What Straight Razor Have You Honed Lately????

That is a beautiful razor.

 

Well I felt like the Berg could have been a bit better, so let’s try a tried and true method. Sometimes really hard steel is particular about the finisher, or maybe I just didn’t get in enough licks on the hones. I went back to 4k Shapton Glass, then the butterscotch kiita followed by a hard asagi that does well with hard steel. 1 mil Kapton was used.Tomorrow will tell.

 

Back to the rocks, this morning’s shave was close (literally), but I want more from this super hard razor. I suspect that it just needs A LOT more time on the finisher, so same finisher, but trying out a different nagura from Alex Gilmore at The Japan Stone. The root-in HHT wasn’t what I wanted, and is noticeably improved this time.

 

Haven’t done a synthetic finish in a while... so pulled out the Shapton 4/8/16k and honed up this older Ern and the latest Herder 49 project.

If I need to go back to a natural finish after the shave(s), I’m thinking Ark.
Happy honing.
Tom

 

Koyei “Handmade” pictured among stones I used to develop the current edge. I’m testing some new techniques and progressions. I haven’t shaved yet with this edge so the jury is still out as to how she’ll perform. All indicators point to a real treat of an experience.

Stones (bottom to top, back to front)
Hakka, Marouyama Aisa
Ohira Suita (pink renge), Ozuko
Nakayama Mizu Asagi

The final progression (omitted Ozuko) was:
Marouyama —> Hakka —> Suita —> Nakayama (typical Nagura progression)

I went back and forth comparing the “mid range” stones vs each other. The Marouyma is more course. I decided using Marouyama before Hakka, then Suita is an effective and worthwhile progression.

Then I compared the finishers. Both work great and I decided using both is redundant for this razor. The Nakayama is new so naturally I’m biased toward giving it the preferential edge. The Ozuko is harder. Both are my best substrates for Nagura progressions.

 

Bench stone is the Nakayama from my last post. To the right is an interesting Takashima that’s double sided. Karasu on this side and sort of kiita on the back. The rest of the rocks are unknown hard-very hard+ slurry donors, all of which perform great. And for these 2 razors, they’re almost all interchangeable from what I can see through the loupe.

The razors are the familiar “Handmade” Shusui (top) and Koyei (bottom) I’ve been working with recently. The goal is continued refinement and polish of the bevels. Proud to report this mission is accomplished. These razors perform very similarly in use and feel about the same on the stones. Having a lot of fun working with them on the stones, together as a pair.

Today’s efforts appear to be satisfactory at least. Nice semi-luster Kasumi with organized, uniform micro striations. I’m excited to put both to the test. I happen to have one Brad Sears splurge/gift “out for delivery” this morning... I’ll hold off to test a very compelling brush along with these blades.

 

@Steve56 what kind of tape is pictured here and how does it perform?

 

It’s 1 mil Kapton, you can get it from Amazon or eBay. It performs very well, it’s very wear resistant. The tape is actually 1.2 mil and the adhesive is 1.5, so the total thickness is about half that of electrical tape.

 

Oh, and @SilverSwarfer - it is not very flexible. I know folks who use a strip of the 1/4” wide tape on each side of the spine rather than folding a piece of 3/4” over the spine.

 

Though I’ve been curious for days, since i 1st saw your posts- I’m just now browsing options on the Amzn site was wondering which width to try. You’re using the 3/8? I was just about settled on the .5” roll but I’m not rushing; might order tomorrow instead of impulse buying.

 

@SilverSwarfer - get the 3/4” if you want to fold one piece over the spine, get 1/4“ if you want to use a piece on each side.

I think you’ll like it.

 

Many thanks, I’ll give it a shot. Sight unseen I am inclined to agree.

 

Even though we’re stuck in 4 walls it’s given me more time to unlock certain avenues in my Jnat that I didn’t know were possible. It also made me realize that the battery in my loupe was dead


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A question for you gentlemen who shave with straight razors:

What is the easiest/cheapest/most minimal way I can maintain a great edge on my razor?

This is my current gear:

John Watts Vintage Sheffield steel razor - NOS - bought shave ready for £30 from a reputable UK vendor from B&B.
Leather & linen hanging strop
Crox crayon and webbing.

I did 10 laps on the crox (edge trailing) wiped it clean, followed by 20 on linen and 20 on leather.

It seemed to shave beautifully!

 

CrOx, linen, and leather have been used successfully for many years.If it’s working for you, no need to go further, though at some point in the future it will need to have the bevels flattened and re-honed, but that may be years.

 

Time to hone the new addition MK 32 user. I decided to begin with 1 mil Kapton on the spine, and glad that I did. The first passes on a 2k stone showed that the stone wasn’t hitting anywhere near the edge. It didn’t look like paste, more like someone had free handed it on something.

So I dropped back to a 600 Chosera slurried with a piece of 1k King stone, and that got most of the work done. Then a 1k and 2k Shapton Glass HR, then a Shapton Glass 6k HC that I’m trying out. The bevel passed HHT with flying colors at 6k. Then to the finisher and tomo pictured, and the results were excellent.

 

That’s a beautiful stone, Steve @Steve56! Razor’s not too shabby either.

 

Thanks Mark!

 

Did a lighting project for my wife, so she let me play with rocks today .

1 German and 3 American razors later and I had my fun. I like taking one razor through the progression at a time... less efficient but relaxing for me. All went through the Suehiro 1k, followed up with the Shapton 4/8/16k.

Smaller 5/8 razors in the Robeson and the Torrey. Neat grind on the Torrey- set up very much like a wedge.

Then a little larger blades, Wyeth is about 13/16 and the Bartmann is 15/16.

Good day!
Happy honing.
Tom

 

Took the asymmetrical Hoshi Tombo 6000 to the stones. Set the bevel on the Suehiro 1k and then enjoyed a Mikawa Nagura progression (Botan, Tenjou, Mejiro), ending with Nakayama tomo on the Okudo. Used it last night... very nice.

Happy honing.
Tom