What does this mean?

[mbrossar]

After receiving a newly honed razor from Mr. Nienberg at Rasurpur.de, I realized my honing isn't what I thought it was. Although I've been trying to learn my coticule, I thought I might be well served to use my Naniwa 3/8K since it should be more predictable. Not sure if my reasoning is solid, so feel free to comment on the wisdom of perfecting technique on a predictable synthetic prior to attacking the nuances of a natural.

Anyway, I'm honing away on the 3K side. All seems smooth and normal. After 40 - 60 strokes (I wasn't really counting, but it seems to be in there somewhere), it seemed time to move on to the 8K side. BTW, is there a certain feel, marker or some other sign that people use to know when to progress? So I begin on the 8K side, and I swear it's got a stiffer draw than a latigo strop. I really don't feel like I'm putting any pressure on the blade. The hone's been lapped and is flat. In fact, if you lay it on a granite counter with a little water, it'll stick. There's no course or grating sound. The blade just feels like it's sticking to the hone. Does this mean something? Perhaps the bevel's very flat and it's creating suction? Or perhaps the opposite, there's material that's catching and needs much more work? Perhaps even needs to go back to the 3K side?

While I'm asking, I notice the 8K side is hard to keep wet. Seems like I'm adding water to it every minute or two. I've tried soaking it, although I don't think you're supposed to have to soak it, but it didn't help. Is this normal for a Naniwa 8K

Last question while I'm at it, is the 3K to 8K too big a step? Should I be looking to put a 5K in the middle? Not that I have money to burn. Just wondering.

 

[superbleu]

the naniwa stones are kind of gummy feeling and the razors do feel like they stick to the hone, especially the higher grit ones.
Also they load up with swarf pretty fast so I like to keep a scotchbrite pad handy to give it a light scrub ones it turns dark from the metal bits. Also do NOT soak your superstones it will ruin it, just keep a spray bottle of water near by and spritz as needed.
Trying to figure out when to move to the next grit is one of the hardest parts of honing, most people say when you cant see the scratch marks from the previous grit stone, After some experience you can just tell when you can move on.

3k to 8k should be ok, I think other people do that/suggest that if you are on a budget, the stones are so fast 5k-8k and 3k-8k won't take long anyways.

 

[LarryAndro]

...Anyway, I'm honing away on the 3K side. All seems smooth and normal. After 40 - 60 strokes ... it seemed time to move on to the 8K side. BTW, is there a certain feel, marker or some other sign that people use to know when to progress? So I begin on the 8K side, and I swear it's got a stiffer draw than a latigo strop. ... The blade just feels like it's sticking to the hone. Does this mean something? ...

On the 1K hone, I use the TPT primarily to know when to move to the next hone. (My arm hair, who knows why, never is cut on the 1k.) On the 3K, I primarily use the TPT still. But, starting a little on the 3K and more with each hone, I use the suction you describe more and more to know when to move on to the next hone.

While I could be wrong, I think that is surface tension or "suction" indicating a smooth bevel.

 

[wdwrx]

I've found a very similar thing happens to me on my Nani 12K. It seems to occur when the stone has done all it can for the bevel.
I believe it is caused by an increase in surface friction as the hone wears the scratch marks from the previous stone away and replaces them with the marks from the current stone, at which point the stone and the razor has as much surface area in contact with each other as they can get, increasing the friction and leading to this sticking sensation. But that's just a guess based on my experience with the 12K.

 

[SliceOfLife]

When a stone has given its all to an edge, the feel changes. HOW it changes depends on the stone and the grind of the edge. I don't think it can be effectively explained. Practice will get you to where you can recognize it.