Thread: Too much bite after my first serious honing attempt

Hi, guys. I've been shaving with a straight razor for about 2, maybe three years. I bought my first razor, a Dovo Best Quality, shave-ready from Straight Razor Designs, and it shaved great, I used it without honing (just stropping) for about one year, then, when it started to feel like it didn't shave as well (though maybe it was just in my mind, because it still shaved great) I bought a chinese 12K stone and I'd give it a few (30 - 50) laps every three or four months. Then a while later I bought an 8000 water stone, but I only used it a couple of times with very few laps, maybe it didn't even make a difference, but I think it shaved a little better after that. Then I bought a 6000 grit stone, but I barely even used it, just very few laps on it once, because I had just bought it and wanted to see what it was like. And that's what I had been doing for the last couple of years, a few laps on the 12K every three or four months, a few on the 8K even less often, less than every six months, I guess, and that was it. The thing is now I bought a new razor, and I want to give this old one as a gift to my father. It was feeling a little less than perfect, so I thought I'd hone it and give it to him in good shape. I started with the 8K and gave it a few more laps than usual, something like 50 or 60 laps, and then a few more on the 12K, about 100. And then I shaved with it, and now it feels a lot worse than before. It has too much bite and it feels a little scratchy, and it gave me razor burn like it never had before. It's still not BAD, if I didn't knew what it was like when I bought it I could shave with it this way and never know better, but it's not as good as it should be. I thought maybe it needed a few more laps on the 12K, so I did that, and maybe it improved a little, I don't know, but it's still not as good as before.
What do I do now!? What I have available is what I mentioned, 6K, 8K and 12K water stones.

A couple other things that might be good to know: I used a dremel to remove a few rust spots from the spine and the sides of the blade, but I was very careful to leave the edge untouched, and I think I succeeded... I don't think I damaged the edge, and it still looks the same to my eye, but I don't know... I could have. I think that would have damaged a specific part of the edge, though, right? And not cause a general decrease in the razor's performance. Also, I tried the hanging hair test, and I can't managed to cut a hair with the razor unless I move the blade reasonably fast towards it. I think it has always been like that, though, even when it shaved well. And I have very thin and oily hair. I also tried running my wet thumb along the edge and it feels fine, just like it always did.

Please help me! The worst part is that I live in Brazil and there's nobody who could hone it for me anywhere near. It has always been a great razor, I'd hate to put it aside and leave it without use because of something so silly.

Thanks in advance!
Daniel

To start with the hones - you can't set a bevel with any of your hones, so that's a big problem, if your edge needs to be re set ( which I think is the case after so long service).

A Dremel works on very high rotation speed and that generates heat, which can damage the heat treatment in the steel. If that's the case you can't get the razor shave ready without making a new heat treatment (only for skilled knife or straight razor makers).

Oh, but I don't think it has to be re set. Visually the bevel looks fine, and as I said the razor still shaves decently, just not as good as it used to before I honed it and made it worse. From what I said do you think I should re set the bevel?

About the Dremel, oh, crap, I hope that's not what happened. I only used it very lightly on specific spots.

The bevel on a straight (or a knife) needs to be re set after a certain while and if you've shaved for serveral years with a hollow grund razor I think you done very well, actually way better than most, but I would think the razor would need a re set of the bevel ...

Uhm, and for that should I get a 1K then? From the 1K can I go straight to my 6K? Would I need a 4K too?
And is there anything I can do with what I have to make it a little better until then?
Thanks for all the help!

Hi Daniel,
Perhaps your razor's edge is a little bit over-honed and therefore rough and scratchy as you describe. Have you tried stropping a little bit more than usual on the linen side of your strop, or perhaps on a strop that has been treated with chromium oxide paste? That might help bring back the smooth edge.
Best wishes,
Jeff

Hi, Jeff. No, I didn't try that! I actually stropped less than usual. And I think it's very much possible it's over honed. I'll try that tomorrow, then! Thank you very much.

Doesn't Lynn offer one free re-honing? I know it'd be in the mail a while. But since you probably do have that option, I'd go with that. I think you probably over honed. What you were doing before with very few laps is exactly correct. And what you did this time, is exactly incorrect IMO. I don't want to give some other advice. But if you try what's already suggested and it doesn't work, let us know, and I'm sure someone will tell you another idea. I've never used one razor for so long, so I don't think I'd have any good advice for you.

Originally Posted by danielbmarques

Oh, but I don't think it has to be re set. Visually the bevel looks fine, and as I said the razor still shaves decently, just not as good as it used to before I honed it and made it worse. From what I said do you think I should re set the bevel?

About the Dremel, oh, crap, I hope that's not what happened. I only used it very lightly on specific spots.

Resetting a bevel will do nothing but improve your shave as long as you have the technique mastered as well as a proven progression to get the razor from the 1k back to at least an 8k, preferably 12k or higher IMHO, edge.

Your bevel might look good to you but unless you've been resetting bevels for quite some time and really know all the tell-tale signs of a truely set bevel, I wouldn't go by visual inspection alone. There are numerous threads that discuss what a bevel should look and what it should be able to do; get digging

Best of luck to you!

Go back to the 8k, Backhone 5 laps, spine leading. then do 5 standard X strokes 5 Backhoning ones

Now start on the 8k again, do about 20 perfect X strokes, move to the PHIG and do 20-30 perfect X strokes on plain water

STOP
STROP
SHAVE

and see if that gets you the smooth again.. that will tell you if you "overhoned", if that doesn't get you back to where you wanted then you do most likely have to re-set the bevel and start at a lower grit