How do you hone your Japanese Straight?

[JonnyO]

Im awaiting delivery of a Japanese Straight. My research has turned up a couple useful tips, but not much. I know there is a ratio between the two different sides. However. Im curious what peoples methods are.

[Steelforge]

Here's a great post below from SiRed8 with a whole heap of links to follow, I'm awaiting a Japanese straight from O_S myself - so I've been keen reading through these myself over the last couple of days!

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...tml#post475989

Also a good video here by JimR
http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...tml#post447923

Cheers.

[Lynn]

The 10 to 1 ratio given in that thread is a winner. I have honed quite a few Japanese razors lately including a couple that were pretty beat up and every one ended up chasing the whiskers away. As with anything else, you certainly can experiment with the back and forth strokes and even circles for that matter or different ratios.

Have fun,

Lynn

[kevint]

The 10 to 1 ratio given in that thread is a winner. I have honed quite a few Japanese razors lately including a couple that were pretty beat up and every one ended up chasing the whiskers away. As with anything else, you certainly can experiment with the back and forth strokes and even circles for that matter or different ratios.

Have fun,

Lynn

Hail Chief,

Is that after spritzed felt, or did you follow the stone and leather path?

I have sorta max'ed out in my den. At a level leaving one expecting a bit more; which is not too cool. Over the past 3 or 4 days I have been dedicated to linen; which is over 400 laps in total. I'll try a few more times but after so many laps it seems only a little bit improved.

Previously I figured the lack was in shave technique. Some of it may still be. I do have a decent way to get it done with room for improvement. But until the I_saki does what an old Sheffield can do it ain't quite sharp enough.

Help to solve the 10/1 ratio riddle by telling us which side(s) of the razor you see in the mirror; pretty please?

[hi_bud_gl]

you should be careful with Japanese razor's. will not forgive mistakes.GL

[thebigspendur]

The 10 to 1 ratio given in that thread is a winner. I have honed quite a few Japanese razors lately including a couple that were pretty beat up and every one ended up chasing the whiskers away. As with anything else, you certainly can experiment with the back and forth strokes and even circles for that matter or different ratios.

Have fun,

Lynn

10:1 yikes! The classic recommendation is about 3:1. Of course that's routine honing.
I have a photo spread floating around the place somewhere of a guy honing a Tosuke razor and that guy happens to be Tosuke. That's what he recommended.

[JimR]

Well, I guess if you watch the video then you know how I hone my razors.

Mizuochi's recommendation is I believe 7/2, Tosuke is 3/1 and the barbers I've asked are roughly 10/1. I say roughly, because the 1 stroke on the Ura is more of an afterthought.

I think the main thing is, the majority of honing in ALL of the systems is done on the non-stamped/omote side.

[Lynn]

Well, I guess if you watch the video then you know how I hone my razors.

Mizuochi's recommendation is I believe 7/2, Tosuke is 3/1 and the barbers I've asked are roughly 10/1. I say roughly, because the 1 stroke on the Ura is more of an afterthought.

I think the main thing is, the majority of honing in ALL of the systems is done on the non-stamped/omote side.

Totally agree. That is exactly what I am finding in practice. The afterthought is just that whether it be one, two or three strokes. The majority on the non-stamped side is the key and it really works. I have come off the hone to leather and also come off the hone to .5 diamond before leather and both have been killer. Jury is out here on the Japanese razors as this method and the razor geometry are set up for a wicked edge. And.......you know at some point, I'll try the whole process with just natural stones and slurry to water too......lol.

Lynn

[Kees]

I am very happy with the 10:1 ratio! Actually the way JimR describes it it is 20:1. You go 10 times up and down on the flat side and one single stroke spine leading on the kanji side of the kamisori. I used it on both my Iwasaki and Tosuke and am very impressed.

I did 5 times a 20:1 on Y/G Escher with slurry, followed by 5 times 20:1 on the Nakayama without slurry, then laps on Cr2O3 pasted strop followed by linen and leather.

Both hones are 2" wide so there's no need for an X-pattern. The Cr2O3 is probably cheating (i.e. not the traditional Japanese way) but I happen to like Cr2O3 a lot.

[kevint]

I didn't use any science. fwiw my practice is to use one for several weeks to a month and set it aside for a month or two. After which I always feel the need to resharpen it but I have never used anything less that coticule.

Originally I followed 7/2-3 and shaved with the ura which was not too bad a result for a beginner, and the ratio followed the appearance of the original setting of bevels. Later, and over the course of several days I started concentrating on the omote with only a single stroke of the back.

At this time I got some very sharp results. I began to think it was the way, but after the bevels began to truly reflect this new ratio I reached a point of true confusion as the shavability of the omote was far improved, the ura against my face was near the failure point.

I then spent some time bringing back the bevel on the omote. At this point I can only get a sub-bbs with two passes. To get bbs is just too much trouble going over and over.

The point I am looking for input on, not only enlightening you to various aspects, regards sides and angles.

It certainly seems to me that the choice of ratio will affect the side you use as well as the angle. When I shave with the ura the back lays nearly flat against my skin. With the omote I must adopt an angle slightly steeper than a line from the flat to the edge.

How does your shave angle work out, or sharpening style affect the side you use and its angle of use?