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Honer Improvement Pass around

Great write up Tony @OpusX! You mentioned balancing out after your bevel set. Can you explain that?

BTW, I’m a big Method edge fan. When followed up with Diamond paste, you get a hyper sharp very smooth edge. I don’t have the paste, but have tried some edges from @Slash McCoy, in a pass around he had. Those edges are phenomenal.
 
@MilkCrate after I get the second side bevel set, I start to run the same push/draw sets in a reduction before I get to the spine forward balanced laps.

So lets say we have the the bevel on side two with 30 laps, now I flip it over and run 10-12 per side, then 5-6, then 2-3, then 1 each, and move into the standard progression. It just seemed to my mind as a way to ease into the balanced edge, and make sure things are setting up well. It has worked for me so far.
 
Thanks for putting the info in there, Tony. That is a solid and methodical honing progression, and lapping film is great. The best edges I've achieved so far have been on lapping film. If I didn't enjoy learning and prefer the permanence of natural stones I'd probably use it exclusively.
 
I made time today to hone up the Reynolds razor. It was honed on a Naniwa 1k, 5k, 8k & 12k progression. And then taken to the Black Ark for final polishing. Then wrapped it up with 40 strokes on the leather. This will be shipped out on Monday to have Eric evaluate the edge for me.

Eric, ignore the patina on this razor. I got this one out of the Mystery Box pass around and honed it to see how it shaved. I don’t have a buffing setup yet and was too lazy to hand polish.
 
MilkCrate said:
I made time today to hone up the Reynolds razor. It was honed on a Naniwa 1k, 5k, 8k & 12k progression. And then taken to the Black Ark for final polishing. Then wrapped it up with 40 strokes on the leather. This will be shipped out on Monday to have Eric evaluate the edge for me.

Eric, ignore the patina on this razor. I got this one out of the Mystery Box pass around and honed it to see how it shaved. I don’t have a buffing setup yet and was too lazy to hand polish.
Click to expand...
That just adds character to the razor. There are a few that I have purposely left some tarnish on because I thought it looked good that way.
 
OpusX said:
Alrighty, so lengthy intro time. TL:DR, this noob uses films only and likes them.

I am quite the super noob to honing. My first ever foray into straight razors was this January, when I decided to go head first and snag a razor off the local craigslist. The razor came complete with a chip in it, so I got to not just learn to hone but actually reprofile an edge. Since then I have honed from zero, 10 razors, with one of those being an epic failure due to some very odd geometry.

My setup is currently 100% paper/films, and I feel it has done me very well. I have followed "The Method" in my honing (aka set a burr on one side, set on the other, and start to balance it out), with very acceptable results, though I know nothing different.

With the film progression I utilize any where from 250-1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, and then 1800/4k/8k/14k/60k lapping films. I have dedicated 4"x12" tiles from Lowes for each film, and directly adhere them to these tiles, and use simple hydrostatic pressure for the sandpapers. I added some rubber bands to the sand papers to help prevent edge curling, and then added them to all tiles to help with stacking when finished (it prevents the abrasive surfaces from touching the tile stacked above).

View attachment 49537

Let talk about the pass razor. I snagged a brand new Gold Dollar P81 aka 1996, from a prime online retailer. I received it with generous coating of machine oil all over it, which was clean off easy enough. The initial edge was better than the 66 I have, but not surprising now where near "shave ready". I butter knifed it on the back of one of my honing tiles and then set to work.

To set the burr I typically utilize a push/draw stroke (see gif) until things feel right when testing the burr. While doing this initial set I do like to use marker to see where things are hitting. For this razor I started at 1000 as it seemed pretty geometrically correct.

View attachment 49538

View attachment 49541

After ten passes I checked the marker and noticed the toe wasn't hitting perfectly, so I added in a few X-passes/windshield wiper passes in the set, which cleaned things up. I made sure to add a few of these in in all subsequent sets in the progression. I also noticed a small ding in the heel of this blade, and felt at the end of 1k balanced laps that it would be worked out by the end of the full progression.

