First time using diamond pastes

[Robert6891]

At it again and this time, the results were 100% better.

I started by re-lapping my stones. They didn't need it but I wanted to try something different. I lapped the 3000 and 8000 stones on 1000 diamond plate, then the 12000 stone on an 8000 diamond plate. Then I re-lapped my strops. I lap these on 220 grit (wondered if a finer grit would be better) taped to the top of a cast iron jointer. Then reapplied the pastes, this time putting the paste on a smooth microfiber cloth and using that to work it into the strops. Can barely tell there is anything on the balsa.

Then I went back to the 3000 stone. I did 20 passes on the same side until I felt a burr along the whole edge. Then did 20 passes on the other side and had a burr. Now, 20 laps alternating with very light pressure. Focused and made sure I wasn't putting any pressure on the edge and just letting the weight of the blade do the work.

I did 50 laps on the 8000 stone. The did 60 on the 12000. This was a shave ready edge. Now to the strops. The lightest possible pressure I could, 25 laps on each strop, wiping the blade of with a smooth microfiber cloth between each strop. I did the tree topping test. Was a little disappointed only hearing a couple "plinks" but looking at the floor, it was suddenly covered in led hairs.

Shave test. Clean, smooth. Thats the edge I was looking for. Did 2 passes for BBS and got no sting from my aftershave. I'm going to do this with my other GD. If I can repeat these results then I feel confident enough to try on my other razors.

 

[rbscebu]

@Robert6891, like me, you are a slow learner but you do learn.

 

[Slash McCoy]

At it again and this time, the results were 100% better.

I started by re-lapping my stones. They didn't need it but I wanted to try something different. I lapped the 3000 and 8000 stones on 1000 diamond plate, then the 12000 stone on an 8000 diamond plate. Then I re-lapped my strops. I lap these on 220 grit (wondered if a finer grit would be better) taped to the top of a cast iron jointer. Then reapplied the pastes, this time putting the paste on a smooth microfiber cloth and using that to work it into the strops. Can barely tell there is anything on the balsa.

Then I went back to the 3000 stone. I did 20 passes on the same side until I felt a burr along the whole edge. Then did 20 passes on the other side and had a burr. Now, 20 laps alternating with very light pressure. Focused and made sure I wasn't putting any pressure on the edge and just letting the weight of the blade do the work.

I did 50 laps on the 8000 stone. The did 60 on the 12000. This was a shave ready edge. Now to the strops. The lightest possible pressure I could, 25 laps on each strop, wiping the blade of with a smooth microfiber cloth between each strop. I did the tree topping test. Was a little disappointed only hearing a couple "plinks" but looking at the floor, it was suddenly covered in led hairs.

Shave test. Clean, smooth. Thats the edge I was looking for. Did 2 passes for BBS and got no sting from my aftershave. I'm going to do this with my other GD. If I can repeat these results then I feel confident enough to try on my other razors.

Well, then. Obviously you are on the right track.

You may still have room for improved sharpness. Try doubling your laps on the .1µ balsa, to at least 50, after every shave. Hold your balsa vertically so the weight of the razor isn't pressing on it. Then add another 20 very short x strokes. Brush, don't press. Finesse that edge on out to the limit. See if you can score a pack of Feather Hi Stainless DE blades. There's a good benchmark to aim for. Not impossible, but pretty difficult. You will probably match the Feather's sharpness eventually. The holy grail is when you think maybe, just maybe, your edge is sharper than the Feather. Almost paradoxically, since so many honers declare that smoothness and sharpness are nearly diametrical opposites, when you achieve that level of sharpness the razor shaves very smoothly. (You do got to keep your angle low and your skin stretched tight, though!)

If there is any doubt about it, don't hesitate to repeat all three balsa stages. A lot of guys have thought they had it, and were happy, but questioned the perfection of their edge and went through the balsa progression from the beginning again, and even again again. Usually they found the proverbial astonishing results when they did that, and realized that their previous success was just relative to what they were already used to.

If your pressure is as light as it should be, you can't really over hone on the balsa. It just doesn't remove enough steel fast enough to make a fin edge or wire edge, which both are actually virtually the same. So don't be afraid of overdoing it, just keep the pressure light by holding the balsa in hand, vertically. It's like magic.