Thread: I solved my problem but you won't believe the solution

Remember my post about my deteriorating shave problem? My edge would degenerate to the point where I had to go all the way back to 1000 grit to get my bevel back. Well, guess what I just did? Did 1000 grit to completely remove the edge, then went to the Cushioned Strop hone, and stopped. I completely skipped the Gem hone and Lithide hone.

Best. Shave. Ever.

Did my face. Did my head. No problem. Baby's-butt smooth.

Is it possible that my hair is so damn coarse that it rakes a fine edge completely off? What grit is the Cushioned Strop hone on the Norton scale? About 4000? Can't be much finer than that.

So I guess if I ever get a Norton, I should buy the 1000/4000 instead of the 4000/8000?!? Anybody wanna buy a Gem hone & a Lithide hone?

I think your going to get a lot of comments on this one.

What kind of razor do you use? Strange as this may sound, I have a pocket knife that I can get sharp enough to shave with by just stropping on a pasted bench strop at the preset bevel. The reason for this is that the knife is a SUPER high carbon content steel (blackens if you look at it funny). If your razor has a very high carbon content, its might be so soft that you're 1) losing sharpness very quickly (my problem with that knife) and 2) way overhoning on your hones.

Originally Posted by shotwell1234

What kind of razor do you use? Strange as this may sound, I have a pocket knife that I can get sharp enough to shave with by just stropping on a pasted bench strop at the preset bevel. The reason for this is that the knife is a SUPER high carbon content steel (blackens if you look at it funny). If your razor has a very high carbon content, its might be so soft that you're 1) losing sharpness very quickly (my problem with that knife) and 2) way overhoning on your hones.

I thought carbon increased the hardness of steel but also increased its brittleness. Am I reading you right?

Justin

You could be absolutely right, what I should have said was "the carbon content is such that the blade blackens anytime moisture gets on it. Also, this blade loses its edge very quickly but sharpens faster than any other metal i've worked with." I'll do some quick research and get the metal specs too .

Originally Posted by shotwell1234

You could be absolutely right, what I should have said was "the carbon content is such that the blade blackens anytime moisture gets on it. Also, this blade loses its edge very quickly but sharpens faster than any other metal i've worked with." I'll do some quick research and get the metal specs too .

I'm not trying to be a stinker --- all in good gesture.

Justin

No harm, you were absolutely right. Linked is the wikipedia article on carbon steel. Next time I'll read it first. I think we'll just have to wait for the response to figure out what kind of razor it is and see if that meshes with other experiences people have had.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_steel

I have two razors, a Joseph Allen and a Wade & Butcher, both carbon steel. The Wade is both thinner & harder than the Allen.

Edit: question about the CS hone moved to the hones section where it probably belongs.

Originally Posted by shotwell1234

The reason for this is that the knife is a SUPER high carbon content steel (blackens if you look at it funny). If your razor has a very high carbon content, its might be so soft that you're 1) losing sharpness very quickly (my problem with that knife) and 2) way overhoning on your hones.

Your knife isn't getting sharp and going dull easily due to the carbon content, it just isn't properly hardened. I would bet that if you have it Rockwell tested it isn't over 50. A good knife should be between 56-61 Rc. High carbon steel is more easily hardened and generally tougher than stainless steels at the same hardness. Your knife sharpens easily because it's very soft, but can't hold that edge because, well, it's very soft.

Johnny, do you have a Radio Shack microscope or a jeweler's loupe? If so, what does the scratch pattern on the edge look like? I'm curious about your results too, that goes against all conventional wisdom. Not to say I don't believe you, I just wonder how and why that works.

Hey Roadrunner, I'm not sure I believe it either. I have a full description of my experiment in Advanced Honing, in the cushioned strop hone thread. The short answer is, the coarser edge does a smooth job, but a little less comfortably, and starts pulling by the 3rd or 4th shave. The fine edge is more comfortable but gets eaten alive.

Maybe it doesn't go against ALL conventional wisdom. I've heard it said that guys with tough beards get better results out of a 6K hone than an 8K hone. Kind of like how a microserrated edge is better for cutting rope.

I have a 10X jeweler's loupe but I can't see much through it.