Thread: Honing w Lappijng Film: Question on technique

What Glen says, yes.

I don't think I even use the 8 to 10 I suggested...more like 5 passes.

Just to throw this in. I find that a little lather keeps the film cutting quite a bit longer. Depending on the razor material. TIM

i have had a few people tell me it needs hindreds of passes. i had a little dent on my edge. to clea it up i did like 100 strokes on a rough lapping fil and then 100 on the finer papers. the blade looked good, had a good edge to cut with but was very scratchy. the other day i re-did the laps with fine grades (3 micron and .3 micron). 200 laps per side and the razor shaved beautifuly. no scratching. i am taking a day off and will re-shave tomorrow to comfirm but i think the blade s really smooth and shaves nicely.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Way way way too many... to give you an idea I do less then 10 laps on any paste if I use them at all

You are either using the paste to finish the honing, or tearing the edge to pieces or perhaps both ...

BTW a mirror bevel doesn't mean a good job honing or stropping

Wow... i just replied to Lindyhop66 that i did more passes ad saw your reply as well. I guess I need to do it differently the next time. not sure why i got bad results at 100 laps ad good results with more... but hey... if less lapping works, thats my preference too.

SO:

Using film: how many laps of what micron film would you suggest to get a bevel ?
and how many laps of the lower grades to get a smooth finish. while i hear what you say wrt the mirror finish.. i have seen others post that without such a finish the sharp blade can scratch. Is this just wrong ?

IMO, if you hav'nt gotton were you think you need to be on that grade of film your at at the time, with 10 to 30 pass's maximun, then some thing ain't right in Denmark.
There's a point at which you reach your goal and adding pass's just risks loosing your edge at that point.

Again, IMHO YMMV

Sincerely, tinkersd

I just honed 2 full hollow C-MONs last night, Cadillac and Filarmonica Doble Temple on lapping film. The Cadillac already cut arm hair, so probably had a bevel. I made sure with around 10 laps on 12 micron and then 9,5,3,1,.3. I did overkill by stropping CrOx balsa and Diamond Slurry balsa before jeans, webbed fiber strop and horse butt leather strop. I could have stopped with the lapping film and went to the webbed fiber and leather. The Filarmonica wasn't getting a bevel, so I added one piece of electrical tape on the spine and did 10 passes or less and had a bevel and then did the same grades of lapping film and stropping.

The Cadillac edge is superb. Had a 2 pass BBS shave this morning. I will try the Filarmonica tomorrow.

So 8 to 10 passes to get bevel with correct grade of film and then, no more than 5 passes on the other grades and you're done. I am satisfied I have a bevel when it starts cutting arm hair all along the edge.

+1 on the above, good well thought out advice, way to go!!!

If you have a damaged edge, maybe that's what's making it hard to get a bevel or good edge. I haven't read of people fixing damaged edges on lapping film. I guess it could be possible with strategic pressure, but not sure. Probably should start the bevel on a synthetic bevel setter and then go to lapping film. On the stone, I think I've read you might rub the edge straight down on the stone to clear the nicks, but really haven't tried repair on a synthetic stone. The damaged edge could have been your problem all along.

After reading this I'm inspired to have "Stropped All Night and Still Have Stropped Some More"! (:-)
Wow, I start to lose count after 40! And that was 25 yrs ago!