First successful honing and shave!

[Relativo]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to share this with everyone!

I bought my first blade in July 2008 and I finally managed to hone and sharpen it!

It's a Dovo 5/8 tortoise which was no-where near shave ready when I bought it from a a local chemist shop.

I've tried on and off to hone it on a Norton 4/8 and a C12K but not got anywhere.

Anyway, I got my DMT 1200 last Friday and gave it a whirl with the Dovo.

I've practised with it so much that I've put alot of wear on it but it's never got sharp, I thought it was but then I ran it over the DMT and then I realised what the TPT was supposed to feel like!!!

Anyway, stropped her up last night and test shaved- well it shaved, but not perfectly, NEARLY there!!

One side shaves better than the other, does anyone know why that could be?

Thanks for reading!!!

 

[WittyAg]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to share this with everyone!

I bought my first blade in July 2008 and I finally managed to hone and sharpen it!

It's a Dovo 5/8 tortoise which was no-where near shave ready when I bought it from a a local chemist shop.

I've tried on and off to hone it on a Norton 4/8 and a C12K but not got anywhere.

Anyway, I got my DMT 1200 last Friday and gave it a whirl with the Dovo.

I've practised with it so much that I've put alot of wear on it but it's never got sharp, I thought it was but then I ran it over the DMT and then I realised what the TPT was supposed to feel like!!!

Anyway, stropped her up last night and test shaved- well it shaved, but not perfectly, NEARLY there!!

One side shaves better than the other, does anyone know why that could be?

Thanks for reading!!!

If one side is shaving better than the other then the bevel is probably not the same on both sides of the blade. I'm sure someone with more experience will chime in shortly.

 

[English]

If one side shave better than the other, I have a concern that you may have a burr forming on the edge

If you do a couple of circles at the end of both strokes on the hone, it will remove any possibility of a burr.

 

[mdunn]

congrats!

 

[Relativo]

Hi Gents,

Thanks for the encouragement.

After the DMT I moved to the Norton 4/8 then C12.

So it is a possibility that I may have formed a burr/uneven bevel?

Uh oh!!! Any ideas on how to fix this? Silly question, could this be indicative of a poorly formed bevel? Had I maybe not completed my work on the DMT?

Many thanks as always!

This honing is much harder than it seems at first, but quite a fun challenge!

 

[leighton]

I highly suggest you get a 2nd razor with a shave ready edge so you *know* what a shave ready edge is *supposed* to feel like. Both on the TPT and the shave test. You can substitute a DE blade for the TPT though.

As for why one edge cuts better. Your bevel is most likely asymmetric. Like a Scissors blade or chisel/plane.

 

[Relativo]

Hi,

That's good advice. I have a TI that I got from Classic Shaving as shave ready. I use that as a shaving reference but don't touch the edge with TPT as I don't wish to damage it.

I looked at the edge last night. It doesn't SEEM to have a wire edge or burr.

The bevel faces SEEM pretty even but I'm not 100%.

I examined my honing stroke to ascertain if there was a difference in the "pressure" I was applying with my forward and backawards strokes.

When I push the blade forward I use just enough pressure to keep the blade in contact with the hone, I think when I'm coming back the other way I'm using just a touch more pressure unintentionally because my arms are extended out in front of me and at the beginning of the stroke more of my arm weight is being transferred. I wonder if this is causing an imbalance in the bevel.

Does anyone more experienced have any thoughts?

 

[cityjim]

Hi,

That's good advice. I have a TI that I got from Classic Shaving as shave ready. I use that as a shaving reference but don't touch the edge with TPT as I don't wish to damage it.

I looked at the edge last night. It doesn't SEEM to have a wire edge or burr.

The bevel faces SEEM pretty even but I'm not 100%.

I examined my honing stroke to ascertain if there was a difference in the "pressure" I was applying with my forward and backawards strokes.

