Well I finally did it! I got my darned Hornet honed to shave ready and even shaved with it this morning. What started with me trying to "touch it up" on 3u film turned into a mess...and I made it worse the more I tried to fix it. Once I decided I had no chance of ever shaving with the edge again I butter knifed it and set out to reset the bevel and start over (how hard can it be right?). How hard can it be? I failed so hard its not even funny. I spent hours every evening for days trying to get a bevel. I'd think I have one and proceed through the stages and end up with a ...butter knife. 600 grit paper, same thing.
Finally I ordered some stones from Amazon, I didn't care what I got as long as it came FAST and was as wide as possible. I ended up with a TAIDEA 1000/3000, King 6000, King #8000 Nagira and a LAVODA 10000. These aren't exactly what I wanted but I was frustrated these came close enough...and I think I came in under $60. By the way, did you know there is exactly NO consensus among you honers (or is it stoner's) as to which grit combination is critical to own, what progression is acceptable or what brands & materials a beginner might consider. For those who might be wondering, the TAIDEA and LOVODA (and a few other odd named stones on Amazon) appear to all be made by the same maker but have different brands stamped on them, they are wrapped and boxed the same. They seem to be decent quality and certainly did the job (as evidenced by the outcome) BUT the King stone was a noticeably better quality (smoother draw and faster to make a slurry). I like the width of the two Chinese generic stones but the King feels very nice.
After several more failed attempt to even raise a burr I decided I could no longer subject the spine to the torture and put a layer of electrical tape on it. When I returned to the stone I was surprised to find that within several strokes I had begun to form a burr. It took 100 strokes in total to get a burr across the entire edge but I did it...Flip and repeat, finishing strokes and so on. I did the bevel setting on the 1000 while the stone was flat, I progressed through the other stones while holding them in one hand the razor in the other (per Slash McCoy's suggestion). Before I switch to the 3000 stone I replaced the tape that had worn slightly (I didn't know for sure if I was supposed to leave it on or take it off at this point-...?) I didn't count strokes on the other stones and I cant say exactly how I determined when to move to the next stone. I used only enough pressure to keep the blade flat against the stone, which was more than feather and less than I was using on the film I am sure. My progression was like this (keep in mind I only just received these stones and lapped them flat, I have no other Idea what I am supposed to be doing...don't judge ok):
1000 bevel set - replace tape - 3000 - 6000 - 6000+ #8000 Nagira slurry - 10000 - 6000+#8000 Nagira Slurry - 10000 - 1u film - 0.5u pasted balsa strop - REMOVE tape - 0.5u pasted balsa strop - 0.25 pasted balsa strop - 0.1u pasted balsa strop - 100 leather - 0.1u pasted balsa strop - LOTS (250+laps) of leather stropping
Being proud of my first and only success I plan to trade mark my process, I call it the CBLindsay Kithchen Sink method. I call it that because I used every stone I purchased and every method I read about, watched or even dreamed about. Basically I stole from every last one of you and then added a whole lotta prayers.
I do have a big question about honing with tape as I did. When should it come off? This is a new to me razor and the spine looks the same to me as it did when I got it (flat-square) but I did a lot to this razor over many days so I could have done plenty to the geometry. Hard to imagine I could have taken that much off the spine and never touched the bevel edge so I am guessing I bought a razor that was honed with a taped edge before and/or was just THAT close to tolerance. Thoughts?
Anyway. Just wanted to share my success and gloat. Now I plan to tackle the frowning razor I started working on a little while back.
Finally I ordered some stones from Amazon, I didn't care what I got as long as it came FAST and was as wide as possible. I ended up with a TAIDEA 1000/3000, King 6000, King #8000 Nagira and a LAVODA 10000. These aren't exactly what I wanted but I was frustrated these came close enough...and I think I came in under $60. By the way, did you know there is exactly NO consensus among you honers (or is it stoner's) as to which grit combination is critical to own, what progression is acceptable or what brands & materials a beginner might consider. For those who might be wondering, the TAIDEA and LOVODA (and a few other odd named stones on Amazon) appear to all be made by the same maker but have different brands stamped on them, they are wrapped and boxed the same. They seem to be decent quality and certainly did the job (as evidenced by the outcome) BUT the King stone was a noticeably better quality (smoother draw and faster to make a slurry). I like the width of the two Chinese generic stones but the King feels very nice.
After several more failed attempt to even raise a burr I decided I could no longer subject the spine to the torture and put a layer of electrical tape on it. When I returned to the stone I was surprised to find that within several strokes I had begun to form a burr. It took 100 strokes in total to get a burr across the entire edge but I did it...Flip and repeat, finishing strokes and so on. I did the bevel setting on the 1000 while the stone was flat, I progressed through the other stones while holding them in one hand the razor in the other (per Slash McCoy's suggestion). Before I switch to the 3000 stone I replaced the tape that had worn slightly (I didn't know for sure if I was supposed to leave it on or take it off at this point-...?) I didn't count strokes on the other stones and I cant say exactly how I determined when to move to the next stone. I used only enough pressure to keep the blade flat against the stone, which was more than feather and less than I was using on the film I am sure. My progression was like this (keep in mind I only just received these stones and lapped them flat, I have no other Idea what I am supposed to be doing...don't judge ok):
1000 bevel set - replace tape - 3000 - 6000 - 6000+ #8000 Nagira slurry - 10000 - 6000+#8000 Nagira Slurry - 10000 - 1u film - 0.5u pasted balsa strop - REMOVE tape - 0.5u pasted balsa strop - 0.25 pasted balsa strop - 0.1u pasted balsa strop - 100 leather - 0.1u pasted balsa strop - LOTS (250+laps) of leather stropping
Being proud of my first and only success I plan to trade mark my process, I call it the CBLindsay Kithchen Sink method. I call it that because I used every stone I purchased and every method I read about, watched or even dreamed about. Basically I stole from every last one of you and then added a whole lotta prayers.
I do have a big question about honing with tape as I did. When should it come off? This is a new to me razor and the spine looks the same to me as it did when I got it (flat-square) but I did a lot to this razor over many days so I could have done plenty to the geometry. Hard to imagine I could have taken that much off the spine and never touched the bevel edge so I am guessing I bought a razor that was honed with a taped edge before and/or was just THAT close to tolerance. Thoughts?
Anyway. Just wanted to share my success and gloat. Now I plan to tackle the frowning razor I started working on a little while back.