matis said:
Yesterday I spent over half an hour on my
n[sup]o[/sup] 25... - all I got was a spine wear, dammit. I started to play with hybrid slurry, but seeing it yields no results whatsoever I switched to regular Coticule slurry, and still I couldn't even get the properly shaving bevel... I gave up and just put everything away not to wear the gear any longer. Is this just my lack of experience or everyone experiences it from time to time (I bet it's the 1[sup]st[/sup], to be honest
: )?
I think your problem is lack of experience. I'm going to tell you a story that I may have told before.
Every once in a while I get a question about sharpening razors, by someone who lives within car traveling distance. I usually invite him over at my home, because I have found that I can teach more in a couple of hours at home, than by spending a multitude of that time answering e-mails. When the lesson starts, I put my stereoscope on the kitchen table, and start working on the dullest razor that the person brought with him, preferably some piece won on Ebay, that already cost the new owner serious frustration.
The first thing I explain is that, no matter the hone used, nothing will truly happen at the very edge before the razor has flat bevel faces that are fully developed. Often they
know that already, but that does not mean they also
realize it.
[img=400]http://www.coticule.be/tl_files/barts_pics/steel_removal-cuting_bevel.jpg[/img]
With the scope you can very clearly see how the "sandblasted" pattern, left by the Coticule, slowly grows, starting from the bevel boundary. It often happens on razors with bevel completely out of wack, that it takes me 15 minutes and it's still not done. If I were on my own, I would go get my 600 grit DMT at that point. But almost without exception, the "student" (if I'm entitled to use that word) takes another look at the scope and declares that the work is nearly done. They see 3/4 of the bevel width covered with the Coticule pattern. Only 1/4 to go. Let's do math: 3/4x=15min. => x=(15min*4)/3=20min. Hence, only 5 minutes left to complete the bevel. Right?
Wrong.
The "worn" bevel is always the most rounded near the very edge, hence we need to plow deeper to get that final part flat. But not only do we need to remove a thicker layer of steel, we need to remove that layer
from the entire surface already done. Conclusion: we might still have the bulk of the work ahead of us... As I said, many know, few realize.
I have known to spend over an hour on a fast Coticule to set a bevel, granted, that was before I used pressured halfstrokes. People will tell you that you should do that kind of work on a 1K hone, but I guarantee you that you'll experience the same, because that one isn't necessarily faster than a Coticule with slurry. When the 1K takes to long, they'll attribute it to the steel of the razor, certainly when there are myths supporting that claim, like the so-called resistance of stainless steel against abrasion. Or the reputation of certain brands of Sheffield razors, not surprisingly wedge-types.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have a razor in service. It has a flat bevel. You have been shaving with it for quite some time, done a few touch-ups on the Coticule, and now you decided that it 's in need of a full honing. There will be no, or almost no, convexity in the shape of the bevel. There's only some structural micro-damage at the very edge, caused by impact with literally millions of beard hairs. You might dull on glass, and by the time you're back at shaving arm hair level, the structural micro-damage is gone as well. You know that will not take you much longer than a couple of minutes to achieve. If not, something is very wrong with your honing stroke.
If your razor was maintained with pasted stropping, the bevel condition would be anywhere between those extremes I've described here.
It is all a matter of being able to assess what the razor needs, and the confidence that you are capable of dealing with it. Too many people don't look at the razor. I mean: they see it, but they don't really look.
In other words, you've stated that you spend over half an hour at the hones, but what you didn't state is what the razor needed.
Something tells me you didn't really made that assessment. (Please correct me if I'm wrong). If it means anything, I never hone on a razor without forming a good idea what I'm looking at.
Magnification helps, but a good light source can tell a lot as well. Just make it shine over your shoulder while you hold the razor, edge facing up, in front of you. Twist and turn, allow the light to reflect of the bevel into your eyes. A good bevel does that only at one angle. Twist it by the smallest amount, and the reflection no longer hits your eyes. A round bevel, shatters the light in many directions. A partial bevel shows both conditions: a reflection adjacent to the bevel boundary that shines in one direction, and a part near the very edge that doesn't.
If the razor has no completely flat bevel, stay at it. Use a coarser hone, if it takes too long, or do it on the Coticule, if you like the calming effect of a honing session. Do check often. Tape the spine, if you worry about wear (I almost never do that). Keep an eye on the edge curve. Remember that the next complete bevel never lies past the current apex of the razor (unless the razor has a convex bevel, but that is extremely unlikely). If a part stays behind, don't be afraid to place your finger on it.
matis said:
BTW, I noticed that I'm getting more consistent results with my
n[sup]o[/sup] 14. I guess I screw up something with the stroke on the n[sup]
o[/sup] 25, especially its narrow end. >Sigh< That brings back Ralfy's wise words I read about sending all other hones far away to someone you trust... And you guys ask me how
this stone performs?
Keep the narrow end of that hone pointing towards you. It will be easier.
Kind regards,
Bart.
