What Straight Razor Have You Honed Lately????

Discussion in 'Straight Razors' started by DaltonGang, Sep 25, 2016.

  1. jgreenepa

    jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

    No, I decided to do them myself under my Son’s direction. I’m sending two other vintage straights (Puma and Witte Copperhead) Glenn’s way for for restoration.
     
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  2. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    Unknown maker, surely Sheffield, only marked ‘Superior Temper’. The steel is so hard and fine grained that it took over 2 hours with a slurried Shapton Glass 500 HR to recut the paste-rounded bevels. But the edge was straight and even, even at 500 grit, more than you can say for many newly manufactured razors. This old cast steel rocks. The bevel measured 16.6 degrees, so it got 2 layers of Kapton giving it about 17.5 degrees and the bevel width is about like original. Progression was 500, 1k,2k, 4k Shapton Glass HR, 6k Shapton Glass HC, then a rosy hard kiita with diamond plate slurry, followed by tomo slurry, the finally about 15 clear water strokes.

    The edge was smooth but needed constant attention, that clear water finish may have reduced the ‘mildness’ a bit, so I’m going to refinish it with slurry before the next shave with it.

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  3. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    Honed the newly acquired Albert Stille, q layer of 1 mil Kapton, 2k Shapton Glass HR, followed by 6k Shapton Glass HC and jnat with tomo. It took a fine edge.

    Also, the Filly 14 Sub Cero with the unyielding edge got a new edge, 4k Shapton Glass HR followed by the 6k SG HC, and the same jnat and tomo slurry. It also took an extremely fine edge.

    C17F87DD-AEE5-4DDD-9D94-B4322C7C32C7.jpeg 9752B093-DF23-443E-BFB9-ACFA599D85E4.jpeg
     
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  4. TestDepth

    TestDepth Well-Known Member

    Steve has been throwing some cool old steel, so I thought I pull out a page from his playbook... spent some quality time with 3 old French faux framebacks.
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    Synthetic progression with the Naniwa 1, 4, & 8k, finished off with the Coticule. The bigger one is about 15/16 and then the others are in the 6/8-13/16 range. I like this last one quite a bit.
    656B3858-D11E-4590-98EB-E86783B8922E.jpeg
    Should set up for a fun week.
    Happy honing.
    Tom
     
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  5. TestDepth

    TestDepth Well-Known Member

    These old French razors are more the shape I am used to seeing.

    Went to the 8k before the Coticule for the big one, but jumped from the 4k for the smaller. Had to build up the spine a bit to get to the edge... 3 layers of tape. We will see how they feel.

    Took the picture with the Naniwa 1k since they spent so much time getting to know each other. :)
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    Happy honing.
    Tom
     
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  6. jgreenepa

    jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

    Slash McCoy does a marvelous job popularizing the “Method”, an algorithmic(based on a specific sequence of rules and steps from bevel set to finish) honing method on lapping films that if followed faithfully always works! I’m a fan of Dr. Matt and GSSIXGUN YT videos. So I bought a $5 Gold Dollar razor and used a set of Pride synthetic stones 220, 1000, 6000, 10,000. I set the bevel on the 1000 and worked my way through the 10,000 then finished on a ILR under running water then went to a jasper stone under running water and from there to four pasted strops (chromeox, o.5 Diamond, 0.25 diamond, o.1 diamond) and finished on a leather paddle strop. Yeah, I know I went a bit overboard, but hey I’m retired and have nothing but time.
    Here are the two Gold Dollar razors. The blue lettering on the blade is Slash’s and the black is mine.

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    After honing my Gold Dollar I examined Slash’s edge and my edge. Slash being in business doesn’t have an hour and a half to hone each of the Gold Dollars he sells. Nevertheless, his edge is sharp and serviceable. Here is a picture of his edge under 200x magnification. 2548FF4F-73AF-41C4-998C-58EFACC2ACE5.jpeg
    HI-RES. Link
    Now here is a picture of my edge on the same razor model at 200x magnification. In both cases the edges were consistent along the blade. Pictures were taken from the center of each blade. Here’s mine 34A4520C-39A4-4A09-8DBB-C127B8234B5C.jpeg
    HI-RES. link
    I’ll be shaving with both over the weekend and would be very interested in getting the thoughts of the very experienced honers on this page.
     
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2020
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  7. Trigger

    Trigger Double Jedi Knight

    Looking at both razors, I would say that your edge should be smoother. With that said, you did extra steps so I would expect it to be so. The purpose of the Slash method is to get a nice, shave ready razor in a very efficient manner. I will be curious about your findings after your shaves.
     
