I am now also combining film and stones. Film is just so easy to get it sharp, while stones can be a struggle. Today I honed a factory edge Gold Dollar. Chosera 1k, BBW, coticule, Amazon blue/translucent Ark, leather strop. It shaved and feels great on the skin, but not the result I get with film. The Ark seemed to increase the sharpness more than the amazon blue. I will start again from the coticule (I know I could have done better on the coticule). But I know if I just rub this on film a little, it will get very sharp in no time.
What did you hone today?
- Thread starter ouch
- Start date
I do push/pull strokes on films...edge leading for the push. My films are affixed to the marble floor tile with water only.
I would prefer using 30 micron film (600 grit) to set the bevel.
I just use circles mostly, followed by a few x strokes strokes on a handheld beryl hone, also water. I don't think your setup and method can get much crappier than mine, but it is foolproof sharpening. For the bevel setting I think I would prefer a bigger marble piece, which I don't have, but since I have the chosera I just use that.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
How did it hone up?
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Pretty good I'd say.
Thanks for asking.
Happy shaves,
Jim
The razor on the right (on the left is a Zertone which is a superb cheap razor). Stainless steel unknown brand. I got this early on to practice on and it had the worst geometry ever (check out the honewear! I asked and got a replacement razor) and I wouldn't even bother with a razor like that now. But I did learn how to do circles on a chosera very very wel thanks to it
. I gave up because I couldn't get it sharp, let alone shave ready. For some reason I picked it up again and tried the science of sharp method (with a freaking beryl hone!). I was surprised to see a quick increase in sharpness. Since I now considered it usable as a test razor, I went all out on a small Belgian Blue + stropping on leather. It felt like a freaking DE blade on the HHT to my amazement. The shave was not that great though, demonstrating that the HHT doesn't tell you everything (razor might be to flat?). But, this inspired me to use my workhorse Gold Dollar 1996 (carrying a sharp but not too comfortable film edge) on the Belgian Blue. Worked really great. Circles on a 17 euro bbw + stropping essentially gets me coticule edge.
So why this long story? Somehow by chance this crappy razor let me try using the bbw as a finisher, revealing it's true potential. This is a landmark achievement in my honing career and I now feel confident that I can bring any razor (having good geometry) up to a decent standard using only this humble stone.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Take your choice.
- Yesterday's answer.
- Today's answer.
Yesterday...
Today...
Well, maybe not so good.
Prior to today's shave with the same razor as yesterday I had quite the time with it.
- The USB scope revealed problems.
- They took forever to fix.
- I had a lot of fun with the scope and the stones, but I'm glad I'm not getting paid by the hour.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Pretty razor. Nice find.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Yesterday morning I honed this one. I was just touching it up on the hard side of the DCA. Very helpful.
Last night I discovered (with my USB scope) chips. Extensive work was required, but the Torrey 136's edge this morning told me my efforts were successful. Very nice edge now.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Finally got a Boker. Despite being sold as 'shave ready' it was definitely not. I took it back to bevel set with Shapton 1.5k, then through my Naniwa's, and finally finished on my new Thurigian. Now it's sharp 
Venus 4/8 Lewis Strenger Barber Supply and a John Holler 9/16
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
The Tanifuji received a bit more finishing on the hard side of the Double Convex Ark. It's edge was already very good, but I'm testing the limits of sharpness I can produce on this edge using the DCA.
The Spalding (also made by Tanifuji) is a new to me vintage. It arrived "shave ready," but I didn't test its edge with a shave. Under the 200X scope the edge looked quite good, if perhaps not perfect in a spot. Anyhow, my plan was to take it to the DCA. I began on the finishing side, then moved to the soft side for a bit, then went back to the finishing side for a couple hundred more very light X Strokes. Actually, I did only light strokes on this blade.
The Spalding's shave test was successful. The Tanifuji will have to wait.
Happy shaves to you,
Jim
When you say to yourself "Oh, just a little touch up" and end up saying later "Just take me now Lord, just take me now"!
Nice. Did you use the slips or the rods? Or both?
Both...a work in progress.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Last time I used this edge it was quite satisfactory.
Is it sharper now with another hundred light round trips on the Double Convex Ark?
We'll find out on Torrey Tuesday unless I change my mind.
Is it sharper now with another hundred light round trips on the Double Convex Ark?
We'll find out on Torrey Tuesday unless I change my mind.
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