wdwrx
Well-Known Member
On proof reading this post, I noticed that it's more of a blog (or rant) than anything, so please read it with a bit of patience for a noob's enthutiasim
I took a Joseph Haywood to my coti tonight. One I'd previously honed it on synthetics, to a modestly sharp edge using one layer of tape, and promptly forgot about.
So this time, re-setting the bevel to it's new tapeless state, with a fairly heavy slurry, I banged off a bunch of half strokes with a bit of pressure. But I was noticing a funny thing. As I went, the vibrations and draw were changing. The blade's travel across the hone seemed to become easier, smoother in parts. Some areas of the blade seemed to feel "catchy", or less smooth than other areas. So I flipped the hone end for end, thinking it might be a different area of the stone causing this sensation, but didn't see any difference.
At about that point, I started checking for SAH, and found a few good areas, and a few spots that weren't quite there yet. So back to the slurry and half strokes.
With a bit more work, the SAH passed over most of the length of the blade. But at that point, almost the entire blade had smoothed out over the hone. Didn't matter which way I held the hone it was smooth the entire way.
At this point, I was starting to get a glimmer of what might be going on and I really started to pay attention. A few strokes showed just the faintest change in feel near the tip. So I focused a little on that area, some circles, a little bit of finger pressure, and that little area started to smooth out too. And started shaving arm hair.
I figured it was time to move onto the dulicot stage. I refreshed the slurry again, and started with lighter strokes. But I noticed that that abrasive feel was back again. A little fainter, but still noticeable. And it was fading as I went. Some areas on the blade showed a little more of that strange catchiness than others, so I applied a little more attention to that area, until it went away. Even on moderate slurry, it started to feel like the hone got glassy. As soon as I'd dilute a bit, the grittyness came back. No fresh slurry, just a bit of water, but a whole new feeling to the hone. More abrasive feeling, but slightly less than before. Again, things would smooth out, some areas sooner rather than later. Some more half strokes, a few light circles, even a few 1/2 rolling-swaying-X strokes to get at that stubborn tip. Even a few tip leading strokes.
I imagine you all know where this is going; 'round about here, the light came on! I continued in that way right to the very end. Only diluting after the entire edge felt like it was on a glass hone. Wasn't counting strokes at all. No routine. Just whatever stroke seem needed. Every stage I made showed this re-iteration of grittyness to glass-smooth transition. Even under running water, it started gritty again, but smoothed out.
So as i think about what the hell point I'm trying to make, the only way I can think to sum it up is to say that I expected the stone to feel like it was grinding something away. I was not expecting it to feel like it wasn't. I certainly did not expect the stone with a fairly thick slurry to feel smooth. I was also surprised that simply adding water would create a real noticeable change in the stone. I'm not sure what changed this time, why things seemed so fundamentally different. Before i even hit the strops, i just knew this was going to be a killer edge.
I thought I knew what was going on, I mean, I've read about this alot, I thought I had a handle on what was happening, but I'd never really felt it and put it together this way before. This time it was different. I was just going through the motions before, and getting a pretty good edge, thinking I knew what I was doing, but not like this. Every time I use this hone, I learn something.
I feel like a bit of a dummy: why hadn't I noticed these things before? I've been working pretty hard at getting this honing thing down, and I've used a fair selection of hones, and honed a handful of razor a few times each now on this coti alone, and gotten a couple of decent edges, but I've never experienced the depth of feedback and tactile sensation as I did tonight with this razor and my Belgian Razor Hone... I've come out to the other side, and finally understand Bart's signature.
:
Thanks for taking the time to read this giant post, and i hope I haven't bored you all.
Cheers!
-Chris
I took a Joseph Haywood to my coti tonight. One I'd previously honed it on synthetics, to a modestly sharp edge using one layer of tape, and promptly forgot about.
So this time, re-setting the bevel to it's new tapeless state, with a fairly heavy slurry, I banged off a bunch of half strokes with a bit of pressure. But I was noticing a funny thing. As I went, the vibrations and draw were changing. The blade's travel across the hone seemed to become easier, smoother in parts. Some areas of the blade seemed to feel "catchy", or less smooth than other areas. So I flipped the hone end for end, thinking it might be a different area of the stone causing this sensation, but didn't see any difference.
At about that point, I started checking for SAH, and found a few good areas, and a few spots that weren't quite there yet. So back to the slurry and half strokes.
With a bit more work, the SAH passed over most of the length of the blade. But at that point, almost the entire blade had smoothed out over the hone. Didn't matter which way I held the hone it was smooth the entire way.
At this point, I was starting to get a glimmer of what might be going on and I really started to pay attention. A few strokes showed just the faintest change in feel near the tip. So I focused a little on that area, some circles, a little bit of finger pressure, and that little area started to smooth out too. And started shaving arm hair.
I figured it was time to move onto the dulicot stage. I refreshed the slurry again, and started with lighter strokes. But I noticed that that abrasive feel was back again. A little fainter, but still noticeable. And it was fading as I went. Some areas on the blade showed a little more of that strange catchiness than others, so I applied a little more attention to that area, until it went away. Even on moderate slurry, it started to feel like the hone got glassy. As soon as I'd dilute a bit, the grittyness came back. No fresh slurry, just a bit of water, but a whole new feeling to the hone. More abrasive feeling, but slightly less than before. Again, things would smooth out, some areas sooner rather than later. Some more half strokes, a few light circles, even a few 1/2 rolling-swaying-X strokes to get at that stubborn tip. Even a few tip leading strokes.
I imagine you all know where this is going; 'round about here, the light came on! I continued in that way right to the very end. Only diluting after the entire edge felt like it was on a glass hone. Wasn't counting strokes at all. No routine. Just whatever stroke seem needed. Every stage I made showed this re-iteration of grittyness to glass-smooth transition. Even under running water, it started gritty again, but smoothed out.
So as i think about what the hell point I'm trying to make, the only way I can think to sum it up is to say that I expected the stone to feel like it was grinding something away. I was not expecting it to feel like it wasn't. I certainly did not expect the stone with a fairly thick slurry to feel smooth. I was also surprised that simply adding water would create a real noticeable change in the stone. I'm not sure what changed this time, why things seemed so fundamentally different. Before i even hit the strops, i just knew this was going to be a killer edge.
I thought I knew what was going on, I mean, I've read about this alot, I thought I had a handle on what was happening, but I'd never really felt it and put it together this way before. This time it was different. I was just going through the motions before, and getting a pretty good edge, thinking I knew what I was doing, but not like this. Every time I use this hone, I learn something.
I feel like a bit of a dummy: why hadn't I noticed these things before? I've been working pretty hard at getting this honing thing down, and I've used a fair selection of hones, and honed a handful of razor a few times each now on this coti alone, and gotten a couple of decent edges, but I've never experienced the depth of feedback and tactile sensation as I did tonight with this razor and my Belgian Razor Hone... I've come out to the other side, and finally understand Bart's signature.

Thanks for taking the time to read this giant post, and i hope I haven't bored you all.
Cheers!
-Chris