after first honing - what next?

I just honed for the first time on a new Norton 4k/8k that I lapped using wet/dry sandpaper on a ceramic tile. I used my best impersonation of the "circle method" via Lynn's great YouTube video. After doing the entire regimen once, the razor still did not seem like it was there - I went again through the whole progression. Again, the hair on my arm was not really "popping" above the skin. I went a third time and barely had that test pass and decided to strop and shave with it (the only true test is the shave test, right?).

Good comfortable shave, not fantastic, but certainly passable.

My question is, what next? Get better with the Norton 4k/8k only honing? Invest in a finishing stone?

Details: It is a Dovo Best Quality I bought from SRD around Christmas. It has been treated as well as I can (being new and prone to incorrect stropping, etc). The strop is an SRD red latigo with Crox pasted premium fabric - which I did use (8 laps) before going to leather. Razor was uncomfortable before this causing me to switch back to DE, it felt good enough today to go back to the str8.

It's all up to you!
Get comfortably where you are or continue in any of many directions... some of them dangerous!

I would suggest that you stick with your current set up as you have everything you need to get good shaves. And it will force you to learn to get the best from an 8k. Once the number of passes on plain leather that are necessary for a good shave drops to around 75 - 50. You will have developed the skill base to get a lot from a finisher.

I would have stayed on the 8k with just water an minimal pressure until it cuts arm/leg/body hair very easily.

For me a good shave is one that doesn't need a second razor to touch up. How many passes on plain leather did you use after the crox? How many more does it take to get a good shave?

Congratulations and have fun. Watch out for HAD:)

Jonathan

I'm not saying this is the case but the bevel might require some tune-up. By adding a 1k stone to your workshop you'll be able to tackle problematic blades. Learning how to efficiently set/re-set a bevel is a skill that, once mastered, will only improve your shaves.

Brooksie makes a good point, and I think adding a good 1k stone to your arsenal would definitely help. However, if all your blades are in good shape and you aren't planning on de-ebaying any razors in the near future, then I think you'd be better off with a finishing stone. There are a lot of people here that advocate staying at the 8k level until you've maxed it out, and I followed that strategy for almost a year before getting something with a finer grit. What I found during that year was that while it shaved, the 8k edge leaves a lot to be desired even when followed up by CrOx (as always, YMMV). I'm going to recommend a 12k synthetic as your next purchase. You still have to do your part on the lower grit stones, but as long as you're getting all you can get out of the 8k, the high grit stones will make the edge that much better.

So was the razor sharp and the two planes of the bevel meeting at the 4K? It sounds like it wasn’t. Look at the edge straight down with a strong light and magnification. If you see shiny spots, the bevels are not meeting completely and are not set.

I believe it is common to not use a low enough grit to set the bevel or do enough laps at higher grits if that is all you have. Whatever you use, it must be sharp, and the bevels meeting before you go to higher grits.

I too, would recommend a 1K stone and learn to recognize when the bevel is in fact set. One of my best purchases has been a 600 grit stone that makes bevel setting quick and easy, then a 1K. Once you can set the bevel then you can experiment with a finishing stone, otherwise you are just grinding metal unproductively. Lightly dragging a Q tip along the edge, you will feel if it snags on a chip or unsharpened area.

thanks for the advice gents. Regarding stropping - I always do 70 laps on plain leather, that's my routine. I do that without any "feedback".
I did not check the bevel with a strong light to answer your question Euclid.
I have a King that has a 1200 side, what's the feeling on using that as my 1k stone? I actually lapped that the other night before lapping the Norton, just to get the feel for the process on a less costly stone.

I'm sure I've read that there are people who use Kings for the low grit bevel setting stage.

Aside from that, my personal preference is to avoid adding too many stones too quickly, especially when talking about finishers. My advice would be to get to know the Norton well before acquiring more stones. You can get a very nice shave off it with practice and care, and the skills and technique you develop while pursuing that goal will hold you in good stead into the future.

Search out a thread called "JaNorton". There's some very valuable information in there regarding how to get the most from the Norton 4/8.

Good luck.

James.

It was the JaNorton thread that finally solidified in my mind all the great advice to start with that Norton 4k/8k. I've gone through that thread multiple times - but it's worth mentioning anyway. I think that thread and the similar Stroptober threads are two of the best things that new guys should review. Tons of great info, different techniques, great stuff.