Thread: Touching up and finishing

Hey guys..
Ok here it comes.. I learning that from the Hones I have that I should drop 2 and hone to touch up a razor.. ,meaning I have a 12 k nainwa and a 4/8 norton.. So when touching up I should drop down to the 8 k do 10 strokes then back up to the nainwa 12k for 10 strokes then strop.. That would be a touchups.. Now I usually hone on a king 1 k for bevel then 4/8 norton.. How would I finish on a 12k .. Would I just do 10 laps on the nainwa after I finish the pyramid then diamond spray then 10 scrub 75 plain..

No sure where that advice came from,,,,,,
Touch up by revisiting your finishing stone, with a few light, 5-10 strokes, then your stropping routine.
When touching up, I have never had to drop below my finisher.

I would do more laps. Like 20 circles, 20 laps, 20 x strokes. If theres alot of slurry on the 8k, I would hit the 4k. If not 5 circles, 5 laps and 5 x strokes on the 12k and you should be good.

I'm with Hirlau on this one. Less is more, so try a few light strokes + stropping and see how it stands. If you have to go down to the 8k, then do so, but check first whether it's necessary.

Bill - by 'slurry' do you mean swarf? I.e. metal that has been removed and deposited on the hone?

EDIT: my advice above is strictly for 'touching up' as indicated by the OP. IMHO if one has to go much beyond a finisher, one is also going beyond 'touching up'.

Ok that would b a touch up correct.. When I finished most of these razors i only had a 4/8 k norton then a bought the 12 k most of the razors i own were finished on the 8 k .. So,now that I have the 12k how could I go back and finish what I finished on the 8 k with the 12 k.
.. I guess basically what I'm asking is what's the difference in the process between touching up and finishing.. The touch up i get ..5-10 laps on my finish stone strop and shave when razor starts pulling. Where would I incorporate the nainwa 12 k into the pyramid because the pyramid i learned on here you finished on the 8 k

Only my two cents here.

As you do not need to take them back to the hones I personally would hit them on the 8k razor only pressure for 5 laps. (as gssixgun put it butterfly kisses)

This would be more to set up/refresh the scratch pattern to remove on 12k.

and it could be anywhere from 10-25 laps on the 12k, each steel will act unique and will have its own sweet spot.

I tried the pyramid for a short while, I don't like to use it, just as some steel needs more time on a hone it added a lot of variables into the formula.

It very quickly taught me when a razor was ready for the next step, and how the different grinds and steels can feel.

I now opt for a linear progression.

I'm still learning and have had success with the pyramids... My problem is still not knowing when it's time to move up the hones.. I understand how to set the bevel and have had success.. But once i hit the 4 k I'm lost .. I have no idea what the tpt should feel like .. So Im lost when to move up.. I read on another forum that if when I get to the 8 k and its leaving visible metal on the 8 k the work wasn't done on the 4 k..how do u know when to move up?? Magpie taught me when the water starts actually running over the blade and not pushing it its time to move up??

If you can nail the bevel you can gage a lot on sight (under a loupe) as you are refining the bevel you set.

I go by feel, a blade changes its feel a few strokes in on a higher grit stone, develops that quickly and I hesitate to say changes its feel again but it does,

you can more feel that it quits developing if that makes sense.

At 1k I do TPT and arm hair test (I used to also use the TNT but not anymore) , at 5k I do arm hair (it changes) and that is my last test prior to the shave test.

I'm just gonna have to practice... And learn the feel .. I do the TNT for the bevel .. I also have a loupe.. So when using the loupe am I just looking at the scratch pattern. Change along the edge of the blade??

That is how I do it.

If the bevel is set properly the rest is refinement, I only do "Work on the 5k down, and I say this because I will step to the 5k right at the end of removing micro pits/chips now,

not something I did when first starting out.

I found that I could see the teeth left from the 1k and would lose sight of them in the final stages.

Anything past 5k for me is not "work" it is polish/refinement.