Thread: Cant seem to get a good edge on this razor!

So....I have just recently started to hone my own razors and have been having great success. I have put a good edge on seven razors. I am using the Norton 1k, 4k, 8k then the Tony Miller tri-stop. I have been following my honing with 75 passes on the linnen, 75 on latigo, and 25 on horse. All of the razors are shaving great with the exception of one. The clauss razor does not seem to be holding an edge. I have set the bevel and done 75 passes on the 1k, 75 on the 4k, and 75 on the 8k followed by stropping. What am I doing wrong?

I know that I do not have much experience with honing but I seem to have been doing well at it on the other razors. I have even taken a razor that I have had in the tumbler for six days with a completely destroyed edge and reset the bevel and honed it up and stroped it with excellent results.

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Stop counting number of passes, and just hit up the hone until it cuts arm hair easily. It could take 10 laps, it could take 100. Use your 1k until is cut hair easily, and then, and only then move on to the rest of your progression.

Your bevel is not really "set" until it cuts easily. From there you are simply smoothing it out and refining the edge. If you do not spend enough time on the low grit hone you will be wasting your time on the finer stuff.


Go get 'em!

I should have mentioned that. I do verify that it does cut arm hair after the 1k level. I have also been verifying with marking the edge with a permanent marker.

As you said you have successful honed 7 razor's and this one gives you hard time.Don't get frustrated by it .Razor's are made with different company's and steels are different even they will act same hones differently.In your case i think try don't put too much pressure on the blade when you hone on 8k and have chro2 ready to smooth the edge after 8k before stropping.stropping really doesn't sharpen the blade however it will fix bended edge(straight edge up).Your blade needs to get that condition first then stropping can help.hope this helps.

That is an awful lot of strokes. The razor looks in good condition. I would definitely recommend a pyramid off the 1K with no more than about 20 strokes on the 1K. If not a pyramid, then 10 strokes at a time until the razor will shave hair off the arm after the 4K and then about 10 strokes or so on the 8K. Then if needed you can use a little paste and on to the strops.

Lynn

+1 with what Lynn just said, Way to many stokes after the 1k is cutting hair, but, make sure the whole edge is sharp, one of the biggest mistakes new guys to honing make, is only part of the edge being set, then figuring that the higher grit stones will catch up.... 10 laps check 10 laps check is what I do, you might also start making a habit of spinning the stone 180 degrees too, so that ever 10 laps changes the side of the stone you are honing on....

Just thought to mention, I always start by looking at the edge under magnification. See if it has any micro chips or what have you. IME magnification is essential. I use a 30X eye loupe I got from Widget Supply thanks to Kaptain Zero. I also have an old B&L 30X microscope if I am not too lazy to use it.

Next I use a marker and do a few strokes to see if the marker is removed evenly for the length of the blade. Once I determine the type of stroke necessary I wipe the residue of the marker off. If you put it on more neatly then I do this may not be necessary.

If the razor needs the bevel set that is what I do next. I use one layer of tape on all of mine so they usually need it. I will work on the bevel as shown in Lynn's DVD with regular passes or if necessary circles and back and forth strokes. I use the TNT and the TPT during this phase. Once the TNT passes I only use the TPT.

When the scratch pattern goes from the edge to the top of the bevel and under light and magnification the bevel is the same color I know that I am done with that phase and can move on to the next level. If it is not the same color I have more then one bevel and have to remove more metal.

I think if I were in your shoes I would look at making a balsa paddle strop and get maybe 1.0 or .5 diamond paste for one side and CrO for the other. This should bring all your razors to a new level including the one you are having trouble with.