I've read that stainless steel is "more difficult" to hone than regular carbon steel. Does it mean that even with proper time and technique you will never be able to achieve the same level of keeness than with a regular carbon steel blade or does it mean that you just have to put in more time and effort?
To hone stainless steel
- Thread starter Thomas Martin
- Start date
from what I have read/seen on youtube, You can achieve the same keeness with stainless stell, just you might have to add a few more strokes to get there. I am basing this on what i read and heard. I have 0 experience with this, so I hope someone with experience would comment on this.
its the same process.... just takes more time....
you can cut the time by using pressure in the early stages...
you can cut the time by using pressure in the early stages...
i have found that there is little difference IMO. U just hone until u are done at each step.
Another myth of straight shaving, blown out of proportion.
Unless you are honing with some limp wristed Jnat or other such ineffective natural hone, honing stainless is not noticeably different from honing carbon steel.
The stainless razors I have honed have all attained similar levels of keeness as the carbon razors.
Unless you are honing with some limp wristed Jnat or other such ineffective natural hone, honing stainless is not noticeably different from honing carbon steel.
The stainless razors I have honed have all attained similar levels of keeness as the carbon razors.
- Thread starter
- #6
Thanks. That's pretty much my impression too. I have a stainless Dovo that I hone the same way as any other razor in my collection and that shaves pretty well but which I mainly use for traveling. Question is why we bother with carbon steel given the evident advantages of stainless steel.
jnats are very effective not sure what you used but there is a lot of junk out there, the good ones work just fine
@ OP
stainless is not harder to hone than carbon, may take a few strokes more but not significantly more.
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Note that there are many "stainless steel" cheap razors out there that likely won't be good. If they use an inexpensive stainless, it likely can't hold/gain a good shaving edge. Stick with respected names and/or vintage stainless and you'll be ok. (my 2 cents...I have/only used 1 stainless (Hess Hair Milk) razor and it works great).
He knows how superior stones are. He just prefers his Saran Wrap.
MoJo
Getting a lot of use out of that pic, doc.
I use a cylindrical ceramic hone, on stainless, makes them nasty sharp
- Thread starter
- #13
Hmm. I have honed two Dovos today on a Belgium coticule using the unicot method. On my carbon steel Favorit the bevel reset was perfect after 2x30 strokes whereas it took me at least 10x30 for the stainless steel blade. I also had a hard time getting a satisfactory HHT result on the last one.
Every chance I get. Lol.
You may want to check to see if the Dovo stainless is warped.I had THREE stainless Dovos in a row from a vendor, and all were tragically, and identically warped.
- Thread starter
- #16
You may be right. At a close look there's a wide bevel on the toe on one side and none on the other. I may have to get rid of that one I'll keep the nice olive wood scales though.
I get good results on a coticule using the unicot method on a new stainless Boker Razor!
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That is good to know. I just bought a new Boker Stainless Steel in December. I was hoping it wouldn't be difficult to get and maintain a nice edge.
