Thread: Hi. I'm new to this

My new 8k stone arrived yesterday. All i did was a pyramid between the 3k and the 8k then about 40 laps on the Welsh 15k followed by a leather strop. Shaved with it this morning and it is much much better although I thing when I have time I will go back to the beginning, re set the bevel and go from there.

how many shaves have you done? maybe its time for your razor to be sent out ,, kinda hard to learn honing till you learn how to shave and strop just a thought tc

Just another thought one pressure while honing. I think a heavy near wedge may be a little more forgiving of pressure when honing than a full hollow. If your Army and Navy is as thinly ground as mine is it is easy to use too much pressure and hone the bevel almost up to the edge but not quite the edge because of blade flex. Don't know if that makes any sense but I believe I have seen that happen to me honing.

Use very light strokes finishing up on the bevel set and keep it very light for the rest of the progression.

Bob

Hi TC. Thanks for your advice, but help me here, how does sending my razor away to be honed help me to learn how to hone? Maybe I'm missing something or didn't grasp your reply.

Iv'e been shaving straights for about 6 months so I realise my technique is improving day by day - I shave every day. I have 4 straights to choose from, so I practise honing on the A and N

Originally Posted by BobH

Just another thought one pressure while honing. I think a heavy near wedge may be a little more forgiving of pressure when honing than a full hollow. If your Army and Navy is as thinly ground as mine is it is easy to use too much pressure and hone the bevel almost up to the edge but not quite the edge because of blade flex. Don't know if that makes any sense but I believe I have seen that happen to me honing.

Use very light strokes finishing up on the bevel set and keep it very light for the rest of the progression.

Bob

Cheers Bob. You mean too much pressure will microscopically flex the very edge of the blade off of the hone. I see what you mean.

the idea is that you cannot learn both at the same time, because if you don't know what shave ready feels like , you don't have anything to gage against when honing what the razor should feel like, also , when you get the newly honed razor back and shave with it, you would then know what a shave should feel like unless you killed your edge stropping.

Originally Posted by StuBru

Hi TC. Thanks for your advice, but help me here, how does sending my razor away to be honed help me to learn how to hone? Maybe I'm missing something or didn't grasp your reply.

Iv'e been shaving straights for about 6 months so I realise my technique is improving day by day - I shave every day. I have 4 straights to choose from, so I practise honing on the A and N

If your razor comes back shave ready you should not strop it, it is shave ready.

If your edge is shave ready all you are learning is shaving, one less variable.
Once your shaving technique is good, you learn to hone again less variables.

There are quite a few members here and many have tried both and found a very long learning curve.
There is good advice here often, all you have to do is accept it.

Listen to what these guys are telling you. It really does make a difference if you know what a keen edge feels like. It was not until I shaved with a truly "shave-ready" blade that I understood what was being discussed. Then, when you look at it under the loupe and see what it is supposed to look like, the process will be easier for you to understand and reproduce.

I managed a shave ready blade the first time I tried to sharpen a blade because I knew what to look for in terms of what the bevel should look like. Once I got to that point, the rest was straight forward. But trying to finish an edge without the bevel is like skating with your guards still on. You can do it, but it isn't going to be pretty.

Originally Posted by RezDog

There is good advice here often, all you have to do is accept it.

I get that, and I really do appreciate the advice. BUT, there is no harm in trying to understand why some one says something, rather than simply taking it on face value. Wouldn't you agree?

In any case, as I said originally, my Wedge and DOVO, incidentally,were professionally honed, so I know what shave ready feels like. I followed the "blade flexing" advice last night, went back to the 1k and finished on a pyramid 3k/8k and the A and N now shaves comparable to the Wedge so all is good.

Thanks for all of the comments and advice.

never said anything about it helping your honing skills, which if that's what you in this for ,, just asked if you even know how to shave yet, do you want to shave or hone ,, or both , but if you don't need advise that's cool , but learning to hone before you can even maintain with a strop ,, well that's all I asked , tc