What Did You Hone Today?

[drmoss_ca]

Next shave will be a unique Honduran rosewood-scaled 9/8 Zowada in O1 steel. I asked for a giant Hart and I got one. It is a superb shaver, probably my best ever. The O1 steel takes a super sharp edge quite easily, but doesn't keep it as long as a Zowada damascus. You can shave for months with a TZ damascus, but for weeks with this. I don't mind doing a touch-up when needed so no problem.

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It looks like the blade is copper coated, but that's just the reflection of the wood ceiling in the bathroom.
Since I got out the Shapton Pro (now Kuromaku) 30k, I have been touching up using Lynn's technique of circle strokes with light pressure, circle strokes with no pressure, straight strokes with no pressure, and ending with x-strokes with no pressure. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXuIuNw6ZS4 for an outline. It is working very well for me.

[drmoss_ca]

Another O1 steel blade, this one also 62-64HRC, Robert Williams' "The Purist." An easy honer with consistent shaves.

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I'll wait till tomorrow to use it.

[drmoss_ca]

Today's razor on the 30k is the mithril Wacker, 17/16 of silvery Damascus goodness. This razor has always been a pain to hone, so maybe this time will be the charm?

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[drmoss_ca]

Fail! It leaves stubble behind. So I went back a step to the Shapton Pro 15k, and then the 30k. If that doesn't do it I shall cut a new bevel and do the works.

[drmoss_ca]

Today was a bit better. I decided to start at 5k, then 8k, 15k and then 30k. Pretty as this razor is, it just doesn't seem to be as good a shaver as it looks. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

[drmoss_ca]

After some wondershaves with the TI damascus 5/8, I couldn't help myself from getting out its rarer big brother. The 8/8 limited edition of five razors.

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I could never hone this razor, and even sent it to Lynn Abrams (who said it took him a month to get his example shaveable), but I wasn't happy with it even them. In 2021 I see I got it sharp. I think that was with a Chosera 1k, coticule and black Arkansas. On taking it out today it does not feel sharp (I did make a comment in 2021 that it didn't feel sharp to a finger but it shaved well). So today I have had several goes at it:

1. Shapton Pro 30k - won't cut hair on the back of my hand.
2. Shapton Pro 5k, 8k, 15k, 30k - ditto.
3. Black Arkansas _ ditto repeato.
4. Spyderco UF - you can guess.
5. Chosera 1k, coticule and Shapton 30k. - Some of the blade, near the heel, will cut hair of my hand now.

I've had enough for today!

[drmoss_ca]

A week or so of shaves with the TI 5/8 damascus, and it continues to be wonderful. So now I turn my attention to the Livi damasteel razors. The first thing I tried was to use a balsa paddle treated with CrO2 (my diamond paste is buried somewhere in the attic, and it will be a while before the new order comes), using the unusual Japanese-style stroke I mentioned in the Japanese Wrinkle post. The edge felt very 'toothy' to my thumb, but sharper than it was before the CrO2. It shaved decently, but not exceptionally, pulling a little and generally being less than comfortable.

So, having not exposed it to the Shapton Pro 30k, I did that today. Usual circle, straight and then x-strokes. Stropped and shaved, which went as well as this Livi ever has. Not as sharp and close as the TI damascus, but very near it. Quite comfortable, and no sting with the lavender water.

In a little while some 0.5µ diamond spray will arrive. I'll see if it adds anything, but I don't know if it will.

[drmoss_ca]

Touched up the Pierre Thiers Historical Edition. Made by PT himself and all hand forged, it looks like a much older razor than it's date of manufacture (probably 1880s).

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[drmoss_ca]

I returned to the very first straight razors I ever bought, back in 2004. A pair of Dovo En Vogue stainless faux damascus 5/8 with Pakkawood handles. Earlier in this thread I reported how I could never get them sharp, due to a lethal combination of inexperience and a horrible soft white Arkansas stone. Sixteen years later I got them to a decent state with a coticule and the black Arkansas, so what would happen if I finished them with the 30k?
The black scaled razor remains the sharper of the two, but today's shave with the cream scaled example was really close and effortless. I'll use the black one next. I have had success with Friodur and Livi stainless razors, but have otherwise avoided them, perhaps unfairly. As I say, I'm still learning!

[drmoss_ca]

The 0.5µ diamond spray turned up today. Ten passes (round trips) and stropped. Shave seemed just like usual, but less sting with aftershave, so it must have done something, unless all the alcohol has evaporated from the Trumper Marlborough!

[drmoss_ca]

The Suehiro Gokumyo 20k and the Shapton Pro 30k are said to be the same grit, and that Shapton overstates the fineness of their grits. They are very different stones, with a lot more feedback from the Shapton. The SG20 is like honing on an Arkansas. Now if they are the same, which might be better? So I took two known good razors from the same manufacturer (shanks stamper differently according to the barber shop that sold them under their own name). One I finished on the 30k, and one on the 20k. The former shaved far better, but maybe it is simply a better blade? Tomorrow I should reverse the process and repeat the half-and-half shave. If the same razor wins it is a blade difference and not a hone difference. If the opposite razor wins it ought to be the hones. But to be sure, I could then take either razor and hone then shave with it both ways, 20k and 30k.

[drmoss_ca]

I have now finished both razors on the hone that was not used last time, ie the sharper one has been refinished on the 20k, and the less sharp on the 30k. Feeling the edges, I get the impression the sharper one is still sharper, suggesting it simply is a better blade. We'll see what the shave says. Perhaps I will be able to detect if either has improved or worsened since yesterday.

[drmoss_ca]

The same razor is still the sharper of the two, and this time it was finished on the 20k. It must simply be easier to hone, better grind or something. So I have reached no obvious conclusion, and for now I'd say pick whichever finisher you want!
Both razors shaved very closely, but the sharper one passed through the stubble with a tad less effort, and on my most difficult patch (to the right of my larynx, where the hair grows out horizontally towards the side of my neck), it could remove a bit of stubble the other razor left behind during the first, downwards pass.

[drmoss_ca]

The eternal optimist, I took the Wacker damascus back to the 30k and then to a paddle strop with 0.5µ diamond spray, then the linen, suede and Cordovan Kanayamas. The edge doesn't feel as fine to my thumb as the TI, but it does cut a hanging hair. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

[drmoss_ca]

It shaved, but not closely. I have repeated the diamond spray and it does feel better now. Will try again next shave.

[drmoss_ca]

The Wacker remains functional, but not among the best. I've been back using the TI damascus and a TZ 6/8 damascus, which cuts everything in couple of effortless swipes. (That probably why it cut me when the phone rang and made me jump yesterday.)
I have been altering my Kanayama usage to 30 back & forth passes on the linen after shaving, cleaning and drying the blade (as before), and before shaving 20 back and forth passes on the suede (ditto), followed by another 20 on the cordovan. I always thought the suede did most of the work, but the cordovan is certainly making the edge sharper.

[drmoss_ca]

The TI damascus came out of the display case today, and got taken through the Shapton Pros 2k, 5k, 8k, 25k, 30k. Circles with slight pressure, then with no pressure, then straight strokes and finally x-strokes. The x-strokes matter a lot for this razor as it has a slight warp and the concave side of the blade won't touch the stone in the middle unless I do careful x-strokes. But when you manage to get it right, it is lovely. Wish it had better QC in the grinding though!