Thread: How sharp do you like it?

Originally Posted by LikesBBS

Thank you...... exactly what I was looking for. And I will probobly see what you mean in the next week about liking the edge better after a few shaves/strops cause mine after the first honing/stropping cuts fantastic but feels semi-harsh, where off my 8k it was smoother (just used a 12k first time).

The boys in the safety razor forums feel that same way about Feathers and other ultra-sharp blades, that they shave more comfortably after the 1st or 2nd shave. Some even gently draw the edge through a piece of cork before the first shave to smooth it out.

I used to extend my honing progression all the way to 30K, but lately I've stopped at my 12K Naniwa SS and plain leather stropping and find those edges shave very well. My experience has been that some steels don't hold up well at 16K and 30K levels. I know that 16K and 30K edges should be sharper and perhaps more refined, but my results with 12k have been so good that I see no reason to go further.

From a beginners perspective and very little experience, I go up to a 12K Nani and finish on a Zulu Gray. That seems to give me and my honing technique more smoothness than stopping at the Nani 12K. As far as not feeling any tugging goes, I have never had a straight razor, DE blade or cart razor that I did not feel some very slight resistance to the stroke. I don't think you can eliminate that totally, close but no cigars. I try not to get too OCD about things and quit when it just works well enough.

Bob

I gave up straights...and just use clam shells now

Originally Posted by nessmuck

I gave up straights...and just use clam shells now

Yeah, but what grit do you hone them to?

Ya, I hear ya Bob. Even with a new cartridge I still feel tug on a few areas and my SR is actually providing less tug than that atm. Had it in my mind tht there was a possibility in getting a razor to 0 tug since there's so many lengths in sharpening a blade, but now realize only so many comfortable ones. And that OCD bit ... ya lol ... it can take things farther than they need to be - like my sanding project

I heard Lynn once shaved with a blade of grass

And gssixgun once honed the claws on a cornered wolverine to a mirror finish, in the middle of January while it hadn't eaten in a month and was protecting it's babies using only a nortons 8k that he lapped on on a rock - true story.

There is a Secret Text of Sharpening like the Lost Sea Scrolls that you might get lucky enough to see some day. Aside from sharp straight razors it explains the origins of complex cultures and what happens after you die. If you stay around the forum there is a chance you might see a copy but you can never own one as they are Moderated. Good Luck.
I'm a stray cat.

I started honing with a King 1000 and a King 6000 to finish with, and was able to get several razors sharp and smooth with several lacking the smoothness that I wanted.
Then, after a few months, I bought the Norton 4000/8000 and improved my odds of honing to a very smooth and sharp edge.
Finally I sprung for set of Naniwa Super Stones. This consists of a 1000, 5000, and a 12,000.
I have gone back to the razors that left me wanting for smoothness and find that I can improve their smoothness to a acceptable degree and almost all of them come out really really nice.
As my hone collection grew so did my ability to hone. I should go back to the King 6,000 and see what my improved abilities would produce.
For me the magic grit numbers for a finisher has ranged from 6,000 to 12,000 with me not feeling like I need anything else.