Synthetic Progression Documentation Step by Step

[TexNat]

Well, today is Saturday and had plenty of time to experiment and practice. So, decided to try to improve my skills with my synthetics, and document each step along the way. Sharing in case it might be of interest to others. Started off by really killing the edge on the side of a stone, so I would practice setting a new bevel from heel to toe without any head start.

The end result of all of this work today was the sharpest edge I've produced yet, a very clean cutting edge on my chin, which is the most challenging area for me.

Naniwa Chosera 800 - note a handful of deeper scratches from some of the grit particles. Some of these deeper scratches persisted to the end.

Naniwa Traditional 1,500 - I really like this stone. It is super easy to use and produces nice, uniform results very quickly. The resulting edge will cleanly and easily shave arm hair at skin level.

A Naniwa Chosera 3,000 was the next step. This stone still is cutting steel, but more slowly. Note the bright, smooth edge.

Continued in next post so the photos will display - hopefully.

 

[TexNat]

The next step was a Naniwa Chosera 5,000. This stone might be my favorite of all of my synthetics. The more I work with it, the more I am impressed with the results it produces. This stone really is refining the edge. The edge is good enough to take to a strop and shave comfortably. This stone loads up pretty quickly. Found using an ILR slurry stone cleaned the surface quickly without leaving residue.

The next step was the Naniwa Chosera 10,000, now renamed the Professional, which I just purchased and today was the first time to use. I have a Naniwa "Snow White" 8,000, which would usually from from 5k, to 8k, to 12k. However, I thought, if Naniwa has their Chosera/Pro line going from 5,000 to 10,000 in one step, I'll try it the way they have designed that line to see what happens. The 10k needed flattening. This stone is hard and hard to flatten, very similar to flattening a hard Arkansas stone. I quickly dropped back to the Atoma 140 to tackle it and even that was slow going. This stone is very hard. The up side it that it is far more durable than the Naniwa 8k and 12k, both of which are quite soft.

Here is the final edge off the Naniwa Pro 10,000. It actually is a more aggressive cutter than the 5,000, which surprised me. The few random wiggly scratches came from wiping off the blade with a cotton towel. The edge at this point is a very fine edge with the beginning of a polished bevel.

The Naniwa Gouken Kagayaki 12,000 is the next step, which does produce a polished bevel. Remaining deeper scratches from earlier stages are now more obvious.

 

[TexNat]

The last stop on the stones was the Suehiro Gokumyo 20,000. A diagonal pattern was used on this stone so that the marks from this stage would be obvious and they are. This next photo surprised me a bit as the 20k actually increased the scratches on the bevel. However, don't get all wrapped around the axel about the scratches. Checking progress on my arm hair showed noticeable improvement in tree topping arm hair pretty well. This stone acts like a hard Ark and produces a keen edge, keener than the 12k.

I usually use a Tony Miller strop, which I love. As today was an experiment and document day, I disassembled a Kanayama 10k strop and used the parts laying flat on a counter. I admittedly suck using a strop and have ruined as many edges as improved on a strop. So, I finally started using strops laying flat on a counter and very carefully use it more like a long stone, edge trailing obviously. I wanted to try the Kanayama and document it, but minimize the likelihood of cutting it since he now is retired.

Here is the edge after using the cloth, which is too coarse to my liking, the backside of the leather, which is very soft and suede like, and then the smooth side of the leather. Looking closely at the edge, a few very minor irregularities appear on the edge that were not present after the 20k stone. In the future, the coarse cloth will be omitted. Overall, the edge is more refined and cleanly tree tops about 1/2" above skin and clean cuts a long hanging hair. Disregard the strange effects of the light and distortion on the right side, that is the result of using a cheap digital magnifier. One of these days, I need to spring for a nicer one, but this magnifier is good enough for now.

 

[Titleist]

Very nice pictures and write up. Question: Do you use any circular strokes in any of your progression? I ask because the striations in the beginning of your progression seem very uniform and vertical. Very easy to discern the gradual reduction from step to step.

 

[TexNat]

Thank you. No, I usually do not use circles. Every once in a while I'll do them just out of boredom or to see what is going on with a stone so the marks are obvious. Usually, I go straight up and down on the stone. I do alternate the orientation of the edge. First step on a stone is to hold the razor is at a diagonal, toe trailing, heel leading, then perpendicular to the line of travel, then, toe leading with the heel trailing. That creates very clear X's on the bevel. Then, I work on that stone until the X's disappear, well mostly disappear. Using this pattern makes clear where work still is needed, which usually is near the toe for me.

 

[Ravenonrock]

As I currently only hone with synths I enjoyed what you documented. Thanks, it’s given me a few ideas.

 

[StupidBatsy]

Lovely documentation, wonder if you checked how is shaving after the 12K vs 20K

(also a note: you 'killed the edge' but the bevel was still there..)

 

[StupidBatsy]

p.s. Also wonder if you also checked: the 10k vs the 12K!!

 

[TexNat]

Raven,

you're welcome.

SB,

Thank you. I'll put those on the list for testing in the future and report back.

