Thread: Shaving a/r 4K only?

I'll post this in Hones too, but basically I was working on an ebay special yesterday and after getting it HHT-sharp off the 4K did some small tests on my cheeks - no lather or any other prep, 4 days' growth.

The tests felt SMOOTH! Much better than pretty much anything I remember in such other tests a/r 8K / Swaty. Actually, the razor cut almost as well as my best shavers WITH prep and lather. Steel felt a bit soft on the hone, it is a vintage razor that feels superb... Then I jumped to the Swaty for 10 laps and it was dull - no HHT. Went back to the 4K, 15 or 20 no pressure laps and HHT sharp again... I lapped my Swaty last week, can't believe that's the reason, maybe I just put more pressure...

So, have you shaved with 4K-only honed razor? I think one of my Grandfathers had an even rougher hone that he used... I am seriously tempted to try it

Cheers
Ivo

ps I am taking guesses on what brand / model the razor is

Originally Posted by izlat

So, have you shaved with 4K-only honed razor? I think one of my Grandfathers had an even rougher hone that he used... I am seriously tempted to try it

Sure. It wasn't much fun though. I have shaved a fair bit with razors honed on the translucent arkansas, which is somewhere between 1k and 5k depending on who you believe, and gotten very good, comfortable shaves with them.

Yes, but the shaves weren't very comfortable. The cutting characteristics rock though huh? Even on 4 days growth. A few passes on a higher grit should not dull it though, so something is wrong. Probably nothing to do with lapping, just stroke.

I honed one of Ed's Wolstenholms like that, with just one lap on the 8k between 4k pyramid changes. Came out great. I don't think the 4k heavy aproach gives quite as close a shave though.

X

Originally Posted by izlat

I was working on an ebay special yesterday and after getting it HHT-sharp off the 4K did some small tests on my cheeks - no lather or any other prep, 4 days' growth.

The tests felt SMOOTH! Much better than pretty much anything I remember in such other tests a/r 8K / Swaty. Actually, the razor cut almost as well as my best shavers WITH prep and lather. Steel felt a bit soft on the hone, it is a vintage razor that feels superb... Then I jumped to the Swaty for 10 laps and it was dull - no HHT. Went back to the 4K, 15 or 20 no pressure laps and HHT sharp again... I lapped my Swaty last week, can't believe that's the reason, maybe I just put more pressure...

I have had something similar happen with an old razor. It was just barely shaving, but when I went to the 8K, it was worse. I did it twice in one sitting.

The problem was an oxidized edge. I could get it sharp on the 4K, but as soon as I went to the 8K, the edge crumbled and looked like a roller coaster in the microscope. Apparently, the 4k edge could cut, but when I tried to thin it on the 8K it became too weak and crumbled in places.

My solution was to take down the edge to clean metal and rebulid it. It then took fine on the 8K and became an excellent shaver.

I would venture the opinion that for most razors if you do the best possible job on the 4K you will get just as close a shave as going to the max with the 8K. The difference will be the comfort level of the shave. It will probably feel like you did at least 10 shaves or more with the razor honed on the 8K.

I think that in the old days people didn't fuss that much about comfortable shaves. In those days men were men and shaves were supposed to be painful. Really comfortable shaves were reserved for the wealthly who went to a barber or those who could afford to have their razors professionally honed and the few that had the inclination to really master honing.