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"I think you overestimate their steel making qualities."


I really enjoy reading your historical accounts. Undoubtedly there was a lot of luck as well as trial and error going on in the past that...

..." the advice offered by JohnG10 was quite sound & that you almost seem to want to argue for your limitations. There's a whole lot more knowledge & experience out there waiting for you if you want...

Thanks Richard. Where do you get your CBN?

The coarse diamond for bedding/leveling/slurry is on the way. Thanks for the recommendation.

It is becoming clear to me that the primary consideration for razors over their history has been...

Norton 1K, 4K & 8K are Aluminum Oxide/Alumina
This of course says very little except it is quite hard and friable. Aluminum Oxide must be the most prevalent water stone composition but also the most...

I have an inquiry into Norton concerning composition of 1K. It really requires a ceramic/diamond/ other super-hard stone to get a good slurry out of it. The Chinese 12K stones I use for slurry- was...

I take no offense and appreciate your suggestions but I would like to point out I have three years experience with a straight. I have honed some thirty razors. So let us assume I have gotten lucky...

I agree. Grit for Grit comparison, diamonds are much faster. Maybe Bruno was referring to being able to step down then up just as easily and take no more time. Certainly we can agree that diamonds do...

Never mind- I did the search here and found members are typically getting 2x-4x the number of shaves I get out of a razor. Hence my looking into harder and more wear resistant steels. I would sure...

How many shaves, generally speaking, do you get from the razors you like the best, before an abrasive/honing is required? It may be due to less experience but I can tell you I am lucky to get a dozen...

M4 may not possess as fine a grain as the above but it is quite fine. There are several aspects I am testing here, not easily separated:

1) Edge sharpness (fine grain plus brittleness/ductility)...

Agreed. I had thought to get them tested close to the pivot and assume the same hardness throughout. Providing of course the tester concurs- preferably a blade-smith.

Thanks Bruno for the suggestion. My inexperience is showing.

All three razors have been test driven. The two from Doug have the weight and proportions I was looking for and I am very pleased (54...

The test begins. Here are the three blades I will rotate until each has exhausted it's sharpness and is replaced in rotation with the one or two other blades still holding sufficient edge for my...

Agreed, the proof is in the shave. I will get back the two blades this week and begin my own personalized tests and report back the pro's & con's of each as well as the blade-smiths experience...

Thanks for the interest and comments. Many of you echo my own thought processes in issuing the challenge to Doug who was so kind as to take on this unfamiliar steel in a public forum.
First, I have...

I have been a lurker here and have learned much from the forum in my short three years with a straight razor....thanks. After collecting many less than perfect vintage blades to test their...