View attachment 49539

On each film I did an initial set of laps, and then checked on the edge and chip. Most had a follow up that made me feel satisfied with what could be done at that grit. Total time was probably 90 minutes until I felt it was ready for the strop. Just to check my work I actually lathered my check and ran a single XTG pass, which said to me "yeah I would shave with this". Dried her off did a final few strop laps, packed it up and sent it off. Can't wait for the feedback from @uacowboy

View attachment 49540

------Full Count of Laps per film-------
-1k Burr Set = 30-ish total draw/push passes per side (yes "ish" lost count while finding the feel on this)
-1k = 60 initial laps, 50 follow up == 110 total
-1800 = 60 initial laps, 30 follow up == 90 total
-8k = 60 initial laps, 20 follow up == 80 total
-14k == 100 laps total
-60k == 100 laps total
-Cowhide Strop == 50 laps total (10 laps after testing)
Click to expand...

Shave 1

Ok Tony, used your razor this morning. Other kit used was the Hombres soap and tonic from CBL and the Sorrentino red/green/black resin brush. I did my standard 2 hybrid passes and then cleanup shave. I went ahead and stropped 15 on webbing and 50 on leather, as is my normal process.

Overall you put a decent edge on it. It took down 2 days of growth on the 1st pass. It could have been sharper as it did had a little trouble when it hit some denser areas and occasionally it would feel like it pulled a hair rather than cut it cleanly. The second pass and cleanup were a little rougher feeling but nothing horrible. It was not at all a harsh feeling edge during the shave but my face did have some minor irritation after the shave, mostly just the areas requiring cleanup passes. The shave ended up a solid DFS+.

Shave 2

So second shave happened on Sunday morning, just never had the chance to sit down and get the writeup done.

I kept the same soap, though i decided to add a bit more water to it for some extra slickness. overall, the second shave felt very similar to the first, maybe a tad rougher, but that could be from the shorter stubble just not getting as softened as the previous shave's 2 day growth removal. I always feel like my whiskers soften better/easier if i skip 1 or more shaves so that wasn't a big surprise.



The edge you put on the razor was for sure a good shave ready edge, and very good for the limited experience you have honing so far. I think you got a solid bevel set along the entire edge and I can tell you worked it up through a high grit finish as it is very smooth/not harsh. It could be a little sharper, and my guess from looking at the bevel is that you may still be getting a feel for the pressure and keeping that consistent during the process. That is just one of those things that takes time and repetition. You are definitely heading in a good direction with your process in my opinion.

Great job Tony!
 
Ok Got my razor that will be sent off to Tony ready to go last night and it passed the test shave for me this morning. Here is my process currently.
20210329_203434.jpg
I started with a butterknifed edge and then built up a pretty thick slurry on the Belgian Blue stone with a purple welsh slate slurry stone.
from there i followed a series of 50 laps, back and forth, edge leading x strokes. at that point i rinsed the razor and gave the hone a couple light spritzes with a spray bottle and then another 50 laps. i followed that until i was working with water only on the stone, about 5 rounds. i tested the edge on the back of my hand and it was easily shaving hairs along the full edge. Bevel set complete.

Next i moved to the Coticule, built a slurry with a coticule slurry stone, and then followed pretty much the same process but with about 30-40 laps per round. Also about 5 rounds with the last being water only.

The final stone is a mystery stone that i got several years ago from a member of another forum. I know he found it on Haida Gwaii and processed it himself. It has been a great finisher for me.

For this stone i start with Smith's Honing solution and then follow the same dilution process with water with rounds of 25 laps. after a final round with water only i then move to honing under a slow trickle of water until the razor "sticks" to the hone.

From there it was 25 laps on a webbing strop and 100 laps on leather and a test shave.

