Naniwa hones
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:28 am
Since I have a new Hart 7/8, I knew I would spend the morning improving it. Harts come sharper than any other brand of razor, but that doesn't mean they can't be taken a little further. I also had to touch up my everyday Friodur and since I have noticed that Friodurs like the naniwas I decided to get them up from the basement and use them instead of my set of Shapton Professionals. I don't know quite why this happens, but a razor taken through the Naniwas one after another ends up with a beautiful edge. Mix them with other hones and you don't seem to get the same results. I daresay a really good microscope could help sort that out. Usually I hone with some arcane recipe of X strokes, but haven't done circles since I found I had to when desperate to get edges on those wretched stainless faux damascus Dovo razors back about ten years ago. I understand that Lynn Abrams has pronounced it a kosher honing method so I thought I'd entertain myself by doing both razors this way, on the Naniwas.
As always I used a Shapton lapping plate to clean up the hones (also good for making slurry when doing bevels with 1k and 2k hones), then followed Lynn's approved circle method, but stopped at all the hones rather than skipping. Since each razor needed only touching up I didn't bother with the coarser hones, but went 3k, 5k, 8k, 10k and then 12k.
3k: 40 circles with pressure each way, then 25 x strokes.
5k: 40 circles with pressure, and 40 without any, then 25 x strokes with no pressure
8k: 25 x strokes, no pressure
10k: 25 x strokes no pressure
12k: 25 x strokes no pressure
Then 10 laps on a chrome strop, canvas and leather strops.
Both feel as if they have excellent edges. Now my problem is which to use tomorrow!
I discovered I already had a 7/8 Hart in a drawer (definitely too many razors) so here are both of them:
Faint scratches on this side:
Nastier ones on this:
Here are the others, all 6/8:
I have never subscribed to the rumour that Harts are hit and miss. It seems I have nine of them now, and nothing wrong with any of them till these scratches. At least they are easily fixed. I'll polish with diamond paste and they'll soon be gone.
Chris
As always I used a Shapton lapping plate to clean up the hones (also good for making slurry when doing bevels with 1k and 2k hones), then followed Lynn's approved circle method, but stopped at all the hones rather than skipping. Since each razor needed only touching up I didn't bother with the coarser hones, but went 3k, 5k, 8k, 10k and then 12k.
3k: 40 circles with pressure each way, then 25 x strokes.
5k: 40 circles with pressure, and 40 without any, then 25 x strokes with no pressure
8k: 25 x strokes, no pressure
10k: 25 x strokes no pressure
12k: 25 x strokes no pressure
Then 10 laps on a chrome strop, canvas and leather strops.
Both feel as if they have excellent edges. Now my problem is which to use tomorrow!
I discovered I already had a 7/8 Hart in a drawer (definitely too many razors) so here are both of them:
Faint scratches on this side:
Nastier ones on this:
Here are the others, all 6/8:
I have never subscribed to the rumour that Harts are hit and miss. It seems I have nine of them now, and nothing wrong with any of them till these scratches. At least they are easily fixed. I'll polish with diamond paste and they'll soon be gone.
Chris