Quote Originally Posted by joshearl View Post
Joe,

OK, this is where I think I need help to start out.
-How much pressure do you use at the 1K stage?
-How do you angle the blade during the stroke?
-What do you do if the razor has uneven spine wear?
-What are you trying to achieve at this stage? (Does the edge look very straight under a microscope, or does it have some irregularities?)

Josh
At 1k, you're not using a lot of pressure. It's hard to explain, since I go mostly by feel. I've never put a gauge on it. Just enough that it feels like it's removing metal. My stroke stays consistent throughout the entire honing process, but usually around 70 degrees (perpendicular to the hone being 90 degrees) If the razor has uneven spine wear, you're probably going to have an uneven edge. That doesn't mean it won't hone up fine, but the bevel isn't going to be perfectly even...I honed a brand new Dovo that was slightly uneven. It happens. What the spine does affects what the edge does. With the 1K, all I'm trying to do is establish a rough bevel and remove oxidized metal. The 4k is for really establishing the edge bevel. A wise man once told me that honing is nothing more than establishing a good bevel, then polishing the hell out of it. As far as what I'm trying to achieve; as I said, I'm just reestablishing a bevel and removing oxidized metal from the edge. If done correctly, it'll look straight under a microscope, but the scratch pattern will be very pronounced, rather than looking satiny and smooth, as off the 4k. It can't be done with every razor. Small variances in the razor affect the edge, but you don't want it too extreme. Extreme differences show major problems. I can control it a bit on my regrinds, but not on ones I didn't do myself.