I'll be giving it another 10 on webbing and 30 on leather before i wipe it down and pack it up to ship out tomorrow.
 
uacowboy said:
The edge you put on the razor was for sure a good shave ready edge, and very good for the limited experience you have honing so far. I think you got a solid bevel set along the entire edge and I can tell you worked it up through a high grit finish as it is very smooth/not harsh. It could be a little sharper, and my guess from looking at the bevel is that you may still be getting a feel for the pressure and keeping that consistent during the process. That is just one of those things that takes time and repetition. You are definitely heading in a good direction with your process in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the good feedback. I had attributed some of your observations, of which I have also encountered on a few of my razors, more to my technique in the shave. Good to have some outside and honest feedback.

Looking forward to testing out the razor you are sending for sure.
 
Quick question. Would having a Loupe be helpful while learning to hone?

Second Question.. should I use something higher grit than 12u film to set the bevel?

I have a lot more question..... I just don’t know what they are yet. Lol
 
@DeepSea yes, a loupe is very handy in examining your edges.

I also bought a pocket microscope and I tend to lean on that one more. I’ll find the link and post it for ya.
 
I saw harbor freight has a set of loupes for like $4. Might pick some up later since they’re in stock. Can’t hurt to try for a couple bucks.

BA7D2C3F-CD97-4896-9C97-386FB046578D.jpeg
 
I received Eric’s second razor yesterday afternoon. Here are the details from today’s shave.

TLDR- A much better edge on this razor. It is smooth and sharp, but could be a just a touch smoother to reach buttery goodness.

Razor: Bauer SR
Blade: none
Brush: Simpson Berkley
Soap: Stirling Executive Man
AS: Stirling Executive Man

The Details:
For those that are detail oriented, you read that right ... no strop today. The only other change of the kit was the razor. I am testing an edge that Eric put on this razor and I wanted to try it before I took it to the leather.

I stayed with my regular shaving routine and it went very well. The razor was smooth and sharp. This edge delivered a much better performance than the last edge I tested. This one glided along laying waste to everything in its path without a hint of tugging or irritation. I was focused on the razor, but really enjoyed the shave. The first shave on the original edge left me DFS with some irritation. With this edge, I am BBS for the win! That’s right friends and neighbors. If I were to make a criticism, it would be that the edge could be just a touch smoother. It is smooth, but I think a bump would put it into buttery smooth territory. A great shave with a very nice edge. Life is good!
 
I received my return package from @uacowboy. It contained a new to me razor and my re-honed GD P81. I decided to use the new arrival, Emil Jansen, first.

Upon inspection I noticed the spine on the Jansen shows quite a bit of hone wear and that based on such wear this blade has a bit of uneven geometry. The edge looks even and polished without any issues, so kudos to Kyle for working that out already.

To stay on theme I also chose Hombres soap and tonic for this shave. I also decided to abstain from stropping on this round to try the edge as is.

My WTG pass on my cheeks was quite smooth. The edge presents almost soft and doesn’t feel as if it is looking to bite you. While shaving my neck it did show a slight tendency to skip of tug a bit, not too dissimilar to my experiences with some of my razors. Based on Kyles feedback on my edge this indicates to me it could be just a touch sharper. No real issues were presented, and things moved along well.

The ATG pass for me is always a good check on things, especially the upper lip, which shaved quite well. Again this showed a bit of skip or tug, but this seems to happen for me with any razor (sans a DE) on this area, but what was important is that I didn’t have to give up on it and use an SE/DE for cleanup. The razor was more than sharp enough, and smooth enough, to allow for me to not have serious irritation and to complete that section. Good job so far.

I most enjoy the XTG cleanup pass, to try and get that BBS. The windshield wiper check passes were very easy and gentle. Even my under chin enjoyed the glassy touch of this blade. I found that I just couldn’t quite get the last of my under chin super smooth without what I felt would be a bit too much pressure, so it was left just shy of BBS, ending DFS+.

Overall this was a good edge for me. It presents soft, almost gentle, allowing for ease of use, but seems like it could have a touch more to the sharpness. Nothing wrong with this at all and certainly a nice shaver. Thank you for letting my give it a whirl Kyle.


