Shaving with a 1.2K edge wasn't nearly as bad as i thought it was gonna be.

After reading a thread about shaving off a 1K last year or so, I finally decided to give it a whirl. I have about 220 straights shaves under my belt, honed about 30 razors for myself (while not a lot, i figure it's enough technique on both processes to be able to get it done)

once i figured i was at bevel set point, gave it a good stropping and it went off really well.

i was expecting much harsher and kind of uncomfortable shave. not at all, pretty decent, no pulling, no tugging

i can't find the 1000 edge thread, but an interesting experience.

It makes me wonder when people say "shave-ready" all the range of possibilities that the phrase means.

I see you found the old thread from epd, but like in there I highly suggest you take the time with this same razor and take it up step by step, and shave at each step to see what each hone brings to the table for you..
I promise you an eye opening experience :)

You will get a very good idea of the stages

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

I see you found the old thread from epd, but like in there I highly suggest you take the time with this same razor and take it up step by step, and shave at each step to see what each hone brings to the table for you..
I promise you an eye opening experience :)

You will get a very good idea of the stages

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when you say stages, i interpret that as 1) sharpening 2)polishing and 3) finishing. sound about right?

so i imagine i would get the edge up to 5K for polishing for tomorrow. so bad that it takes at least a day to grow enough beard back from a really nice shave.

Yeppers

Bevel
Sharpen
Polish
Finish

Generally thought of as
1k
4k
8k
10k +

Yeah it takes some time and effort, to do experiments but man it is worth it, they really open your eyes to what is going on with the edge..
I was smiling from ear to ear when epd started that 1k thread, honestly I knew what the outcome was going to be, but I loved reading about their experiences and yours :) Once you realize that you can shave after a correct bevel set honing becomes pretty easy, it really does fall into that "90% of the work is getting the bevel set correctly" LOL

The next challenge comes in the finishing stage with figuring out about the S M O O T H :rofl2:

Never shaved of a 1K edge but I sure know there is a difference between sharp and sharp and smooth together.

Bob

I believed this is the thread you are refering to: http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...-1k-shave.html

Im going to try this tonight. Im gonna dull one of my razors and start at 1k. This is an awesome idea. This would not knock the bevel off a bit to where I would have to reset it again would it? I would imagine this would be the point in the honing process where it is less delicate than all the others and I would not have too.

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Originally Posted by ccase39

Im going to try this tonight. Im gonna dull one of my razors and start at 1k. This is an awesome idea. This would not knock the bevel off a bit to where I would have to reset it again would it? I would imagine this would be the point in the honing process where it is less delicate than all the others and I would not have too.

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This is indeed the point where you are setting the bevel. Id say delicate enough, not the most refined but still a bevelled edge.

Also, don't underestimate a good stropping.

As I experienced it, there's less difference in shaving comfort between a well stropped razor with only the bevel done and a well stropped fully honed blade, than the difference between a fully honed blade with and without a good stropping. After honing that is, not necessarily between shaves.

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Originally Posted by Pithor

Also, don't underestimate a good stropping.

As I experienced it, there's less difference in shaving comfort between a well stropped razor with only the bevel done and a well stropped fully honed blade, than the difference between a fully honed blade with and without a good stropping. After honing that is, not necessarily between shaves.

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i'd think think that a well refined blade without stropping would be noticeable worse than you make it sound.

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Originally Posted by globaldev

i'd think think that a well refined blade without stropping would be noticeable worse than you make it sound.

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Really? I thought I already made it sound pretty bad.

I would suggest a bit more testing then...

Coming straight off the finisher, should be a very smooth comfortable shave, without stropping... This is another test unto itself

When testing on the lower grits ie: 1k 1.2k, you have to strop to get the rough metal feathers off the very edge, you are trying to compare two very different things..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

I would suggest a bit more testing then...

Coming straight off the finisher, should be a very smooth comfortable shave, without stropping... This is another test unto itself

When testing on the lower grits ie: 1k 1.2k, you have to strop to get the rough metal feathers off the very edge, you are trying to compare two very different things..

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I know I am. My point was that stropping or not stropping makes a huge difference (for me).

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "rough metal feathers" that one has to get "off the very edge". You are talking about the debris that piled up at the very edge I'm guessing?

I don't use synthetics (I've used a coticule for this, still have to try it with my cretan which is a more aggressive stone), which is why was talking about a basic bevel being established, not about definite grits. There might very well be a notable difference between synthetics and naturals in this aspect, at least for coticules one would think, as they don't produce a sawtooth pattern.

And I realise that this I have been slighty deviating from the original point of this thread. I didn't inted to and have only now realised it. I still hope I got to add at least a tiny bit here.

to follow up with this, last night i shaved off a 5K Shapton Pro w/ some light slurry at the end (same razor CVH MK6) and it was absolutely great, not a sublime feeling, but it was definitely a great shave.

When i mentioned redefining shave ready for myself, i never would have placed a 1K or 5K edge as shave ready previously, as most people (i know i did) seem to define it as getting through the fourth stage that glen stated. i think i still might based on preference, but it makes me wonder why there are so many that say an edge from a experienced honer isn't shave ready. Disclaimer: i hone for no one but myself, so no confusion that someone else said this about my edges.

In those cases, i'd love to reach into the screen and give the edge a try and se for sure if it was capable of shaving.

I am not sure if it's the quality of the steel in this razor or my technique, maybe a bit of both, but it certainly makes me feel different about what people consider a shave ready edge.

I've never tried this but I find it very interesting.

I wonder what a barber 100 years ago would have thought of a good 1k edge.

Michael

"A dull razor in the hands of an experienced shaver, is better than a sharp one in the hands of a novice"


Don't forget that having experience with how to get the most out of the edge, plays a very important part too..

Part of these experiments is to help with your honing , the other part helps with your confidence :)

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

"A dull razor in the hands of an experienced shaver, is better than a sharp one in the hands of a novice"

Don't forget that having experience with how to get the most out of the edge, plays a very important part too..

Part of these experiments is to help with your honing , the other part helps with your confidence :)

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sounds legit :o

i think my honing is well up to snuff, but i may overdo the laps a bit. not by hundreds, but by maybe 20-25..

i think today as i honed it further to ~8K i could feel within moments of starting the change in feedback only after 4 or 5 super light laps on a Hatanaka Toishi Akatsuki HG-1. perhaps even less. i wanted to stop, but i just couldn't… i need an intervention!

i just feel like there is no way it could be "there" yet.

Most people realize after doing these experiments, that the ole' "Less is More" saying really starts to make a bunch of sense..

Just keep sneaking up on the optimum edge as you go :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by globaldev

i think today as i honed it further to ~8K i could feel within moments of starting the change in feedback only after 4 or 5 super light laps on a Hatanaka Toishi Akatsuki HG-1.

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i want to say the shave off this edge was keener, but not yet smooth. however, i did have some outside influence that could definitely affected the shave. even my soap was kind of not feeling right before i shaved. but the result of the passes was clean.

And to finish off my experiment, a couple passes on a ozuku w/ nakayama tomanagura and it was all there, sharp and smooth. It's a rite of passage for me I think, I no longer wonder about what it would be like, now I know. Thanks for the comments along the way.