 

[bluesman 7]

I was part of the 'keep the edge straight' tribe for my first few razors. It made sense to me at the time. Left it behind within the first year though.

 

[lightfoot]

I’ve recently discovered that washing the blade with soap and water between stones virtually eliminated most of the larger scratches that always seem to still be visible at the end of the process. A little hand soap or Dawn detergent in the palm followed by a palm stropping type motion with a soapy hand (between stones) really seems to be helpful.

 

[rbscebu]

I’ve recently discovered that washing the blade with soap and water between stones virtually eliminated most of the larger scratches that always seem to still be visible at the end of the process. A little hand soap or Dawn detergent in the palm followed by a palm stropping type motion with a soapy hand (between stones) really seems to be helpful.

Yes, some forget that particles can be carried over from one stone to the next. The same can happen with pastes.

 

[LooneyToons816]

Great write up, very interesting. Thanks man! I had not thought of needing to clean the razor between stones, im glad i know that now

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

“I’ve recently discovered that washing the blade with soap and water between stones virtually eliminated most of the larger scratches that always seem to still be visible at the end of the process. A little hand soap or Dawn detergent in the palm followed by a palm stropping type motion with a soapy hand (between stones) really seems to be helpful.”

Overall cleanliness, the razor, stone, holder, hands and cleaning cloth can make a difference in the finishing stones.

As does stropping on linen or pasted linen between stones. I have a sink steps from my honing bench, I wash my blade and holder, and strop between stones.

Stropping between finish stones, removes the micro flashing, so you are honing on a clean edge and not swarf. Makes a cleaner edge.

Nice edge at the finish stones. what the bevels looks like does not matter, it is all about the edge. With the SG20 try fewer laps, as few as 3-5. It is an aggressive stone.

 

[TexNat]

That’s helpful Brad, I’ll add cleaning and stropping between stones. What does “microflashing” mean?

I suspect that some of these old steels may have relatively large carbide particles, which come loose and cause scratches. Stropping between stones should reduce those.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

“What does “microflashing” mean?”


Look at your edges at 1k and at the higher grits, you see that fuzzy edge. That is micro flashing or micro burr reflecting light. When viewed at high magnification the burr is dramatic.

It is why often, a stropped finish edge will easily cut hair when it would not un-stropped.

So, stropping will just remove the burr/flashing, no? Not always, just stropping can break off the micro burr and cause a micro serrated edge.

Stropping on linen or pasted linen will break off the edge and polish the edge back, so when you finish hone a linen stropped edge, 1. The edge is clean on the hone, and 2. Micro chipping is minimized, and the finish stone can polish and straighten the edge.

The goal of all honing is to straighten the edge, finer grits make it less serrated and shave better/smoother.

This is the hair-splitting aspect of honing, but when you are seeking the final 2% or keenness… and comfort, that’s what counts. Folks forget about the comfort part of honing, sharp is easy.

You are well on your way, you clearly got the basics down. Now it is just tweaking.

 

[Frinstance]

@TexNat, @lightfoot and @H Brad Boonshaft thank you very much for the tidbits. I'm a bit anal retentive about clean steel on clean stone, but I realise I haven't been taking the principle far enough.

 

[lightfoot]

“What does “microflashing” mean?”


Look at your edges at 1k and at the higher grits, you see that fuzzy edge. That is micro flashing or micro burr reflecting light. When viewed at high magnification the burr is dramatic.

It is why often, a stropped finish edge will easily cut hair when it would not un-stropped.

So, stropping will just remove the burr/flashing, no? Not always, just stropping can break off the micro burr and cause a micro serrated edge.

Stropping on linen or pasted linen will break off the edge and polish the edge back, so when you finish hone a linen stropped edge, 1. The edge is clean on the hone, and 2. Micro chipping is minimized, and the finish stone can polish and straighten the edge.

The goal of all honing is to straighten the edge, finer grits make it less serrated and shave better/smoother.

This is the hair-splitting aspect of honing, but when you are seeking the final 2% or keenness… and comfort, that’s what counts. Folks forget about the comfort part of honing, sharp is easy.

You are well on your way, you clearly got the basics down. Now it is just tweaking.

So this is an interesting point. One thing that I have done to eliminate a stubborn burr that won’t break off by using linen is that I might raise a very misty slurry on a Japanese natural stone for example. Now my goal here is actually not to create a Japanese stone edge at all. But rather using the hone as a way to eliminate this burr. In my opinion the safest way to remove a burr like this is the very carefully abrade it off. I just thought I would add this thought.

 

[JPO]

I’ve recently discovered that washing the blade with soap and water between stones virtually eliminated most of the larger scratches that always seem to still be visible at the end of the process. A little hand soap or Dawn detergent in the palm followed by a palm stropping type motion with a soapy hand (between stones) really seems to be helpful.

I have been using baby wipes between grit jumps. I have been wondering if there is a chance of getting lint on the edge. Maybe your approach at least eliminates that.

 

[Empire straights]

You should make a strop paddle. I've made a couple to use/ give away and they really helps me get my rhythm with a hanging strop.i used to lay the end of mineon the hook for my hanging strip so I would get the muscle memory of the height and it pushed me to keep my hanging strop taut over time.