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2020
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  8. Billyfergie

    Billyfergie The Scottish Ninja

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    Just Finished Honing My Two Newly Required Mint Factory Fresh NOS 415 J.A Henckels Solingen Twin Works 5/8th & My Dorko Solingen 6/8th..Both Look Like they Were Made Just this Morning..Both..Honed On..Naniwa Professional 1 K, Super Stones, 3 K, 5 K, 8 K, 12 K, 16 K Film & Finished on My 20 K Surgical Black Arkansas..;)

    The Dorko is Very Hard Steel for a Solingen Blade & Took a Moment on the Bevel Hone..The Dorko will be My Next Shave..Both Razors Took Killer Edges Off the Surgical Black Arkansas Finishing Stone..:)

    Billy..:chores016:
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2020
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  9. jgreenepa

    jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

    Beautiful razors, Billy, Enjoy!
     
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  10. Billyfergie

    Billyfergie The Scottish Ninja

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  11. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    Touched up the CVH No 140 on the big Kato Nakayama.It shaved really well this morning. A fine stone in more ways than one.

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  12. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    7/8 Rodgers Refined Steel, the edge had a few small chips at the heel and up near the toe, just fractions of a mm but the steel is hard. It also had a very slight frown near the heel, which is not uncommon on these old razors. One layer of 1 mil Kapton was used.

    A mellow 325 DMT did the chip removal honors, followed by Shapton Glass HR 500, 1k, and 2k. A Shapton Glass HC 6k followed then the jnat finisher with thin slurry and about 30 clear water strokes.

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  13. jgreenepa

    jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

    Lovely razor, Steve! How’d it shave?
     
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  14. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    Honed rhe new Novodur, Shapton Glass 4k HR, 6k HC, and the rosy iromono finished up - shaved like a dream.

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  15. TestDepth

    TestDepth Well-Known Member

    Took old and new french blades to the hones...
    An old R. Delorme frameback and an AoS Thiers Issard.

    Naniwa 1k, followed by the Suehiro 6k, and finished on this Thuringian.
    5CE9F72D-E51C-4353-A84B-DCB1C09AB3E9.jpeg
    Both had seen much better days, and the edges had battle scars, but I guess we will see how they feel.
    Happy honing.
    Tom
     
  16. TestDepth

    TestDepth Well-Known Member

    Two T. Hessenbruch & Co. razors made for US firms
    Suehiro 1k, to a Naniwa 4k Hayabusa, to the Naniwa 8k Snow White, finished on the Charnley Forest.
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    Will they “Bear” Inspection? :)
    Happy honing.
    Tom
     
  17. TestDepth

    TestDepth Well-Known Member

    While I had the stones out I took this Henckels through the same progression... a 187 1/4. Weird numbering.
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    Happy honing.
    Tom
     
  18. Jake Gibson

    Jake Gibson Well-Known Member

    Hey everyone hope you're keeping safe. I've got a question/problem about honing, I've found a combination of stones, strop and technique that has finally worked to put a decent edge on my straight razors, not a master edge but it actually shaves me quite comfortably and close. My problem is that by the time I do one side of my face and neck with a few touch ups here and there I can already feel the blade tugging and by the time I finish my full two pass with the grain shave the blade is quite dull. I'm using a Crown Razor Company 6/8 extra hollow ground, I've got 2 double sided stones, a single side stone and a very fine finishing stone but unfortunately I have no idea what the grits are for any of them so I just go by feel to determine what order to use them in. After I use the stones I strop linen side first then leather side.

    What could I be doing wrong? Could it be the razor is cheaper quality? My technique either honing or stropping? I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong so please guys and gals any advice would be so very much appreciated.

    Also if need be I can post pictures of the razor, stones, strop etc.
     
  19. Billyfergie

    Billyfergie The Scottish Ninja

    Well..The 1st thing You Need to Do is Set the Bevel Properly on a 1 K Stone of Known Grit..2nd Thing..You Need to Know You're Progression Grits You are Using..Feeling a Stone Can be Deceiving..Smooth Does Not Always Mean Finer Grit..You Dont Mention what Stones they are Synthetic or Natural..;)

    Aye..Ya NEED to Know what the Grit Ratings are for Sure..Or You are Pissing in the Wind..A Sound Progression Looks Something Like.. 1 K, 3 K 5 K 8 K 12 K..:happy088:

    Billy..:chores016:
     
  20. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    It could be a few things.

    Has the razor been restored/buffed? Buffing can take the temper out of the steel at the edge.
    How high an angle do you hold the razor? About a spine width is all you want, high angles are harder on edges.
    Do other razors do the same thing?

    Cheers, Steve
     

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