Thread: First thing that comes to mind

If you are a beginning honer the magic marker on the bevel is good to make sure you're getting full contact in your strokes. The black, or whatever color, marker will come off where contact is made with the stone. It is also nice to have an eye loupe or a microscope to check the edge for micro chips and see that you're getting a good bevel. Not essential but nice to have. .

Originally Posted by gooser

good luck ....lol... thats the first thing tat came to mind ... that and tlet us know how it shaves when your done ...

For those interested in how the honing went, I guess is went reasonably well for the first time. I kept it flat and kept it light. After 15 laps on the 4k it still wouldn't pass hanging hair test, so I decided to start the pyramid progression at 25. By the time I got down to 3, it started cutting hair in mid stream.

After finishing the full pyramid progression I stropped it up and shaved. I shaves ok, but I'm not too impressed. It's not as smooth cutting as (warning: really stupid comment coming) the Dovo that Lynn honed. Hey, I have to aspire to something, right?!?

One thing to consider and I'm not sure show much it plays into the aforementioned smoothness is that this razor has shaved me straight off the 8k and the strop. Lynn's comes of the 12k coticule, so it's fine polished.

Bottom line, I didn't fumble it but it didn't get the first down either. I'll take that for a first attempt. Thanks for your input.
Cheers!

Sounds like you did great to me. I was great at reading how to get where I wanted before I came here. I bought I stropped I honed and shaves got better. Then I came here and learned some things. I got GSsixgun (Glen) to hone one of mine and like you say I found my honing need some skill sharpening. I got a 1000k because I had some that needed bevel setting and that is where I learned first hand that it all starts at the bevel stage. Here is my pyramid. I set the bevel on 8 razors and went on to shave test. Sent 4 back to do over and then shave test. Sent 2 back again. I am learning though. Just keep at it and you will too.

To be a decent honer you need to do the same thing as it takes to play at the Met, Practice, Practice, Practice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even if you don't hit it right away the more time you spend with that razor in your hands[any razor for that matter] the better you will get!!!
And of course learn all the "Test's," Arm Hair Test, TPT TNT and the most important one, even if a razor will pass most all the "Test's" the shave may tell you to go back to the stones. IT's like shampoo, hone and repeat, hone and repeat until the shave is were you need it to be.

IMHO, of course,

tinkersd

I'm no honing guru, but I'd have no ambitions to pass a HHT off of the 4k. When I get to the 4k stage I'm looking for an easy cut through dry standing hair, at the base. When it will "shave" dry hair off the 4k I move to the 8k. When that drops standing hair from 1/4" to 1/2" off the skin, then it's ready to move on.

Sounds like you had a very successful first foray into the world of honing. And don't worry, everyone wants to be like Mike (Jordan) so why not want to hone like Lynn?

Peace,
Jim