Section 7 - 10, Dovo Tortoise Special Hone Comparison/Results....

[joel]

Joel,

Thanks for the response. My other hone is swaby. What should I add next, a medium spyderco or a paddle with paste as a work up tool.

I'd go with the 8K DMT plate. It's a fine grit hone, and cuts very, very quickly. Some of my "problem" razors have gotten the DMT 8K treatment, and in no time, are now superb shavers.

Craftsmanstudio is a great place to pick up the most reasonably priced hones, with amazing customer service.

Hope this helps!

 

[gglockner]

Joel, by far the best hone comparison I have ever read. I sure don't know where you find all the spare time to do all of this, but you really have set the bar way up there. Knowing that even similar razors will have different results and our results may very from yours, this is an eye opening unbiased comparison. Thanks for all of your recent work making this even a greater forum than it already was.

Glen

 

[CloseShave]

I'd go with the 8K DMT plate. It's a fine grit hone, and cuts very, very quickly. Some of my "problem" razors have gotten the DMT 8K treatment, and in no time, are now superb shavers.

Thanks, I checked out the site. I think that you were referring to the 25 micron version listed as fine. I bought of couple of used Dovos that are recent vintage and should have been honed already. The razors should be arriving this week. Hopefully, the uf will be adequate to get them to my expectations. If not, I will pick up the DMT.

 

[joel]

Thanks, I checked out the site. I think that you were referring to the 25 micron version listed as fine. I bought of couple of used Dovos that are recent vintage and should have been honed already. The razors should be arriving this week. Hopefully, the uf will be adequate to get them to my expectations. If not, I will pick up the DMT.

No, I am referring to the 8,000 grit - 3 micron version.

 

[CloseShave]

Joel,

Tried newsprint stropping this morning on a vintage geneva cutlery blade that I had finished with the spyderco uf. The edge was sharp and very comfortable. It gave me an irritation free BBS shave. I shave WTG, ATG and XTG with stropping in-btween passes. Shaving the chin and upper lip was as easy as it could be.

Thanks again for comprehesive review.

 

[2Sharp]

Received my CH 12 honed razor today. I will be trying it soon. It is beautiful.

bj

 

[daveesq]

I just received my coticule-honed razor about 5 minutes ago. She's a beaut, no doubt about it. I'm looking forward to my first shave with her; so much so, in fact, that I'm kinda pissed that I went really BBS this morning with my Vision. Oh well. I'll happily make the most of it tomorrow.

 

[Doc4]

Great info well presented ... kudos to Joel for taking on this project. No doubt some of our other long-time honers will have differing opinions (and here's to a healthy discussion of all that), but this is some great information.

Sticky indeed.

 

[TromboneGuy]

So, since I was a little embarrassed in the hone department (I have a hard Arkansas white pirated from my dad's stockpile and that's it) I just ordered a DMT 3 micron and a Chinese 12K.

Woo.

 

[joel]

So, since I was a little embarrassed in the hone department (I have a hard Arkansas white pirated from my dad's stockpile and that's it) I just ordered a DMT 3 micron and a Chinese 12K.

Woo.

Remember - you've gotta get something to flatten that Chinese 12K, which is a very long and arduous task.

 

[TromboneGuy]

I picked up a Norton lapping stone, too. Once I get the 12 k flat I can smooth it out briefly with some finer grit wet/dry. Or the DMT 3-micron, even.

 

[joel]

I picked up a Norton lapping stone, too. Once I get the 12 k flat I can smooth it out briefly with some finer grit wet/dry. Or the DMT 3-micron, even.

The DMT 3 micron isn't going to flatten a thing. It's smooth just plain metal - and is way too fine to smooth out a stone.

 

[TromboneGuy]

Gotcha. If I need something after the Norton stone I'll grab some wet/dry sandpaper - I've got plenty of extremely flat metal plates lying around (engraving equipment).

 

[Seraphim]

OK, maybe it's buried in there somewhere? But did you strop the razors after honing them on the different hones? Or did you shave straight off the hones?

And thanks for the great experiment!

 

[heavydutysg135]

OK, maybe it's buried in there somewhere? But did you strop the razors after honing them on the different hones? Or did you shave straight off the hones?

And thanks for the great experiment!

They were stropped after the hone and before the shave. Never shave right off the hone.

 

[netsurfr]

thanks for the great work, Joel.
As always, this is invaluable information for the newbiew and experienced alike!

 

[the wanderer]

Thanks for the great guide. Following your suggestion, I purchased the DMT D8EE. I don't have a lot of time to "work" on my brand new DOVO, because I'm a full-time student, but I'm getting there. I wanted to ask: I have an Illinois hanging strop, and would the green chromium oxide paste on the linen side be a good bridge from the DMT to the bare leather?

I would have gotten a paddle strop, but I'm completely tapped out for the next couple of months, so I'm pretty much stuck with one tube of whatever paste you'd recommend for the linen.

Thanks again.

 

[backpackerx]

Joel, I picked up a DMT 8EE 3 Micron today from Craftsman studios but am a bit confused. Here you recommend the DMT over the Norton because it cuts faster than the 4k and finer than the 8k and is cheaper to boot (not to mention is doesn't need lapping) but in the "what's recommended" section you recommend the Norton 4k/8k as the best starter. Just hoping I'm fine with the DMT 8EE as my only hone right now and will be finishing with paste.

 

[captianirish]

for the ".5 Micron Green Chromide" does one have to re apply the green chromide? or is it that once it is on the object such as basal wood does it stay there? please private message me. thank you

 

[Sputnik]

Joel,

In general, how many strokes on Chinese 12K did you go through? Thank you for a very nice write-up!