Thread: Ohhh so you lap the hone first... Damn it!

As you might imagine from the title, I have learned something very important. I'm new to the straight razor shave, being only a month and a half into it and already collected 4 razors, 2 soap dishes, a bowl, brush, razor stand, brush stand, a verity of soaps and creams, and the list goes on. Some of my purchases include 2 norton whetstones (1000g and combo 4000/8000g) and being the hands on fellow that I am, well you can guess... Or read on.

My first dull razor is a Boker Treebrand from straightrazordesign.com, it was supposed to be professionally honed but it certainly was not. You only had to look at it to know that it was dull, and it couldnt pass the hanging hair test, which meant it wasn't going anywhere near my face. Since it's my least favorite razor and the most dull I figured I would learn to hone it into a fine sharp razor, so sharp that a floating hair in the wind would silently split down the middle and go blowing off into the meadow somewhere behind... Nice visual don't ya think? Well let me tell you what happened. I spent 3 hours the first night switching between the 1000, 4000 and 8000, I worked up a sweat, I was red in the face, and my girlfriend who has taken up sewing, well, she successfully made a hand bag (from a design in her head) and thought I was nuts, and all I got was an even more dull razor!*

The whole length of the cutting edge was wavy looking, and the opposite side of course had the opposite wave! What was I doing wrong, I read all the directions on how to hone, watched every video I could find. Determined not to give up, as I'm usually very stubborn, I tried again the next morning, another 3 hours, and once again my girlfriend out did me by making a beach blanket complete with pillows for later that day. Discouraged I set the razor aside and went to the beach. Sad because I couldn't understand why this was so difficult, I let the razor sit for a full week. I like to walk away from problems and think about them before I get frustrated.*

The next week. 2 more hours, a hanging hair catches just barely, yet the whole blade still looks wavy. Perfectly straight to the eye, if you look down the cut edge, but definitely not the sides where some parts are over honed and some parts look as though they hadnt ever seen my hone. Still not sharp, still not shave ready, I was frustrated. Bested by a block of synthetic junk and a bit of metal. I put the hones and blade away.*

Another week. I receive another professionally dull blade (this one from classicshaving.com), this time it's a Dovo All Stainless Steel, it's sharper than my Treebrand, it'll cut the occasional hanging hair, if the wind is right and the moon is full. Not sharp enough, not as sharp as my Thiers-Issard Celebration French Nose, or my Boker Edelweiss, both of which I can cut hanging hairs all day long with. I decide I need to learn how to hone, I don't wanna have to depend on others for a sharp razor, I should be able to do this myself, I use my hands for a living, I have a high standard for everything I build, install or refinish.*

I turned to the Internet, my old friend, I searched and searched and read and read, and finally in a random post, someone mentioned they had lapped their hone. What is this lapping? I thought, What witchery is this? SRP wiki is your friend, I knew this, but had no idea that my stones should be lapped before use. This past week I've put about 6-8 hours into flattening my stones, yea you read that right. Thats 6-8hours, and you wanna know why? Apparently my bathroom countertop isn't flat. The first 4 hours of lapping I had no idea I was making it worse, but fear not I bought a marble tile, and started again. Using 400g to flatten each stone then 600g to finish them up. I'm finally ready to start honing... Again.*

Before I do however, how do I fix what I've done to my razor and make it so I can start fresh?

Welcome to SRP, and I look forward hearing how it turned out with lapped hone.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if your razor was from SRD it was shave ready. HHTs are not for those new to straight razors, I've been at this a year and since I don't home I don't bother with any tests besides shavung with the razor. That said it's an important lesson that stones need to be lapped perfectly flat, spend some more time here reading around and it might be best to use the free honing certificate from SRD and regardless of how sharp it feels just try to shave with it.

Originally Posted by thehekler

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if your razor was from SRD it was shave ready. HHTs are not for those new to straight razors, I've been at this a year and since I don't home I don't bother with any tests besides shavung with the razor. That said it's an important lesson that stones need to be lapped perfectly flat, spend some more time here reading around and it might be best to use the free honing certificate from SRD and regardless of how sharp it feels just try to shave with it.

I don't think it was shave ready, not when my other Boker, looked professionally honed and does pass a HHT. My Treebrand didn't have a perfect edge honed. Where my other Boker does? And so does my TI. Trust me on this one it was a factory edge at best. No offense, just saying. I think they thought they honed it but they forgot, or skipped it by accident. I tried shaving with the dull Dovo, which I havent touched. It hurt like hell, and from shaving with my other 2 razors I know it shouldnt hurt.

Originally Posted by Goc

Welcome to SRP, and I look forward hearing how it turned out with lapped hone.

Thanks I may try to hone it tonight. But I also have a table to refinish, and that's weather dependent. I'll let everyone know how it goes if I do get to it tonight

Originally Posted by HigherFasterNow

My first dull razor is a Boker Treebrand from straightrazordesign.com, it was supposed to be professionally honed but it certainly was not. You only had to look at it to know that it was dull, and it couldnt pass the hanging hair test, which meant it wasn't going anywhere near my face. Since it's my least favorite razor and the most dull I figured I would learn to hone it into a fine sharp razor, so sharp that a floating hair in the wind would silently split down the middle and go blowing off into the meadow somewhere behind... Nice visual don't ya think?

