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What’s your “sure thing” progression?

IMightBeWrong

Loves a smelly brush
I’ll have to qualify “sure thing.” Let’s say a friend wants to learn to shave with a straight and has a simple Boker or Dovo from a mall cutlery shop and needs a quality edge to learn with. He asks you for help. You know that a new straight shaver needs an edge that’s going to do the job well so they can just focus on shaving technique, so you reach for your “sure thing” progression that you know will give you a fantastic edge without a hassle and without having to redo the job. What do you reach for?

I had a similar dilemma, hence the example. My progression was a 1K Shapton Pro to set the bevel with no tape, then a JNAT (Ozuku Asagi) with a slurry from a fast yet fine Kiita Tomo Nagura, then - just to be absolutely sure the JNAT edge wouldn’t be a hit or miss preference for my friend - finished with a Suehiro Gokumyo 20,000 for a few quick strokes. I use this system for my “sure thing” almost every time I hone now, although I’ll often vary the finisher based on what I feel like playing with. I love that a JNAT with a slurry keeps me from having to worry about a burr forming and keeps my edge nice and straight before whatever I feel like finishing on (often nothing after a light slurry).

What are you so confident in that you know you can get a great edge with it without even having to give it a test shave after stropping?
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
1k synthetic for bevel setting followed by a 3k cnat. Then on to the lapping films and finishing off with 0.5, 0.25 & 0.1 pasted balsa.

Perfect edge for me every time.
 

IMightBeWrong

Loves a smelly brush
1k synthetic for bevel setting followed by a 3k cnat. Then on to the lapping films and finishing off with 0.5, 0.25 & 0.1 pasted balsa.

Perfect edge for me every time.

I knew I would get lapping film as a response quickly! I have actually never tried that method but I have every confidence it would provide an amazingly keen edge at a great price point. I have gotten many a scolding from my wife for buying expensive stones, but I like the “old school” appeal they have.

Diamond pasted balsa also has a place in my sharpening systems at home. It produces the most keen and crisp edges I have been able to attain. This said, the edges I get from my method are a bit more forgiving. I have actually transferred my diamond balsa from razor duty to knife duty.
 
Welsh progression: (Gwespyr bevel set, Inigo Jones Dragon's Tongue, Purple slate, black slate, finish with Charnley Forest) followed by paste - usually the Solingen crayons. This progression is really responsive in terms of feedback (I find it easier than synths or film) and seems to deal with problem steal most effectively.
 

Legion

Staff member
😎😎😎 Pro move.

Need to understand from you how you move to the La Verte. Both of mine don't play nicely with other coticules. A question for another thread though.
So I do 90% with the La Petite Blanche. Then, once I feel like I have maxed it out, (they auto slurry big time), I do the finishing laps on the LV, which is super hard, and has no slurry at all.
 
So I do 90% with the La Petite Blanche. Then, once I feel like I have maxed it out, (they auto slurry big time), I do the finishing laps on the LV, which is super hard, and has no slurry at all.

I was actually going to start a thread on the LV but I wasn't sure who was using them.

I do the same as you with my LPB - totally agree, nice and fast, autoslurries like nobody's business. I can happily follow it with a very fine La Grise, Les Lat, or Dressante but neither of of my LVs follow on at all well. Weird huh? If I use them to refresh a razor after a load of use I get the best edges, but if I use them in combination with another coticule I just can't get them to follow on.

I guess you have answered my question that it works as a progression. I'll go back and experiment.
 
1k Suehiro
3k Suehiro
Shobu asagi
Felt block in between progressions
Linen
Buffalo strop
(Sometimes add the fuji 8k)

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
1k chosera. Nakayama iromono with atoma 1200 slurry (super fast stone) and then dump the worked slurry from the iromono onto any.number of hard jnat. Lately a hard takashima.
 

IMightBeWrong

Loves a smelly brush
My "sure thing" is the only progression I own. Norton 1k to set the bevel, then 4k, 8k, and finish on a Naniwa 12k followed by the 0.5, 0.25, and 0.1 micron balsa. May not be fancy. May not be "honemeister". But, I get a killer edge every time.

Can anyone really coin themselves a “honemeister”? Or is it an earned title?
 
I’ll have to qualify “sure thing.” Let’s say a friend wants to learn to shave with a straight and has a simple Boker or Dovo from a mall cutlery shop and needs a quality edge to learn with. He asks you for help. You know that a new straight shaver needs an edge that’s going to do the job well so they can just focus on shaving technique, so you reach for your “sure thing” progression that you know will give you a fantastic edge without a hassle and without having to redo the job. What do you reach for?

For basic sure thing edge that requires no testing after bevel set? Chosera progression 1K>3K>5K>8K(Junpaku )>10K. But to be honest, probably any synth progression is fine...
 
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