Thread: Norton 4K makes it more dull than 1K? So confused...

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

A couple things. First, I have found the Norton 4k to be very coarse and I’m not a fan of it. I’m currently using it but considering a Naniwai option. But you need to ensure that its been lapped really well or it will rip the hell out the edge of your blade. Second, after obtaining a bevel on your 1k, working up a slurry on the 4k always takes me backward. I don’t do it. After the 1k, the only slurry my razor may see will be on a natural finishing stone. The 4k, 8k, and 12k will be on water only. You might try NOT working up that slurry and just working on water. You’ll see plenty evidence of the 4k handiwork on the hone as you go. I don’t think you need that slurry at all.

I also intuitively felt that slurry might be a bad thing when I was deciding whether or not I should. I recently watched a video of someone (seemingly reputable) honing and they went from a 1K to a norton 4K with slurry. However they used a 6K pocket whetstone to create the slurry whereas I just lapped my 4K with a 220 DMT.

I have since ran 40+ strokes after washing off all the slurry, using light pressure, and although it may have improved slightly (it now pops 1 single hair instead of zero), it still was definitely shaving better off the 1K. I guess this means the damage is already done and I'm going to have to step back down to the 1k?

Is it ever possibly the case that the razor will get worse before it gets better? I mean the razor edge LOOKS less jagged through my 15x loupe off the 4K than off the 1K.
Or does the fact that it just can't shave worth crap always trump any other indicator you have?

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I used my razor to cut strawberries

I know the strawberries thing was stupid. Sometimes I do stupid things what can I say =P

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I am going straight up and down the hone

My hones are wide enough to compliment the whole length of the razor, and I lapped both my stones before honing. Maybe I'm wrong but I just don't see how not using the "x-pattern" is wrong. I've always had a bone to pick with regards to the x-stroke, and I've never inquired. That problem is this:

On a single stroke, I start with the whole length of the blade on the hone. I can't start with the tip/point of the razor off of the hone because that means the heel/stabilizer will be sitting on the hone which will force it to not sit flat on the hone. As soon as I start the x-stroke, I guide the heel of the razor off of the hone, and progressively more and more of the bevel leaves contact with the hone until the end of the stroke at which point there is about 1/3 of the bevel not in contact with the hone. So 2/3 of the bevel is on the hone for the ENITRE stroke, whereas the other 1/3 isn't due to the nature of the x-stroke.

I can't imagine how it can be good practice to hone 2/3 of the bevel more then the other 1/3.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I get a jagged edge and then move on

I only used the word "jagged" for lack of a better term. Looking through my 15x loupe, it was very very hard to notice any deviation from a completely straight edge, but if I looked hard enough and got the light perfectly reflecting off the bevel, I could see very slight imperfections in the edge in certain spots. Whether or not that is worthy of moving on to a 4K, I don't know.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I use pressure for 100 strokes

I don't feel like I was using too much pressure with the 1K strokes. The bevel was in bad shape because I was struggling and getting frustrated and just probably making it worse several attempts before this one. But I kept checking after every 10 or 20 strokes to see if the bevel was improving or not, and from what I saw, it was. I had a lot of 220 grit grains in the bevel because I had to get a big nick out, and during those 100 strokes I saw those grains slowly be replaced by nice consistent 1K grains, to the point where eventually it looked flat and consistent all the way along the bevel.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

pps: a properly set 1k bevel can shave your face

I actually was pretty surprised how it was shaving arm/legs hairs when I finished off the 1K. However I wouldn't have gotten a nice shave with it the way it was.