What Did You Hone Today?
- Thread starter drmoss_ca
- Start date
Milton
Member
Honed Sunday, a slightly modified and rescaled Gold Dollar 66. The scales are of Queensland black bean timber treated with cyanoacrylate.
Honing was 1k/3k bevel set, 8k and 10k initial refinement, then some finer lapping films and finished on a diamond pasted balsa strop progression.
I shaved with this SR yesterday and today. It has given me the best shave in memory.
Honing was 1k/3k bevel set, 8k and 10k initial refinement, then some finer lapping films and finished on a diamond pasted balsa strop progression.
I shaved with this SR yesterday and today. It has given me the best shave in memory.
Bogie
I'm not looking at you !
I know you produce great edges. I have one of the blades you passed along a couple of years ago.
I have a question. After ther Naniwa 12K, have you tried the edge before the 20K? If so, what was your observation on the difference in the edge?
Is it enough for those of us that do not have a 20K+ stone to think about going up to a finer stone?
I have a question. After ther Naniwa 12K, have you tried the edge before the 20K? If so, what was your observation on the difference in the edge?
Is it enough for those of us that do not have a 20K+ stone to think about going up to a finer stone?
RHensley
Resident Hand Model
For a long time I only used the 12K naniwa. I thought I was getting a fantastic edge. Then I went to visit my friend in St. Louis and we sat and talked and honed a razor. After the 12 he brought out his 20 k Suehiro It went from a good edge to a fantastic edge and that’s when I ordered one. So since then I finish every razor with the 20K Suehiro. Now they’re quite expensive. I gave $200 for mine. So far me it was enough difference to get one. But at the time I was putting in a lot of overtime.
RHensley
Resident Hand Model
It all depends on you. I make 20 passes. My friend in St louis I think makes less. I would say make 15 to 20 and ck. I can say you will never wear one out.
RHensley
Resident Hand Model
I got mine off the internet. I think it was Japanese tools company. Really I can’t remember the name of the company but you can find different websites that have them. These sites also have the Naniwa stones. If I can find the site I’ll post it by 300 sounds a little high to me
RHensley
Resident Hand Model
Let me know how it works out
RHensley
Resident Hand Model
Either one would be awesome. I wonder what the seller would do if he was offered 140. I’m with you though either one would be a hard choice
Milton
Member
A new-to-me Torrey ⅝ full hollow, my first US made SR. Bevel re-set on 3k Csynth, refined on 8k Csynth and 10k Jsynth before moving on to 3μm and 1μm lapping films. Finish was with a full diamond pasted balsa strop progression;0.5μm, 0.25μm, 0.1μm and 0.1μm hanging.
A perfect shave was had.
Those Americans certainly knew how to make a SR back in the day.
Those Americans certainly knew how to make a SR back in the day.
Bogie
I'm not looking at you !
I'm tempted to try your idea, but it could cost me the grips!! Only so much play money each month.
Bogie
I'm not looking at you !
Torrey is a good blade. There are a great number of good US made/sold blades. Some are made in the US and some are just marketed through US companies made in England and Germany as well as other countries. My take is almost any SR blade actually made in the US prior to 1950 +/- is probably a decent blade. A lot of poor blades with questionable steel has shown up in the past few decades.
Many distributors in the US sourced their blades from outside the US and put their local names on them. A good example is the number of UK sold blades that state 'Ground in Germany'. Another case of marketers sourcing blades and then labeling them as 'house blades'.
RHensley
Resident Hand Model
The reason I didn't take another photo is it looks just like the last one after I cleaned and polished. What can I say I'm just a little lazy. Anyway it cleaned up very good and I honed it with my usual Naniwa super stones and finished with the Suehiro. Waiting now for the beard to jump out just alittl.e more.
drmoss_ca
Is there a Doctor in the house ?
