holding it. That being said, most of today was correcting the damage I'd previously done.

Originally Posted by fifthmanstanding

. . .
. . . That being said, the razor shaved. But it didn't feel quite right. 4 day growth usually gets cut like butter. This felt like it was just short of dragging also when compared to how it shaved after lynn honed it, I felt like I was shaving with a spoon. The edge felt wider if that makes any sense at all. It performed. It cut. It didn't really "drag" the hair but it didn't slice through like when others had honed it for me, that much was noticeable. I don't know if what I'm feeling is the difference between a razor honed to 8k and a razor honed to 12k or more or what. . . .
Overall I'm happy that I got this blasted thing to shave at least and I'm definitely not giving up but I would like some wisdom as to what that feeling is caused by, whether it's the hone or if I'm still screwing up.

You know the difference between "dull" and "sharp". Now, it's time to explore "sharp" versus "very sharp".

The easiest way to answer your question is to get a finer hone (a 12K hone or a fine barber hone) -- or a pasted strop -- and use it _gently_ to improve the barely-acceptable edge you have.

If the edge gets better, you're on your way to "very sharp". If not, there's something wrong with what you're doing on the 8K.

My bet (about what you might be doing wrong) would be "too much pressure on the hone". There's a video in which somebody demonstrates a "light" stroke on an 8K hone -- it's _unbelievably "light"_. He doesn't even rest the full weight of the blade on the stone. That's what you need to shave straight off an 8K.

Charles

PS -- my logic for this is that the depth of scratches, after a honing stroke, is less with a light stroke, than with a heavy stroke. So to get the smoothest results from any hone, you need the lightest possible pressure.

So as you probably now realize you did not need to re set the bevel if it had been pro honed. A barber, finish hone or 8k at best would have refreshed the edge, no circles light laps with just water or most probably a strop with chrome oxide, without touching the stones.

Hair test are subjective because there are way too many variables. I don’t go for “hair popping” at 1K, I just want the edge to “grab” a hair across the entire bevel using a slicing hook stroke, not a shaving 90 degree to the hair mowing stroke. At 1k the edge is serrated and may not “Pop” or mow hair. Again many factors are involved, the thickness and consistency of the hair you are cutting, where on the hair you cut top, middle or near the skin and the actual refinement of the 1k edge. As you improve you skills your 1k edges will be sharper.

I assume you are looking at the edge under magnification for ink removal? Look at the edge under magnification straight on, edge pointed straight at you. If the edge reflects light, the two bevel planes do not meet and the complete edge is not sharp. Lightly running a sharpie on the edge will tell you if there are chips or un-sharp spot on the edge. The ink on the edge will show after a light lap under magnification. Colored ink is easier to see, blue or red.

If you are removing ink across the bevel and especially at the edge, you are ready to move up in stone progression. Just water no slurry and you are looking for a smooth uniform feeling on the stone. After 3-4 strokes you should feel any rough spots on the 4 & 8 Ks. What you are attempting is a smooth feeling and consistant sound on the stones. Once the blade glides on the stone across the entire bevel evenly, do one more lap and move up.

It sounds as though your edge is ready for either a finishing hone or a pasted strop. One of the benefits of a straight razor is the ability to tailor the edge to your face. It sounds like you may need an exceptionally keen edge, a fine finish hone or CBN edge for your skin and beard.

Do yourself a favor and practice honing/ bevel setting on other than you daily shavers. Learn to maintain your shavers and practice bevel setting on practice razors, your shavers are your standards, your baseline guides.

If you would like send me one of your razors, I will inspect the edge and finish hone it and put a .125 CBN edge on it for you, PM me.