Two things here:
I highly doubt SRD would have let a razor out of their doors without Lynn honing it unless it was specified & if it did you should have contacted them and I will bet you a straight razor that Lynn & Don would make it right.

HHT is NOT a sign of a shave ready razor. Too many variables there & you are putting too much stock in it. The only true test is a shave. My first shaving stroke is a sideburn WTG. If a razor pulls here (I am less sensitive on the sideburns), it gets set aside so that I can make it truly shave ready.

Originally Posted by HigherFasterNow

Before I do however, how do I fix what I've done to my razor and make it so I can start fresh?

Lapping is important, but it shouldn't take 6-8 hours using the sandpaper method. I hope you are using the wet/dry type & water. I can see a new norton taking 30-45 min on each side, but my Shapton GS's only took about 15 minutes each and that's not using any pressure.

On your razor I would HIGHLY recommend using a layer of electrical tape on the spine. This will save the spine from the un-necessary hone wear put on one learning to hone. It's not rocket science, but with your being a craftsman you will understand that it's a learned skill. The wavy-ness on the blade sounds interesting & makes me think you may be using pressure while honing. The only pressure the blade needs is enough to ensure it's in constant and even (important) contact with the hone. By this I mean that you should keep the razor flat on the hone. Other than that, I would recommend watching gssixgun's (Glen) and hi_bud_gl's (Sham's) video's.

I'm sure you already have Lynn's DVD right? Right? Get the hint here?

Originally Posted by HigherFasterNow

I don't think it was shave ready, not when my other Boker, looked professionally honed and does pass a HHT. My Treebrand didn't have a perfect edge honed. Where my other Boker does? And so does my TI. Trust me on this one it was a factory edge at best. No offense, just saying. I think they thought they honed it but they forgot, or skipped it by accident. I tried shaving with the dull Dovo, which I havent touched. It hurt like hell, and from shaving with my other 2 razors I know it shouldnt hurt.

It is perfectly possible that someone made a mistake and these razors were never honed properly, but in my experience I've seen alot more posts saying my brand new razor from ________ Can't pass a hanging hair test when it was only lack of experience. You seem to have some experience so you could quite easily be right. regardless good luck with honing and let us know how you progress!

Originally Posted by shooter74743

Two things here:
I highly doubt SRD would have let a razor out of their doors without Lynn honing it unless it was specified & if it did you should have contacted them and I will bet you a straight razor that Lynn & Don would make it right.

HHT is NOT a sign of a shave ready razor. Too many variables there & you are putting too much stock in it. The only true test is a shave. My first shaving stroke is a sideburn WTG. If a razor pulls here (I am less sensitive on the sideburns), it gets set aside so that I can make it truly shave ready.



Lapping is important, but it shouldn't take 6-8 hours using the sandpaper method. I hope you are using the wet/dry type & water. I can see a new norton taking 30-45 min on each side, but my Shapton GS's only took about 15 minutes each and that's not using any pressure.

On your razor I would HIGHLY recommend using a layer of electrical tape on the spine. This will save the spine from the un-necessary hone wear put on one learning to hone. It's not rocket science, but with your being a craftsman you will understand that it's a learned skill. The wavy-ness on the blade sounds interesting & makes me think you may be using pressure while honing. The only pressure the blade needs is enough to ensure it's in constant and even (important) contact with the hone. By this I mean that you should keep the razor flat on the hone. Other than that, I would recommend watching gssixgun's (Glen) and hi_bud_gl's (Sham's) video's.

I'm sure you already have Lynn's DVD right? Right? Get the hint here?

Thanks for the reply I feel like I'm back in the Principals office a bit... Am I in trouble? Lol, perhaps you guys are right about the razor, I just like to think they forgot to sharpen it. But what do I know I'm a newb afterall. The reason I took me so long to lap is because first my countertop isn't flat, so 40+ minutes a side only to discover that I was makin them worse, and then having to start all over again on a true flat surface made it quite the process. The 8000g was stubborn. And yes I was using wet/dry I usually research everything quite fully before I ever attempt so I got the right stuff. It's a learning curve. I just wanna hone this razor up an have a good shave with it. Ill check out those videos if I havent seen them already hehe. I have a bit of an obsession going on here. And I'll pick up Lynns DVD when I get some cash. I spent so much already lol. Thanks again.

Originally Posted by thehekler

It is perfectly possible that someone made a mistake and these razors were never honed properly, but in my experience I've seen alot more posts saying my brand new razor from ________ Can't pass a hanging hair test when it was only lack of experience. You seem to have some experience so you could quite easily be right. regardless good luck with honing and let us know how you progress!

Thanks, I hope it all works out. Also your signature is awesome, I lol'd.

I'm not clear on why a razor that has become dull would have to spend any time at all on 8K or 4K, much less 1K, and even much less 3 hours of it.