Had a leisurely three-pass shave with The giant Zowada 01 chopper two days ago, using some old Conk Bay Rum and lime melted together just for the scent. As I shaved I thought about the huge honing experiment I did before moving house, and thought it would be nice to revisit the coticule-only shave. I looked back to August 2020, and found it was the TI Loup et Bellier 5/8 with olivewood scales that had that treatment. At the time I said it felt very sharp, but not as comfortable as a razor that had seen a finishing stone after the coticule. Can I get it any better if I try again?
I dug it out of the ziplock bag holding French razors. Blade is a bit sticky from dried oil, so I washed it off with soap and water, rinsed it and did the running water/coticule progression. 10 back and forths on one side, then the other, then 9 back and forths and so on. Once I had the last single back and forth, I did ten edge leading strokes alternating sides. The edge feels very fine to my thumb - that really fine low amplitude vibration that indicates a good edge. I haven't stropped it yet, and that can wait until I'm about to use it in a few days. Better let the stubble grow a bit first. I'll report when I try it out.
Decided two days' stubble would be enough, so I stropped the TI on all three Kanayamas (canvas, suede and Cordovan) and lathered up with some old Trumper Rose cream. The shave was as easy and comfortable as any I've had, including cross and against passes. Glassy smooth at the end and no sting with aftershave. I generally use 1/2 or more often 1/4 hollow razors, and all I can say was that I could tell this was a full hollow blade—just a little less stiff than my thicker blades, though probably mitigated by the fact it is a little 5/8 blade and the old TI 'silver steel' is very stiff.
This is a better result than the last time I shaved with this razor honed on a coticule alone. I didn't cut a new bevel last time or this time, so either it was the effect of a second time on the coticule, or maybe it was the better strop, which I think came along after the first try. I'm strongly tempted to see if I can get the same result with a thicker grind, and I suppose it would make sense to try a 5/8 SuperGnome half hollow, then maybe the 6/8 version, which would keep the steel the same. (I'm assuming, perhaps wrongly, that the 6/8 SuperGnomes came out before TI changed their steel.)
I've always had the feeling that some steels and some grinds just get on better with certain hones. Maybe I was lucky in picking that razor for this experiment back in 2020. I probably should start experimenting again...
Chris
I dug it out of the ziplock bag holding French razors. Blade is a bit sticky from dried oil, so I washed it off with soap and water, rinsed it and did the running water/coticule progression. 10 back and forths on one side, then the other, then 9 back and forths and so on. Once I had the last single back and forth, I did ten edge leading strokes alternating sides. The edge feels very fine to my thumb - that really fine low amplitude vibration that indicates a good edge. I haven't stropped it yet, and that can wait until I'm about to use it in a few days. Better let the stubble grow a bit first. I'll report when I try it out.
Decided two days' stubble would be enough, so I stropped the TI on all three Kanayamas (canvas, suede and Cordovan) and lathered up with some old Trumper Rose cream. The shave was as easy and comfortable as any I've had, including cross and against passes. Glassy smooth at the end and no sting with aftershave. I generally use 1/2 or more often 1/4 hollow razors, and all I can say was that I could tell this was a full hollow blade—just a little less stiff than my thicker blades, though probably mitigated by the fact it is a little 5/8 blade and the old TI 'silver steel' is very stiff.
This is a better result than the last time I shaved with this razor honed on a coticule alone. I didn't cut a new bevel last time or this time, so either it was the effect of a second time on the coticule, or maybe it was the better strop, which I think came along after the first try. I'm strongly tempted to see if I can get the same result with a thicker grind, and I suppose it would make sense to try a 5/8 SuperGnome half hollow, then maybe the 6/8 version, which would keep the steel the same. (I'm assuming, perhaps wrongly, that the 6/8 SuperGnomes came out before TI changed their steel.)
I've always had the feeling that some steels and some grinds just get on better with certain hones. Maybe I was lucky in picking that razor for this experiment back in 2020. I probably should start experimenting again...
Chris