What Straight Razor Have You Honed Lately????

Touched up this Dovo today, my first straight and first I’ve ever honed.

I thought it shaved well after but know I can refine the edge a bit more.

Started with Nirey Whetstones (1000-3000) then when to a Shapton Glass 8k before stropping on balsa with 0.25 micron diamond paste and then kangaroo with 0.1 micron diamond spray.


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Honed this NOS C.V Heljestrand Hollow Ground Blade on a Naniwa Super Stone Progression..Pre Finished on 16 K Lapping Film & Out to 20 K on My Uber Smooth Yellow Lake Branded Oil Stone..

Whit a Spectacular Edge Man..

Billy..

 

Rector & Wilhelmy Clean Clipper finished on quartzite.

 

Interesting @joamo , can you tell about Quartzite hones, and yours??

 

Sure, I'm far from an expert though.
Quartzite is a metamorphed sandstone consisting almost entirely of quartz. Very hard and dense, and in my experience, performs very similar to an Arkansas. The more mirror like the honing surface, the finer the finish on the razor.
This particular stone is a piece of Sioux Quartzite, a mainly reddish stone found in eastern South Dakota and parts of Minnesota and Northwest Iowa. I cut this stone myself and use oil to hone with it. It gives me a hazy finish on my blades.

 

Very interesting. Which Arkie are you comparing it to?

 

Here is a Thread on Quartzite Hones..I Normally Stay Away from B & B Forum Talk but this Thread is the Only One I Could Find..
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...zite.486045/&usg=AOvVaw2d0UnxQGgj8ZdeGWQXG3h9

Billy..

 

Good read. Thanks.

 

If it helps, I believe that most old turning hones ( the big pedal driven sharpening wheels) were made from sandstone, likely a quartzite of some sort.

 

Black

 

That's pretty hard.

 

First one at bat today.

Joseph Rodgers & Sons, Norfolk Street England England. Cutlers to Their Majesties.

This one was a pain, aside from all the restoration work. I had to take out a frown in the blade, and start with a complete new bevel. This steel is hard, so it took a while. I used my usual progression. of King 800 grit & 1k. then the mystery 3k. then the Welsh Slate Stones 8k 12k 15k. finishing it off with an Arkie Surgical Black Progression stone. Sharp Sharp Sharp.

 

Second up was a razor I know nothing of, except it takes on a very nice edge. It feels and looks like Swedish Steel. No issues honing. It took on a fine edge.
Same progression as above.

Hauptner

 

Looks Like Swedish Steel to Me Scott..You are in for Treat with that Razor if it is..

Billy..

 

Lastly, this one was a royal pain in the rear. I didn't know if it would be tossed. There was some corrosion on the edge, that was deceptive. The entire razor was one big pit. This took a while to look presentably. As I honed, I became aware the toe end was corroded badly. What started out as a squared spike tip, was turned into a very rounded toe(not a bad thing). It took a while to set the bevel, and edge, because I had to keep taking the bevel down farther, to get to good steel. I ended up with a slight smiling blade. The edge turned out nice and hair popping sharp.
Same progression as above.

A.W.Wadsworth & Sons, Germany. "Boss" Fisher Hardware Co.

 

Thanks Billy, this one gave me the least amount of trouble. I tend to attract rejects.

 

Aye..Scott..Those Swedish Steel Thin Grinds Hone Up Like a Dream..Hard Steel or Not..Lovely Ground Blade that One..

I Betcha that Blade Will Sing Like a Canary ..

Billy..

 

Newly Acquired Joseph Rogers & Sons NON - XLL 6/8th Sheffield 1/4 Hollow Honed on a Naniwa Super Stone Progression..Pre Finished on 16 K Film & Finished on My Escher Thuri 16 K..This Razor was a Doddle to Hone & its Ground as Straight as an Arrow..It Took a Killer Edge..The Edge is So Fine its Just about Invisible to Touch..Just the Way I Like Em..

My Next Shave..

Billy..

 

I went to get my haircut yesterday and my barber is pretty old school. He's got some vintage straight razors in the counter just for display which got me talking and I said I needed to find a new, courser grind hone (my lowest grade is 5000). He said, "I've got one that's been laying in a drawer since I bought this place... You can have it!" Well, it was course (but how course, I'm not sure). But to be kind, it looked like it had been on the losing side of a war. I immediately imagined some of my best razors getting mangled just by coming in contact this this hone. But I took it with good grace and started thinking about which of my razors was most expendable. My 1920/30's Red Point was cheap and also barely sharp enough to shave with.

It worked! My first attempt to use this thing got this razor just about as good as my best razors. Score one for the old school barber!

 

Do you have a 60x jewellers loupe? If so, that will tell you what you are working with. Compare the score marks of that stone, with other stones of a known grit.