I'm not saying he's in league with the Devil... but...

[L.A. Jones]

I didn't expect to produce Doc226 results when honing my first razor. However I watched all the videos and have honed four now and don't come anywhere close to Doc 226. I can tear up a tomato and harvest hair from my arm but the hanging hair just hangs there and laughs at me. He may have met the devil at the Crossroads and made some kind of pact.

This might take some time.

 

[David]

Doc knows what time it is for sure.

 

[ScottChapin]

I didn't expect to produce Doc226 results when honing my first razor. However I watched all the videos and have honed four now and don't come anywhere close to Doc 226. I can tear up a tomato and harvest hair from my arm but the hanging hair just hangs there and laughs at me. He may have met the devil at the Crossroads and made some kind of pact.

This might take some time.

The HHT has never worked well for me. I assume my hair is too fine. My blades are sharper than ****.


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[Njguy1977]

I use the HHT all the time and usually test it right after I strop just before I start shaving. Sometimes I dont realize a blade is cutting until I see hairs in my white sink from topping my arm hair. Thats a bit scary to use when that happens.

Larry

 

[Doc226]

Hey now

 

[Namkcakram]

Perfect that x stroke and you’ll start producing scalpels before you know it! Then it’s just a matter of reading feedback and you’re producing scalpels consistently! The harder part and what makes someone like Doc so impressive is producing an edge with the qualities you want consistently across a wide range of blades.

You’ll notice a lot of guys who’ve been at this a few years wind up using natural finishers to actually tone down their edges to something more forgiving and skin friendly.

 

[kohalajohn]

I received a razor from doc a few months ago.

Yes, ok, there was a pentagram drawn on the envelope and the razor had a faint whiff of sulphur, but hey, don't go spreading rumours.

It was a nice edge.

Whatever gets the job done....

 

[macintoshBR]

You’ll notice a lot of guys who’ve been at this a few years wind up using natural finishers to actually tone down their edges to something more forgiving and skin friendly.

That’s what I have recently started to do. A few laps on the Coticule after 1u film with underneath paper and I can get daily BBS day after day without a hint of burn from the alum block

 

[ScottChapin]

That’s what I have recently started to do. A few laps on the Coticule after 1u film with underneath paper and I can get daily BBS day after day without a hint of burn from the alum block

Is this a daily ritual?


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[macintoshBR]

Is this a daily ritual?


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No, sir, only after honing. Daily ritual is normal stropping and occasionally some laps on CrOx. When it really starts to pull, I repeat this ritual 1u film + a few laps on the coti

 

[Steve56]

If you’re new to honing you’re almost certainly using too much pressure and not hitting all the bevel - toe, middle, and heel - uniformly. Lighten up, and Sharpie the bevel. Make a very light pass and see where the ink is left. That’s where your stroke didn’t hit.

You're catching on though, it’s all about practice, repetition, and more practice. Your second sentence is like ‘I’ve ridden a bicycle 4 times now and I still can’t do those stunts YouTubers do.’

Alfredo is the man!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

This might take some time.

I've been at it a year or so. Over that time period I've noticed my razors occasionally making smallish quantum leaps (is there any such thing?) in sharpness. Some of my razors are now sharp as blazes.

Not that I'm finished putting in the time you understand.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[duke762]

For about 3 years now, I look back on my edges I achieved from 3 months earlier and laugh at them.

 

[ajduplessis]

Most important bit is setting the bevel properly, after that getting them keen sharp is quick and easy with a bit of experience.

 

[Namkcakram]

For about 3 years now, I look back on my edges I achieved from 3 months earlier and laugh at them.

You’re dead on... quite a few years in a row I’d re hone and surprise myself with how much better I got every ~6 months.

 

[alx gilmore]

I would never say that Doc made me do it, but he certainly did not warn or discourage me.
Alx

 

[Mouette]

I didn't expect to produce Doc226 results when honing my first razor. However I watched all the videos and have honed four now and don't come anywhere close to Doc 226. I can tear up a tomato and harvest hair from my arm but the hanging hair just hangs there and laughs at me. He may have met the devil at the Crossroads and made some kind of pact.

This might take some time.

I was thinking the exact same thing yesterday! Man, this honing business is definitely one of the dark arts. To even get the faintest idea of how honing works I reckon you have to go down to the crossroads with your 1k Shapton in hand and wait for the devil at midnight.

As mentioned in another post, I bought a "shave ready" Gold Dollar to muck about with and of course it didn't shave very well at all, but still after a few goes at trying to hone it, I can't even get close to what it was when it turned up in the post. After an hour of honing last night I got it to the point when it could cut arm hair, but trying to get it sharper only made it blunt and now it won't even cut arm hair.

Absolutely no idea where to go from here - setting the bevel is a complete mystery.

However, I must add that at least with the Gold Dollar, using a loupe, the bevel looks straight and even - that's the bit I can't work out, why won't it cut hair. I bought a few vintage razors off Fleabay and have had a go at bevel setting with them and an old Bengall has the bevel on one side practically non existent at the toe and healthy looking at the heel, whilst on the other side it disappears in the middle all the way up to the heel, the exact opposite of the other side - surely the geometry can't account for weird stuff like this. On another old one from the 1920's I couldn't get any sort of bevel from about 3/4's of the blade up to the heel on both sides. Is it technique or is it a dodgy razor?

Do they teach this stuff at Hogwarts?

Getting very disillusioned with the whole thing.

cheers
Andrew

 

[L.A. Jones]

The stone is important... and you don't pick the stone, the stone picks you.

 

[njtnjt]

As mentioned in another post, I bought a "shave ready" Gold Dollar to muck about with and of course it didn't shave very well at all, but still after a few goes at trying to hone it, I can't even get close to what it was when it turned up in the post. After an hour of honing last night I got it to the point when it could cut arm hair, but trying to get it sharper only made it blunt and now it won't even cut arm hair.

Absolutely no idea where to go from here - setting the bevel is a complete mystery.

Lighten up on your strokes Andrew. Fewer strokes on the stones and lighten way up. Once you are past the bevel setting stage the keenness can be found in light passes on the stones. Rolling X strokes will come with time and help you reach every mm of the edge.
I have been where you are. I would spend hours grinding the spine down to nothing on some gold dollars and be worse off than when I started... lighten up, try no more that 40 or 50 strokes per stone. Check your work often and have a lot of patience with yourself. Your edges will improve. It took me years to really get it down on a handful of razors and I’m still learning. Honing looks so easy on videos but it’s a game of pressures that takes many moons to master.
Keep asking the questions and we will cheer you on from the sidelines.
‘Best!

 

[steveclarkus]

I’ve been using The Method for two years now finishing on a pasted balsa progression and my edges are very sharp at 200k (.1um) and exceedingly comfortable.