You’re making progress! Pressure on the trouble areas can work wonders. It might need some more time on the 1k, so have the loupe ready. After you’ve done 50 or so laps on the 3k, take a look at the edge under the loupe and you should see the scratches from the 1k beginning to fade. Try a test shave after your done with the 3k before moving up to the next stone.
Ok I took the GD66 to the 3k (Bearmoo on amazon). Again focusing on just enough pressure to keep the razor flat on the stone. I didn't count the laps but I coundn't see any more of the 1k scratch pattern. The blade was instantly noticeably sharper to the thumb pad. I gave it another 50 laps on the strop and gave it another test shave. No tugging this time and the razor was cutting much closer. My cheeks are now both WTG smooth LOL. Not gonna lie, pretty stoked right now. Debating on whether I should do any more work on the 3k side or move on to the 8k. I've got no more cheek stubble to test the edge on though lol.
To make sure you’re done on the 3k and ready to move on to a finer stone. I will check the blade edge through my loupe to see when I’m done with the current stone and ready to move up. If I have my doubts, I’ll do a quick test shave on some arm hair to get a better sense of progress made. If the razor still feels like it did after the 1k, there’s a problem and I shouldn’t be moving up in the progression yet.
Arm hairs pops too easily, for me. Its too coarse. I like to pull out one of my wifes or daughters long blonde hairs from a hairbrush, to test with. They are much finer, and more difficult to cut, than coarse arm hair. Plus, my arms don't go bald. ..
When I am using a loupe while honing, if I am setting a bevel, I look almost straight down on the apex. Any deficiencies in the bevel set will show as a line, or sparkles with a good light source. Once the apex is created and a perfect ‘V’ is formed for the full length of the cutting edge, I begin to watch the sides of the bevel for the removal of the previous grit hones striations and the edge to see my progress.
Watching this one with interest, Andrew! I’m considering taking the same journey soon. Just bought a finishing stone to try and touch up edges. Will start there and see how it goes first. It’d be really cool to become self sufficient with this skill, though.
Today I went after the Gold Dollar "Vintage 2017". This blade had a warp to it and I had to spend a good amount of time on the diamond plates correcting the geometry (as Steve @Steve56 suggested) just so it would sit flat on the stones. Once I got it to sit flat it took to a bevel pretty quickly. my progression after the diamond was the King 1k Bearmoo 3k/8k and then I gave it 2o laps on the Chinese natural barber hone just for fun. I also took the GD 66 to the 8k Bearmoo and then gave it about 20 laps on the Coti. I will test shave these razors next week and see how I did.
Geometry is an art in razors. If the back of the razor has a smile, the edge should follow the smile. In the long run you will find that there is no reason to ruin a razor so it fits the stone. Rolling strokes, narrow homes, convex hones,... A straight spine is easier to start.
A Lot SRs have a Slight Twist..Current or Vintage..Thats Typical from the Factory..Perfectly or Near Perfectly Ground Razors are Relativity Rare. Japanese Razors are Better Ground than Most & One of the Reasons Why Folks Like Em..Some Vintage Solingen Razors are Fantastic Ground as Well.. Most of My Razors have Near Perfect Straight Grinds..I Cherish Em..Some of the Most Challneging or Intersting Razors to Hone are What I Call..Razors with Multiple Factory Micro Grinding Issues..A Razor with 3/4 Micro Grinding Imperfections Can Add to a MACRO Problem on the Hones..They are a Bugger as they Appear to be Great Grinds at 1st Glance.. Honing SRs is Not Easy..There are an Almost Infinite Combinations or Multiple Factory & Hone Wear Issues when One Hones Many Razors..Some Razors Demand a High Degree of Intellect & Open Minded Creativity on the Hones.. Billy..
Be zen, feel the razor, feel the stone. Hone one point of the edge instead of the whole edge at once. Or breadknive untill the knive passes the tap and wobble test
