Thread: That's it...I'm getting a Chosera! (maybe)

I'm learning to hone on old cheap razors and it took me 2 hours to just set 2 bevels. The razors were really dull and I'm new to honing but should it take me 2 hours? I'm learning a lot and I really like my Naniwa ss 1k but I want something faster. I hear the Chosera 1k is really fast but it feels a little bit harder than the Naniwa ss 1k. I don't know...should I get a Chosera or not?

No learn what you have first. I use a king 1k and it has never taken me that long to set a bevel on an undamaged blade.

If a blade has been damaged and repaired the blade my take a bit to get the bevel set.

I agree with Castel - learn what you have.

It sounds like, maybe, you aren't using enough pressure - bevel setting is all about removing steel to achieve a consistant edge all along the blade.

If you decide to buy a Chosera - send it to me and I'll look after it for you until you need it.....

Originally Posted by Havachat45

I agree with Castel - learn what you have.

It sounds like, maybe, you aren't using enough pressure - bevel setting is all about removing steel to achieve a consistant edge all along the blade.

If you decide to buy a Chosera - send it to me and I'll look after it for you until you need it.....

I thought I was using a lot of pressure but I guess I wasn't. Next time I'll make the table shake!! BTW I asked my Naniwa 1k if it wanted to go with you. It said something... but I can't understand Japanese.

Some stones do cut faster than others but all stones cut when the edge is in contact with them. Bear in mind pressure is a relative term & that it does not take much to flex the edge away from the stone so that all you hone is the bevels shoulder. That is a valid technique if you are restoring an edge but not if you are scratching your head about why the razor isn't getting sharp.
I use what I think is very little pressure but that is my perception of the word. You'll note that for one of the fastest hones out there , the DMT, it is also recommended to use light pressure & let the plate cut. I'm sure there are other stones with similar properties ie light touch needed. I find my Shapton pros cut faster on a light to medium touch at bevel set. There is also less gouging of the steel to polish out at end game.

I used to think King stones were slow as a wet wick till I stopped bearing down on them.

An hour on a destroyed rusty old razor is quite a possibility especially if it is a wedge & you have to keep honing till it stops chipping.
OTOH a hollow in good condition but with visible chips the full depth of the bevel could be cleaned up in 5-6 minutes.

Don't use enough to flex the blade though - that is too much

If the stone isn't fast enough for the task, than lap or clean it more frequently while honing. The Naniwa SS series load up quick, and that slows you down considerably. You can use a slurry too, that will speed thing up too. A 1k Chosera won't be that much faster as you would like it to be, a little practice and those few tips I gave you will speed up the process more than a new stone would.

If a new honer thought he was using a lot of pressure, then he was more than likely using way too much. When I first started honing, it was nothing to spend 2 hours a day for weeks, just trying to make one razor shave some arm hair.

Should it take that long? Nope. But you're new. And more than likely you're doing something wrong. Try more pressure if you like. See if that fixes it. If it doesn't, then go the opposite way, and use a very dainty touch. See if that works. If neither works, then you've got some other problem besides a pressure issue.

What you should definitely NOT do, is buy any other stone, in hopes it'll fix the problem.

Originally Posted by regularjoe

If a new honer thought he was using a lot of pressure, then he was more than likely using way too much. When I first started honing, it was nothing to spend 2 hours a day for weeks, just trying to make one razor shave some arm hair.

Should it take that long? Nope. But you're new. And more than likely you're doing something wrong. Try more pressure if you like. See if that fixes it. If it doesn't, then go the opposite way, and use a very dainty touch. See if that works. If neither works, then you've got some other problem besides a pressure issue.

What you should definitely NOT do, is buy any other stone, in hopes it'll fix the problem.

ok I'm going to go the other way and use light pressure. Let's see what happens and thanks to everybody for the advice.

I'm not any sort of expert, but I am curious if it would be good to use a stone that is just more coarse. I have a water stone that is 250 grit. Is it bad to use a 250 grit stone on a blade that has a lot of damage? I guess what I am most curious about is, should a person ever drop below 1000 grit when sharpening a razor? I never have, but I am a rookie for sure. I've only ever worked on 2 blades, so I kind of don't count.