Can we get some order, please?

[bbarton713]

Ok, I've been accumulating, I admit it. What I need to know in order for honing and stropping to make sense is how things fit and the order to use them. I have a single Jnat stone, Jyunsyou Koppa, a Swatzy barber's hone, a TM strop with linen, a balsa strop with Chromium .3 on one side and Iron .1 on the other, and lapping films from 12 down to .3 microns.

If I use the Jnat do I strop, go to the balsa, or some other combo? If I do the balsa do I then strop and when it is appropriate to use the linen? If I have a recently honed razor where's a good level to start at with the lapping films?

I just feel like I have a bunch of stuff and that there may be some overlap and what I don't want to do is some honing type function, use the Jnat, and then wreck the edge rather than enhance the edge but using the balsa strop or linen or whatever.

Please help make sense of this all for a wannabe honer.

 

[Raithskar]

I would say no mater what progression you are using do the following:

Hone-stone, lapping film, etc.
Paste-crox on leather or Balsa
Strop-minimum 60 linen/60 leather
refinement paste- diamond or whatever your flavor.

Just my thoughts. Correct me if I am wrong on anything.

Jon

 

[PapaFish]

Well, the order is what you are asking about... BUT, I will say it's personal preference. You SHOULD be able to shave off your JNat, your lapping films, or your Swaty, BUT you may find that you prefer following those with CrOx, or CrOx then IronOx. Always finish on plain leather. Before you will get really good edges, you will need to master your hones. If you can't shave off your stones or films (you should be able to shave off the 3 or 1 micron film I would guess, many find their 0.3 micron to be harsh), and you NEED to use the pasted strop, you aren't good enough on the stones. To get the most out of your honing, you should start out using the pastes as a crutch, to make sub-par honing acceptable. Once you get to the point that the stones are good enough, work with them until the edges are very very nice, like better than they were originally WITH the paste. At this point you are ready to add back in pastes to see what you have been missing . Lots of folks get so good with their hones that their pastes wind up sitting unused. I would suggest starting with ONE hone, use it until it's mastered, then move on to the second hone. Your films would be a good place to start, they are simple and straight forward. Then substitute the Swaty for the 1 micron until you are good with the Swaty. I don't know enough about JNats to really comment on them, but I would guess it would either be a substitue for the 1 micron film, or come after the 1 micron (you may have to play around).

 

[Drybonz]

If I'm not mistaken, the Jyunsyohonyama is not a super hard jnat, but I'm not sure where they rate. You could probably hone off that, do chrom ox, then strop. Not sure if you would need another stone in that progression or not. Give it a shot and see how the shave goes.

 

[Krodor]

Give it a shot and see how the shave goes.

That pretty much says it ALL. Take advice but in the end, just give it a go.

 

[rickboone1]

Well, here's my take....

--- Barber's hone is a touch up hone. ~ 8k, depending on who you ask. But, it's to bring an edge back. This is how I look at this.

--- CrOx is used often to bring an edge back and/ or used for a final polishing after other stones


Now, the lapping films are an entire set of stones all within themselves. From bevel setter all the way to finishers. So, we go back to the "which edge do you like better" question? As time and experience overlap and multiply, you'll begin to like x edge for one type of blade and y type for another, possibly.

This is the main reason I suggest finding one progression and sticking with it until you're getting consitent edges over and over. Whether you set the bevel on a piece of film and finish on a rock or anything in between, just choose one and stick with it.

I would say treat the pastes and sprays and barber's hone as a touch up method, at least for now. I wouldn't begin relying on pastes and sprays as part of your progression. They can easily become a crutch and not a supplement. Get as much as you can from the "stones" (or film) first before you start adding a bit of zest from a pasted strop. Lapping film aside, I've always found it weird to take a blade off a $200 stone (jNat) and take it to a piece of linen with powder. (I know, I know...people get success...it just seems weird, like parking a Bentley at a trailer park).

Leather is always last. Linen is always right before your leather.

The question, really, is what edge do YOU like? For instance, I don't like the way CrOx feels, but LOVE what CBN .125 can do to an edge, esp. if it's starting to pull ever so slightly.

