Thread: Got a new Hart - and I'm so sad!

Originally Posted by brooksie967

If you read into the posts I linked to and you will see that the stropping tests that have been done with upwards of 60 laps using Cubic Boron Nitride and had no ill effect on the edge. Mr. Miller comments and has done upwards of 30 laps with the CBN as well.

Can't possibly think that crox is more abrasive than CBN as CBN is.... second in hardness only to diamond and in certain forms is actually harder than synthetic diamonds...

I'd be curious to see your measurements of steel removed before and after such a stropping routine.

It's the law of diminishing returns. In my early honing days I did experiment with number of laps, only to find that the conventional wisdom of "less is more" is indeed true. Excessive laps on a pasted strop do not yield better results by doing dozens of laps, assuming that the edge was shave ready to begin with. Crox is mild for sure, but the grey streaks you see on your strop of choice are a reminder that metal is indeed being removed.

I'm not sure how others are using crox, but I use it every so often on a shave ready edge to give it that little bit "extra" or for initial touch ups. My point is why would you do 40 laps when 10 is sufficient?

Well I just shaved with my Dovo and it went great. Only two passes and a couple nicks but my face feels terrific. My confidence is renewed with my technique I guess.

I have a 4k/8k but I certainly assume that I cannot do any better than the pros at Hart. I guess I will try it out on my next shave (after stropping with CrOx as I did) and if it STILL doesn't perform then maybe I will send it to Lynn since he honed my Dovo which I KNOW shaves awesome. Just kinda sucks to drop another $25 on an expensive razor but I don't know what else to do...

Originally Posted by EggSuckingLeech

Just kinda sucks to drop another $25 on an expensive razor but I don't know what else to do...

What I did was buy vintage razors in good shape and learned to hone with a norton 4/8. Just don't buy junk and stay away from big name brands. You can pick up good Solingen and Sheffield razors from lesser known mfgs, in good condition at relatively cheap prices. Don't buy stuff with excessive or uneven hone wear no matter how cheap. Get decent vintage blades and practice. When you are getting them where you want to get the Hart out of the drawer and go to work on it.

Originally Posted by Ryan82

It's the law of diminishing returns. In my early honing days I did experiment with number of laps, only to find that the conventional wisdom of "less is more" is indeed true. Excessive laps on a pasted strop do not yield better results by doing dozens of laps, assuming that the edge was shave ready to begin with. Crox is mild for sure, but the grey streaks you see on your strop of choice are a reminder that metal is indeed being removed.

I'm not sure how others are using crox, but I use it every so often on a shave ready edge to give it that little bit "extra" or for initial touch ups. My point is why would you do 40 laps when 10 is sufficient?

That's also my point Ryan. IF the 10 laps happens to be sufficient then absolutely stop. All I'm trying to say are there are different schools of thought on these things and trying to get guys to understand that when someone says TEN LAPS ONLY not to necessarily take it as verse.