Getting to Shave Ready on Your Own

[Twelvefret]

As I said in my OP I go through the films with the same number of laps on each side on each micron sheet progression. The results have been consistently producing excellent blades that shave well from razors in the mid 1800's to early 1900's. I tend to not overthink once I see repetitive attempts resulting in successful conclusions.

The reason I put this up here is to encourage new SR users.

 

[steveclarkus]

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’ve been using burr method to set bevel angles on knives for decades. It isn’t rocket science;

Swipe on one side until there is a burr along the entire opposite edge. This may take 20 swipes, or maybe 50, or maybe 100. Commonly less than 50, but I’ve had a few blades that were stubborn enough to last to nearly 100.

Once you’ve raised a burr all along the edge on one side, flip the blade over so the burr hits the stone. Swipe on this side for however many swipes the first side took. This is almost always sufficient to raise the burr on the opposite side.

Then progressively fewer one sided swipes are used to evenly grind the burr down and away. If it took me 50 swipes to achieve the burr, then 50 on side “b” to raise it on the other side, I will proceed to do 40 on one side, then 35 on the other, then back over to do 30, etc. when I hit 10, I then go down to 9, 8, etc.

The point to a diminishing number of one sided swipes like this is to grind down the burr, removing from both sides, and leaving an apex as sharp and even as this level of abrasive can do.

When I get down to 1, I begin back and forth alternating laps. A lap is a swipe on side “a”, followed by a swipe on side “b”.

I will end the rough, bevel setting abrasive with a number of back and fort laps equal to how many swipes it took to raise the first burr.

That is essentially what I’m doing now. Regardless of how you go about it, single laps or multiple, you end up removing the same amount of steel to get the required apex and bevel set.

 

[Twelvefret]

So, I've made a commitment to experiencing stones. The first was a Canadian sourced Thuringian with a slurry stone followed by a coticule and slurry stone. A Belgian Blue may be of interest later, but I have films that can set the bevel and progress to 3 micron from 30 micron.

The J. R. Torrey presented an opportunity to hone from start to finish on films, stones, and horse hide. I got a fantastic shave this AM. I leveled the Thuringian and Coticule using 500 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I readily admit the slurry is addicting.

 

[FlScott]

Thanks for this guide.

I'm new to SR and honing but I'm looking forward to trying several different methods and the journey..

 

[Twelvefret]

Thanks for this guide.

I'm new to SR and honing but I'm looking forward to trying several different methods and the journey..

Here is the video that got me started.

 

[FlScott]

I appreciate the reference.