1617814731400.png
 
Shave Count (DE: 471 SE: 9 SR: 668)

Pre Shave-
Strop: Tony Miller Plain Vanilla
Scuttle: none
Splash and go

Shave-
Razor: Bauer SR
Blade: none
Brush: Simpson Berkley
Soap: Stirling Executive Man

Post Shave-
Post shave lather
AS: Stirling Executive Man

The Details:
Same setup today so no pic for you. I kept the same kit today for a second shave on this razor. The only change for today was that I did strop the razor.

10 laps on cotton and 40 on leather. I went with my standard three passes of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. Another very nice shave and I am once again BBS for the win! Eric, you have got the sharp down my friend. Another easy peasy shave that was comfortable and smooth. Once again, no irritation either. If you can push the smooth just a touch, you are there.

One thing I didn’t mention yesterday. The longevity of the shave was outstanding. I couldn’t believe how long I stayed BBS. Once again, very nice work Eric!
 
Time to try out the re-hone from @uacowby on the Gold Dollar P81. SOTD setup here.

I have another of these razors, that I originally purchased from SlashMcCoy so I had an external point of reference as I started SR shaving. I make this point not to compare edges, but to say I am familiar with the razor style and have previously found it a great shaver.

Lets get right down too it, as soon as I started my first pass I knew this wasn’t as soft and smooth as the Emil Jansen. Not sure why, but the edge certainly let me know it was there without drawing blood. Despite this, it appeared quite sharp, and skipped less than the Jansen when shaving my neck on the WTG pass.

ATG showed more feedback regarding the acute nature of this blade, especially on the upper lip, but even with feeling like it was providing some irritation, it shaved without major issue.

The final XTG pass did a good job cleaning up with a bit of skipping on the jaw line, making me feel what I perceived as the heat of irritation occurring, but leaving things relatively smooth.

Finishing up I used straight witch hazel and then alum to gauge the bite this may have left. Surprisingly it was only a bit of a tingle and not the forest fire I thought might erupt. Impressive. I was a bit light handed with this one due to the more aggressive feel leaving me DFS+, but I don’t see why it couldn’t have been BBS now knowing I could have pushed it a bit more.

Overall, I’m not sure what is different on this one from a process perspective. It is certainly more aggressive or “hot” while shaving. It did let me know the edge was there and ready to bite, unlike the buttery edge of the Jansen. I found the GD to be sharper as well, more than likely contributing to the perception of “heat”. I would have no problem shaving with this again.

20210407_070337-jpg.50480
 
Yesterday’s Shave
The Deets-

Early morning shave and I had my Solingen back in the house. Gerry was kind enough to put a Coti edge on it before sending it my way. The edge was smooth, but I could tell during the first pass that it needs to be sharper for my taste. Went with my standard three pass shave and walked away DFS for the win! I’ll take that any day. The edge did skip a bit on my neck, but I don’t know if that was the edge or my sore arm from Rona shot #1. So we won’t count that one this shave. It’s a good edge, but I’m curious if it could be a great edge.

45D01BD1-8553-47F8-97F4-836968251D6A.jpegToday’s Shave
The Deets:

So ... nice late morning shave today. And as you can see, I had Duc De Santal back on deck. I used this soap for my first test of Eric’s edges and the shave left a bit to be desired. So this was a redemption shave.

I went with my standard three passes of WTG, XTG and ATG with no drama to report. That was a very nice shave and I am BBS for the win! Oh yeah! Wrapped everything up with a quick rinse and pat dry. A splash of the aftershave and everything was right as rain! Yes it was!

Then we had an incident. So I was cleaning things up and wiped the razor down with my shaving towel. I typically do this without incident, but today it went sideways. I guess my fingers were a bit misplaced and I sliced through the towel and into my finger. My poor towel took a laceration to the midsection ... oh my. I didn’t cut myself too bad. More of a paper cut without fluid loss. I hope I didn’t trash the edge.
 
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