Thread: Cured my compulsive honing disorder: not sure how

I've finally eliminated the need for constant hone touch-ups from my life, but I changed a bunch of things at the same time, so I'm not sure which one did the trick, or if it was a combination of things, which ones are more important:

1. Set a decent bevel when I DO hone
2. Switched from hollows to wedges
3. 20 passes on linen daily, 50 if the edge needs restoration
4. Of course my technique is always improving

Unsolved mystery: will steps 1,3,4 allow me decent longevity from a hollow? I aim to find out.

One interesting note: heavy use of the linen might be convexing my edge. I say this because, after I've been doing this a while, I have an edge that still shaves great and catches the standing hairs on my arm with a nice grabby feeling, but will not pass the HHT or even the TPT (I can even press the edge into my thumbpad & not get cut). Of course this is just a guess. Without an electron microscope I can't see what's going on.

So far the SHT seems to be my most reliable predictor of shaveworthiness: skim the blade through your arm hairs above the skin (do not touch the skin). If the edge feels grabby & catches hairs all along its length, it will shave.

Originally Posted by Johnny J

3. 20 passes on linen daily, 50 if the edge needs restoration

This. I went from 7-10 shaves/edge to 130+ just by adding linen to the daily regimen. Not sure how long they will last because I haven't really had to hone any of them yet since I started this about a year and a half ago. I use full hollows pretty exclusively, the thinner and lighter the better.

Originally Posted by Johnny J

Unsolved mystery: will steps 1,3,4 allow me decent longevity from a hollow? I aim to find out.

Yes. See above.

Originally Posted by Johnny J

One interesting note: heavy use of the linen might be convexing my edge. I say this because, after I've been doing this a while, I have an edge that still shaves great and catches the standing hairs on my arm with a nice grabby feeling, but will not pass the HHT or even the TPT...

I see this as well, and I think it's because the edge is getting smoother from the linen, and the HHT seems to be heavily dependent on how catchy the edge is. There is likely some convexing going on from the sag in the hanging strop, but I'm doing an experiment now with a horsehide/linen paddle and the razor I'm using it on does the same thing. I've got one razor with about 4 1/2 months on it using a hanging strop, and another one with 3 3/4 months using the linen paddle. What I'm hoping to do is get them both to the same point, then use them alternately till they need rehoning and see how the sag and presumed convexing affects how the edge ages.

I'm surprised a linen stropping can make this much difference. I currently do not have a linen strop, but if what you guys are saying is true, I should probably get one to keep my razors "young".

Originally Posted by Oglethorpe

I'm surprised a linen stropping can make this much difference. I currently do not have a linen strop, but if what you guys are saying is true, I should probably get one to keep my razors "young".

I used to think the same thing, but really does tune up an edge. Now just imagine how much better it would be if I used an actual linen strop rather than just an old strip of webbing from a 1940's or 50's era knapsack.

I'm trying to repeat by experiment with my Double Arrow, but I think the experiment is being mucked up because the DA is not as good a razor as some of my others. For $13 it shaves shockingly well, but with other razors I can get a very good shave WTG/XTG, whereas with the DA I get a mediocre shave unless I also throw in an ATG pass. Since I'm now accustomed to that higher level of shave, it's difficult for me to judge whether the linen is restoring the DA properly or not.

I have a W&B full hollow I'm going to try. Maybe that will give me better results.

I should also disclaim that the Chinese 12K is my finest finisher, and I don't use pastes. When Glenn honed my DA, it came back so shockingly sharp, I didn't even know anything could BE that sharp. So my complaints about the DA could perhaps be solved with a 16K Shapton. Nonetheless, with the equipment I have, I do have other razors that I think are better shavers.

Anyway, I'm getting off the track here. What I really want to do is hone up my W&B hollow and see how long I can keep it alive with linen.