What Straight Razor Have You Honed Lately????

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

  1. lottenhem

    lottenhem Well-Known Member

    The signature EWK is quite famous not only in Sweden, he was a famous artist making a lot of political drawings.

    https://www.bukowskis.com/sv/lots/772943-evert-karlsson-ewk-olja-pa-duk-signerad-ewk-och-daterad-86

    One of his most famous drawings, Mother Earth.


    Skickat från min iPhone med Tapatalk
     
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  2. ewk

    ewk Well-Known Member

    Thank you for sharing. I was not aware of Evert Karlsson's work. It is an honor to share the monogram.
     
  3. ewk

    ewk Well-Known Member

    Guess what arrived in Saturday's mail! A perfectly honed GBS razor that I once thought would be nothing more than a letter opener.

    I lathered up, and that edge glided across my face effortlessly with no blade feel whatsoever. I removed the lather with that razor and there was a bunch of stubble mixed in. As a SR newbie, I have only made a few single WTG practice runs on the cheeks and very little on the neck. Today I performed 2 WTG passes including the neck. Trimmed the top of the moustache line effortlessly. No nicks!

    The afternoon was not without blood, however. As I was carefully wiping off the oil (from the spine and across, avoiding contact with the edge of course) one fingertip was merely in the vicinity of the edge and got nicked. This edge is wicked sharp! @Steve56 , you are truly a master craftsman. Thank you for turning this RSO into a fine shaving tool.
     
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  4. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    I am thrilled that you like the edge Eric, and maybe I have done justice to your brother’s gift. And yes, it is very sharp!
     
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  5. TestDepth

    TestDepth Well-Known Member

    Trying out another small, new to me Okudo.

    Started with some English blades, a Wade & Butcher followed up with 1 of my 2 new Weiss razors.

    Suehiro 1k, then 6k, and then on to the Okudo.
    A8178447-1441-474C-8D8E-8C21F1137B3B.jpeg
    Happy honing.
    Tom
     
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  6. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    Gentlemen, I have a razor that’s so far beaten me, but I am making progress and believe that I will get an edge in the next outing or two. It’s reminding me of Glen’s saying that ‘Honing is easy, until it isn’t’. The razor is a Frederick Reynolds chopper, should be easy peasy but it’s been anything but easy. The problem is that when I go above a certain grit level, the edge breaks down. For instance, at 4k the edge is straight and even and will mostly pass HHT after stropping, at 8k it isn’t straight and even and won’t pass HHT. You can see the little shiny liney along the edge with a 7x - 10x loupe at 8k that isn’t there at 4k.

    Usually an old chopper I don’t measure the bevel angle, most of the. are too steep anyway. But since this one wasn’t holding an edge at higher grits, I measured it, 16.6 degrees which is fine if the steel is good but apparently it is not. So I put a layer of 1 mil Kapton on it which which gave me about 17.1 degrees, and back on the stones. This time I had a straight even edge at 8k, and hair parted when it touched the edge. That’s a fully set bevel at 8k. But the shiny line and poor HHT is back after the JNat finisher, even with good slurry which tends to wear micro fins and burrs off, and again, you can see it. It’s a beautiful shiny bevel, it just has futz at the apex and I know that it will not shave well.

    But I’m one step further and in a day or three I’ll try a layer of Scotch and a layer of Kapton which will give me about 18 degrees and we’ll see what that does.

    Advice is most welcome!

    B381FC51-A830-4E2D-9551-520CC8D195D4.jpeg
     
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  7. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    Old guy edit, this is a Manhattan not a Frederick Reynolds. My apologies to Mr Reynolds, lol.
     
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  8. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    The only suggestion I could make is to add an extra layer of tape, on top of what you have already done. Then, go very lightly on the stones.
     
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  9. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    I agree.
     
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  10. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    Update on the Manhattan formerly known as Frederick Reynolds, lol.

    1 layer of Scotch and 1 layer of Kapton - about 18 degrees - did it. it appears to be holding a straight, even edge and the HHT was silent in or out. Shave test soon.
     
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  11. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    BINGO :bounce017:


    ..
     
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  12. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    Yes sir, we just needed/need a steeper angle.
     
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  13. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    Manhattan Cutlery Co.
    Sheffield

    This razor was sent to me, as a Hail Mary, for the blade. It was not passing any HHT when I got it, and the toe end had a very very very slight chippy toe end. I am not so sure the metal might be soft, because under the 60x Loupe, it possibly showed signs, at the toe end. It was very hard to see. Anyway, to me, the bevel looked a little large, and the issues suggested that two layers of tape might be needed.
    I started off with the two layers of tape, and worked a new bevel, with a Norton 1k. Very little pressure was needed. The new bevel, under magnification, show it is half the size of the previous one. I then proceeded to use my Welsh Slate Stones(8k 12k 15k) with a few Japanese Nagura slurry stones, to speed up the job. I finished each Welsh progression, by diluting until no slurry remained on the stone.
    To ultimately finish the razor, I used a Escher's Thüringen, under running tap water.
    Off to the Linen and Leather strop, an Illinois 827. I did about 75 Linen and 100 Leather, give or take.
    Now, it is popping hairs, root in and out, all the way down the edge. Time and a few shaves will tell how the edge holds up.

    2022-05-22 09.41.04.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2022
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  14. jgreenepa

    jgreenepa Nasal Barbarian

    Sounds like you put a magnificent edge on that Manhattan Cutlery, Scott! Mine was restored by David Work, and is one of my favorite vintage straights! I’ll be very interested in what you think of the shave! Enjoy your Sunday.
     
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  15. TestDepth

    TestDepth Well-Known Member

    Honed up some interestingly tiny blades for the coming week…
    Mastro Livi Carbo-Inox pocket razor.
    Basically, a razor on a keychain :)
    Had an edge, but wanted to take it through this Okudo.
    3C052C50-C576-4701-838E-9F9FB3C9046C.jpeg
    And keeping the shorties going, took the Slayton Razor from bevel to finish on these Coticules.
    AE3942CC-147D-4A8F-BE10-AEB1319DD32C.jpeg
    The bottom one is a fun bevel setter- spent some time on the BBW and flipped it over to the yellow. Then went counterclockwise to the beautiful stone on the right, which is a great finisher in its own right, but took it one more step with the “Extra extra fine” bout on the upper left.

    Looking forward to seeing how they turn out.
    Happy honing.
    Tom
     
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  16. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    Good lookin’ stuff Tom!
     
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  17. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    Nice looking little razors. Can you put a quarter next to them, so we can reference just how small they are??

    .
     
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  18. TestDepth

    TestDepth Well-Known Member

    Thank you guys. :eatdrink047:
    15545145-C04D-4B1D-ADA5-E36115D1B429.jpeg
     
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  19. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

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  20. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    That’s the first Livi that I actually want, lol.
     
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