i tried honing it with the norton 4k / 8k and used a naniwa 12k to finish, it gets sharp but not sharp enough for a smooth shave theres still tugging and pulling. what am i doing wrong
What razor is it? Was it shave ready before you tried to hone it? If so was tape used and how many layers? Did you use any tape? But my guess bevel not set properly use 1k if you have it, otherwise you will be on 4k for awhile. But maybe worth sending out to be honed and when shave ready you should be able to maintain it with those stones. Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
its a new king cutter. I'm pretty sure they send their razors that are already bevel set. so is what i got now not enough?
Should be enough, but as it sounds like a nice razor maybe worth sending out to be honed up (it's not that expensive ) but would save you taking more steel off, and then just maintenance would be required from you. Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
It doesn't always come from the factory ready to go. I typically see if it will tree top arm hair. If not, I go at it from scratch and reset the bevel. I've never been ever to shave with one straight away. Not saying others haven't been able to, it's just not been my experience.
honing form bevel set up does require that either you are very good at your sharpness and edge tests or that you have a loupe to give you a visual guide through the process. Essentially the bevel is the foundation that your edge sits one. In order for your finish to be perfect and the blade shave like a dream, the bevel must be perfect. If you are not familiar with the terminology a bevel is set when it forms a perfect "V" for heel to toe. To check this with a loupe you look almost directly down on the point of the bevel and inspect it from one end to the other, and sparkles or bright lines indicate the bevel is not yet complete. Once it forms the perfect apex it will be hard to focus on and will not reflect light back. From there the bevels are polish on the progressive grit of hones until the stria from the previous hone has been removed. You can get a great shave at 8K, and a great shave at 8K is the pinnacle of having achieved a great edge at which point you can prove the edge further. If you cannot get a great shave at 8K there is little value in moving up. If you are just learning to shave with a straight it will likely be easiest to do so with a pro honed blade. If you are just learning to hone a layer of tape will save a ton of hone wear on your spine.
Good advice above. Not much more for me to add. For what it's worth, I always start with one layer of tape on the spine. This way I never have to try and remember if that particular razor was taped or not. (I have several). I begin by setting the bevel on a 1k stone. This is where I spend the most time getting it perfect. If you don't have a good bevel set, then everything you do after that is pointless. Doesn't matter how high you go -- eg. 12k -- you will not get a sharp edge. My first razor was a new Dovo 6/8 and it was shave ready. I did this because that taught me the look and feel of a keen edge. Then I started honing my own razors and I knew what I was aiming for. If your Boker is your first I would send it out to be honed for the first time.
I have Honed a Few Brand New Best Dovo SRs for Folks Recently...They All Required Honed from the 1 K Stone..It Would Appear that Some King Cutters Fall into the Same Camp..Unless a Brand New SR has been Removed form the Box & Honed by a Reputable Vendor its Highly Unlikely to be Shave Ready...The Problem is that Non Specialized SR Vendors Often Advertise them as Shave Ready when they are Not.. This One has Came Up Time & Again in the UK ..If I Could get Dovos Cheap Enough to Make a Turn on Selling them as Shave Ready I Would Cause there is a Market for it here in the UK..This Link Highlights a Similar Story Regarding the King Cutter.. http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...cf8-nN7uY6H2ANVFA&sig2=QVHFXEk9H0Gy4Gv1PMyRqw Billy..
A question for you guys, when setting the bevel with a 1K stone what type of pressure are you applying to the blade? Also have you ever tried a diamond plate? Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
One more question are you using black electrical tape to protect your spine? Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
They use of pressure when honing razors is very tricky to convey. Basically you will have to figure that out on your own unless you attend a meet. Simply put too much pressure will cause chipping in the edge at higher grits and flexing of your blade that will pull your edge up off the hone and you will have a near impossible time trying to get anything consistent. I quick pressure experiment to find minimum pressure. Raise a slight slurry so the water is easier to see. Do X strokes to see the water move in front of the blade, reduce you pressure to the point that the water/slurry starts to slip under the blade, reapply just enough pressure to keep it from going under the blade but stay in front or under the blade, that is the minimum pressure require to have any effect on the edge. If you play around with lighter pressures you can begin to understand what some pressure means. The more pressure applied without flexing the blade leaves deeper stria on the bevel, and it does cut faster. You need to realize that the effect runs slightly deeper than the surface. This is in part why I never use diamond hones with razors. The deeper stria and effect of the hard diamond on the steel means that you will have to remove a little extra on the water hones when you get there and the time taken to get a non chippy finished edge is greater than if you don't use the diamond in the first place. Of course there are those who love them and use them often. This is of course my method and point of view.
As for pressure...as @RezDog notes...its hard to describe. I would err on the side of lighter rather than heavier. Eventually you will get a feel for the right pressure. I find it really doesn't take much pressure at all to achieve your bevel. I have never used a diamond plate. I use Naniwa stones (1, 3/8, 12).
I missed the question on the tape. I use electrical tape also, mine is generic tape for the most part but it is CSA approved, which means it is not the cheap stuff. A little side note about tape and why I am glad I used it in the beginning. When I first started honing I was putting enough pressure on the spine that I wore the tape out regularly, these days it lasts way longer and i never actually wear through it. It is part of the tiny things about honing that you get to pick up on at meets that you can't really put to text. It is in part about how you hold the tang and how your stroke keep the pressure on the edge and not the spine but still keeps the spine firmly planted on the hone. Short version beginners should always use tape and get to meets to learn some little things, it is the fastest way to get good at honing.