When I push the blade forward I use just enough pressure to keep the blade in contact with the hone, I think when I'm coming back the other way I'm using just a touch more pressure unintentionally because my arms are extended out in front of me and at the beginning of the stroke more of my arm weight is being transferred. I wonder if this is causing an imbalance in the bevel.

Does anyone more experienced have any thoughts?

Your using different stones that have different cutting rates and media types . Sounds like overhoning or an agressive stone (DMT) . Might need to bread knife the edge and start all over .

"No offense Relativo" but here is another example of a fellow member having a honing issue with a DMT stone . DMT stones have a very high cutting rate . We don't need this on a 0.010" thick blade .


cityjim

 

[Sticky]

Break your DMT 1200 in with a hard piece of steel. Chisel, wood plane, anything close to flat. Don't press too hard and use plenty of water.

Put some black marker on both sides of the razor's edge. Take 3 to 5 very light laps on the DMT. The black marker will show you where you're hitting the edge. Reapply it as often as you want, it's a great way to develop your honing stroke. Go to the higher grits only after you can pass the TNT and the marker test at the same time. The DMT works for lots of folks, it's just a matter of knowing when you're done on it.

Edit: Don't worry about the TPT damaging the edge.

You could also start by using the marker and some strokes on your finest hone; if you think the razor is almost there. If it fails the marker test on your finest hone, then go to the 1200.

 

[ryrelav]

Good for you!

 

[professorchaos]

A little progress feels good, doesn't it?

 

[Relativo]

Hi there!

Yes, it feels good to have been able to get a reasonable shave from a razor I honed myself!

I get confused about the over-honing business. I read and studied everything here for the past year before posting and I can see conflicting theories on the over-honing issue. I've heard some experiences where it's taken many strokes on a DMT to get to the TPT pass stage.

I think part of my problem to date has been not enough time on the lower grits to set a true bevel on a factory straight (where they've honed it with the spine off the stone to prevent hone-wear).

In this case to re-establish a cutting bevel where you have no tape on the spine and the spine in contact with the hone I'd have thought that this would require a fair degree of work on the DMT.

I really went to town on that Cyril salter practice blade on the DMT to see if I could over-hone it and I struggled to trash it.

Just my rookie experiences- clearly need more practice!!!!!!!!! No offence taken!!!!

Thanks for reading.

 

[gary haywood]

Watch heavy dutys honing sections he sets bevel on dmt1200 then 4k 8k polishes on bbw then coti your ch12k would replace both them. when setting your bevel on dmt 1200 the tpt will feel o grabby due to the choppir edge that dmt leaves as soon as you hit the 4k this will feel sticky smooth but not as grabby you may think the edge is duller but its not . hone on dmt untill the blade digs in all the way a coss a wet thumb nail nice and even then do 60 4k 20 8k and 50 ch12k or even 100 won't harm then strop this will give you a good shave don't worry about hht just shave hope this helps

 

[cityjim]

Watch heavy dutys honing sections he sets bevel on dmt1200 then 4k 8k polishes on bbw then coti your ch12k would replace both them. when setting your bevel on dmt 1200 the tpt will feel o grabby due to the choppir edge that dmt leaves as soon as you hit the 4k this will feel sticky smooth but not as grabby you may think the edge is duller but its not . hone on dmt untill the blade digs in all the way a coss a wet thumb nail nice and even then do 60 4k 20 8k and 50 ch12k or even 100 won't harm then strop this will give you a good shave don't worry about hht just shave hope this helps

I wouldn't run a straight razor edge on any finger nail . It will dull it out . Remember the edge is something like 1-2um or so in size and very delicate .

That thumb nail trick is used in kitchen , camping and hunting knife sharpening . These edges are honed on 20-25 degree combined angles and are much tougher than a straight razor edge . It has no place in the straight world .

Same with the DMT stones . Put them out in the barn or take them camping .

The only real test for a straight is actually shaving with it .

cityjim