From the grinder to the hone?

[wynndow]

I've been lurking around the forum for quite a while and just made my introduction yesterday. I'm very much a newbie when it comes to the forum and straight razor shaving. Also I realize I'm taking a huge leap in this world, but I've been doing alot of searching and reading and haven't found quite what I'm looking for. I'm a knifemaker originally so all the concepts and whatnot that it takes to get something that looks like a straight razor I've got handled. Also I've done enough research to know what to do once I get a razor that is ready to receive a bevel and upward from there (accomplishing this I know is a world in itself).

But what I'm not sure on is what is the best route to get it from off the grinder to the point where your actually preparing a razor towards shaving?

This is my first attempt at making a straight razor and this is the progress so far, I didn't spend much time on making it pretty as I want to get to the point of a good workable blade first and foremost. Once I do this then I will invest the time to make it look good.



Blade is a 5/8 O1 steel, I have a noton 220/1k and 4k/8k, do I have all I need, the correct stones? Or am I completely way off?

Sorry for the newbieness, and appreciate your guys' patience and any help, Thanks!

[gssixgun]

Welcome aboard,,,

Smartest question I have seen from a Knifemaker jumping to SR's in quite some time..

Since you are using a Norton set you might want to read through this thread first..


http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...on-2012-a.html

That will prove to you that you can get a razor to Shave Ready with just that

You also might want to read this one

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...-1k-shave.html

It will help you realize just how sharp SR's really have to be at the bevel set

Good Luck, with your first attempt, it will be different then honing knives but many of the skills do transfer, they are just at a much lighter touch

[wynndow]

Well that makes me feel a little better

I've been in the process of reading the Infamous thread about half way through (it's quite the bear lol)

All my knives can "shave hair", use quotations heavily being the environment I'm in on this forum, but I know there's a world of difference, and honestly this is the most excited I've been about my knives since I began, really stoked to dip my toes in this water.

[skipnord]

Nice job on the grinding. Hard to tell from a photo, but the ratio of spine thickness to blade width looks ok. You want a final bevel angle of around 17 degrees. Many guys making the move from knives to razors, myself included, make what is referred to as a "razor like object" their first time around. Yours looks like a real razor. Congratulations, and welcome aboard.

[wynndow]

Nice job on the grinding. Hard to tell from a photo, but the ratio of spine thickness to blade width looks ok. You want a final bevel angle of around 17 degrees. Many guys making the move from knives to razors, myself included, make what is referred to as a "razor like object" their first time around. Yours looks like a real razor. Congratulations, and welcome aboard.

Thank you, appreciate the words.


I guess what I'm really in question about is: my thinking from what I've gathered is I can take the ground blade (what I have) to an edge with the 220 then put a real edge on it with the 1k and progress as I learn from there.

Does this sound good? Or is there something I'm missing?

[skipnord]

Sounds like you have the right idea for the honing progression. As you work with the 220, keep checking to see that the width of the bevel is even. If not, you can go back the your belt grinder and make necessary changes. You want the bevel to be even, and the same on both sides. Some may argue that 220 is more agressive than you need. It just means deeper scratches to hone out with your 1000. You might want to get one of the inexpensive Chinese finishing stones - they run $25 or less, and are around 12,000 grit.

[wynndow]

I'm fine with having a little more time on the 1k because of the 220, being the first I just really didn't want to take it too far with the grinder before I had a better idea of what I was doing. I saw a video somewhere that a fellow used a radio shack cheapo microscope to look at his bevels, would this be worth it? I've also thought about the 12k stone, but I figured reading all the 1k shaving, and 4k/8k shaving thread if I cant do it with those the 12k is pointless at this time.

I really want to do this the best way possible and correctly, as knives are a business of mine. I would like to eventually offer straight razors as well.

[HNSB]

You'd be ok to use the 220 to get a "pre-bevel". I'd start with the spine just slightly lifted on the 220 and go until it starts to feel sharp, then lower the spine and do a few more strokes, then go to the 1k until it effortlessly shaves arm hair, then move on to the 4/8 to smooth it out.

[wynndow]

Awesome thanks, I don't have the stones yet (should be here in a few days) hopefully I'll have a actual razor by this weekend.

The anticipation is killing me, guess I should have selected the "rush" shipping

[1holegrouper]

I sure would love to work that blade! It looks to me like you have the beginning of a stellar razor. Did you oil quench this tool steel?