Pretty much all you've listed are finishers.

 

[bbarton713]

Well, I have my project razor. I'm using the films I got from Rick and I'll see how it goes. The edge is rough and the uneven edge is visible to the naked eye in spots. I've done probably 200 laps on the 12 micron at this point but it is improving.

 

[rickboone1]

Well, I have my project razor. I'm using the films I got from Rick and I'll see how it goes. The edge is rough and the uneven edge is visible to the naked eye in spots. I've done probably 200 laps on the 12 micron at this point but it is improving.

You may want to get like to 220 grit, 300/ 325 grit, and/ or 600 grit wet/ dry sandpaper and use like the lapping films if it's got a bad enough edge.

 

[bbarton713]

You may want to get like to 220 grit, 300/ 325 grit, and/ or 600 grit wet/ dry sandpaper and use like the lapping films if it's got a bad enough edge.

That may speed things up! I may drop by lowes in the am and get some!

 

[rickboone1]

That may speed things up! I may drop by lowes in the am and get some!

Truthfully, 600 is probably all you'll need. I'm getting the impression what you picked up may have needed a little more love/ repair honing than a normal razor would have. This will help. Get on that 600 until you can shave some hair, then continue on as you were proceeding before.

When I use sandpaper it curls up. Does anyone have a solution to this problem?

 

[bbarton713]

Truthfully, 600 is probably all you'll need. I'm getting the impression what you picked up may have needed a little more love/ repair honing than a normal razor would have. This will help. Get on that 600 until you can shave some hair, then continue on as you were proceeding before.

When I use sandpaper it curls up. Does anyone have a solution to this problem?

Sounds like a good plan!

 

[PapaFish]

RE: Sandpaper curling. I have tried lots of things. Taping the edges down works for a little while, but the poor adhesion ability of the tape to the sandpaper (at least the lower grit ones) means that before long the curl wins out. I have thought about using some rubber bands on the two ends, but haven't had a cause to try it again. A person could get some spray adhesive and go that way, that would keep it flat, but might be a pain to remove. I would have tried by now, but I don't have any on hand, and I don't have a secondary use for it that would justify the purchase. I typically only use sandpaper for lapping stones, and have refrained from using them to set a bevel or anything else because of the curling. I guess a bevel might be able to be set dry, but that's a different story.

 

[Doc226]

I would say its is Stones (film), pastes or sprays, linen, leather. I always finish on plain leather

 

[bbarton713]

I've gone through two pieces of 600 sandpaper, wet, in my quest to get a bevel that will cut hair and not have a bunch of jagged parts. It is improving, but still no love on shaving those arm hairs!

 

[PapaFish]

Don't be surprised if you NEVER get 600 grit to shave arm hairs. For me, 600 grit, when done really well, will catch and sever SOME arm hair, and not always at the root either. If you are seeing any signs of a ragged edge, don't expect the arm hair test to show anything. If you get a well established bevel all up and down the blade with the 600 grit, move up to your 12 micron, and progress up from there. It's possible your 600 grit is doing what one of my low grit stones does, and chips the edge no matter how careful I am. In that case, once the heavy work is done (or really near done), it's best to move on to something that will establish a nice clean bevel.

 

[bbarton713]

Thanks! Moving to the 12 micron and we'll see how it goes!

 

[brother cavefish]

i think you have too much of the same, , the balsa can go straight to the strop, , the Jnat or the barbers hone will get the edge

my system is norton 4K/8K. balsa both sides and leather---- i also have a chosera 1K but thats just to bring the edge back or get one started( fast stone)

 

[brother cavefish]

Truthfully, 600 is probably all you'll need. I'm getting the impression what you picked up may have needed a little more love/ repair honing than a normal razor would have. This will help. Get on that 600 until you can shave some hair, then continue on as you were proceeding before.

When I use sandpaper it curls up. Does anyone have a solution to this problem?

as far as using sandpaper, i only use it to lapp the stones, i have a outside glass table soak the wet/dry paper , get the table wet the paper stays flat every 25 or so laps i water it down and wash the slurry , the table always stays wet- if the paper slide i will lay a brick on one end- no curling though