Thread: Honing on glass

Razor maker extradonaire Robert Williams began using diamond spray on a spyderco ultrafine and got great results. Your experiment brings that to mind. I would probably try some chrom-ox or diamond spray on the glass just to see if it gilds the lilly.

I started this line of thought by using chrome on glass, as a matter of fact, on my first razor. I had the chrome in my violin shop, but no strop. So I used glass as a backing for the chrome, and that's still what I do. I do the bare glass after the chrome, however, and it's an improvement.

There are a few threads on here about trying Glass Hones and Strops, if you use the Advanced search function you should be able to find them , most started from the exact same thought process as you had.. Somebody will post a question about the old DE sharpeners being glass, and then somebody tries it on a SR...

Some people swear by using CBN and other Sub-Micron polishing agents on Stones, Ceramics and Glass plate

I did quite a few searches here and via google and didn't find much, except regarding DE blades. Maybe you can point me to something.

The last guy I remember messing with it went by "Gibbs" you might start by searching his old posts, if you hit the search function then go to the "Advanced Search Function" you will find a ton of info hiding in the dusty archives of SRP

Originally Posted by mdarnton

I started this line of thought by using chrome on glass, as a matter of fact, on my first razor. I had the chrome in my violin shop, but no strop. So I used glass as a backing for the chrome, and that's still what I do. I do the bare glass after the chrome, however, and it's an improvement.

I have tinkered with this as well.

Fine near micron grit on glass works quite well. Rinse the glass to
finish the process. One source of grit is slurry from another hone.
Sprays of diamond or CBN work fine

The problem I found is that to some extent it is possible for me
to get the razor too sharp for a comfortable shave. Some call the
too sharp edge a harsh shave but it will often calm down after a shave or
two.

Another problem is the progression of grit as you approach
the need for honing on glass. Like all other hones the
progression has no short cuts. Near micron bits are gosh
awful fine and demand the edge be ready for a grit
that fine.

Loose grit and slurry works wonders. Large and small stone is often sliced with
a wire saw where the "blade" has no grit but grit is carried by
the wire. Diamond/ gem cutters use oak and copper metal that grabs the suspended
grit (slurry of diamond in oil) and drags the grit across the gem.

I haven't tried that, but I do know from experience that you can get a serviceable, if not ultra-fine, edge on a knife (NOT a razor, obviously!) by honing on the bottom, unglazed rim of a coffee mug. I've got one mug in particular that works great for this.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

Loose grit and slurry works wonders. Large and small stone is often sliced with
a wire saw where the "blade" has no grit but grit is carried by
the wire. Diamond/ gem cutters use oak and copper metal that grabs the suspended
grit (slurry of diamond in oil) and drags the grit across the gem.

I've only read that in "De diversis artibus" by Theophilus Presbyter written in 1100, have you got some more up to date info on it?

When I was a machinist we called it Lapping, here is this forum they use the term different. When I was a Mechanic withe Diesel engines the old hydraulic injectors like on the Detroit Diesel engines the cones and the tip of the injector had to be Lapped. We would lay out a big glass sheet on a flate surface sometimes we would use a layout block, made of granite. I would use a perscibed medium that felt like a paste and work out any scratches on what we called matted surfaces. When I was a machinist we would use a machine. Look up Lapping on Wekipedia.