What I think is great is no naysayers have cropped up at all.
Lapping film, try it.
- Thread starter Blix
- Start date
that lapping film crap don't work... its all smoke and mirrors.. a fraud... a sham....
nothing works better than my cotieschethrurinslatium.... from 600grit out to 30k just by adjusting the amount of slurry on it......
and... the slurry tastes like strawberrys and cream....
nay
Mmmmmm, strawberries and cream...... I would buy that!
I'm not about to throw away a drawer full of stones, pastes, and strops, but I think the films are an easy to use and inexpensive introduction to honing that's tailor made for the newbie.
Most folks are probably reluctant to shell out a bundle on hones until they're sure that they will enjoy straight razors over the long haul. The films appear to be fairly cheap, and a sheet can be cut into approximately four 8"x3" pieces. This makes it easy to try a variety of grits without coughing up big bucks on stones. More importantly, the films strike me as being almost foolproof. It seems very simple to keep the blade on the film, and the action is smooth and easy. Hard to screw up, I would think.
The finest grit I tried was 1 micron, so I can't comment on performance at the ultra-fine level. Overall, I would think they're best suited for someone hoping to maintain a blade that's already in decent condition with a good bevel. Even if you're unwilling to attempt a traditional, full, bevel up honing, they should keep you going for quite some time.
Very interesting so far.
Most folks are probably reluctant to shell out a bundle on hones until they're sure that they will enjoy straight razors over the long haul. The films appear to be fairly cheap, and a sheet can be cut into approximately four 8"x3" pieces. This makes it easy to try a variety of grits without coughing up big bucks on stones. More importantly, the films strike me as being almost foolproof. It seems very simple to keep the blade on the film, and the action is smooth and easy. Hard to screw up, I would think.
The finest grit I tried was 1 micron, so I can't comment on performance at the ultra-fine level. Overall, I would think they're best suited for someone hoping to maintain a blade that's already in decent condition with a good bevel. Even if you're unwilling to attempt a traditional, full, bevel up honing, they should keep you going for quite some time.
Very interesting so far.
Now, to see if I can get the same results using my stones.
Arghh... how can 10 bucks worth of sandpaper have me jonesing for a 3 bill jnat?
Arghh... how can 10 bucks worth of sandpaper have me jonesing for a 3 bill jnat?
Well I have to say...I'm becoming more and more a fan of these.
I had a 7-day set of those old mechanical lock razors that come with 1 handle and 2 Heljestrand swedish framebacks to hone (bonus both had masonic etching that I haven't seen on any other).
9 razors and I set the bevel on them all with a chosera 1K. Not wanting to hone each on a coticule after and finish on an escher, I set up a little station using my frankonian stone as a base and progressed through the lapping films 9 um to 0.3 um. Overall time to completion from start was 2 hours. Not shabby at all considering the 7-day set was all near wedge razors.
Shaved with both the Heljestrands the other day, and oh my....outstanding edges.
Still won't replace my naturals, but when I have bulk honing to do I imagine I'll be reaching for these.
I had a 7-day set of those old mechanical lock razors that come with 1 handle and 2 Heljestrand swedish framebacks to hone (bonus both had masonic etching that I haven't seen on any other).
9 razors and I set the bevel on them all with a chosera 1K. Not wanting to hone each on a coticule after and finish on an escher, I set up a little station using my frankonian stone as a base and progressed through the lapping films 9 um to 0.3 um. Overall time to completion from start was 2 hours. Not shabby at all considering the 7-day set was all near wedge razors.
Shaved with both the Heljestrands the other day, and oh my....outstanding edges.
Still won't replace my naturals, but when I have bulk honing to do I imagine I'll be reaching for these.
Has anyone tried polishing razors with lapping film?
Yes, don't throw away used sheets of film. It is good for restorating work as well.
If there was a stone with that range from just slurry control then NO one would use anything else.
Sorry I'll be good now.
Lapping film rules.
Thanks.
This is indeed a great thread
ftfy
At least this one's cheap.
I'm a big fan of any strategy that serves to simplify and de-mystify the honing process. It's not an arcane art form that may only be practiced by shamans and enchanters using otherworldy devices and magical techniques. It's rubbing a piece of steel against a sharpening medium. Anyone can learn how to do it, much to the chagrin of the self-appointed honemeisters who claim to have have mastered the one true way.
What is traditional to some was once new fangled to others. This can go all the way back to some guy scraping fur off of a hide with a rock.
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Found this, not sure if it has already been posted or not, (haven't read through the entire 12 pages 
(up to 7 so far)), but I thought it was interesting and useful.
(up to 7 so far)), but I thought it was interesting and useful.| Yellow (12 micron) 1200 Grit | Blue (9 micron) 1800 Grit | |
Brown (5 micron) 4000 Grit Pink |-(3 micron) 8000 Grit | Light Green (1 micron) 14000 Grit Off White (.3 micron) 50,000 Grit | |
now that is a handy chart...... thank you for hunting that down...
Interesting... I found a chart by DMT and they claim that 9 micron equates to 1200 grit:
My first attempts at honing, some time ago, was tith a set of Nortons 1K, 4K, 8K, and Chosera 10K, that I already had. Couldn't even get it to shave arm hair.
Fat forward to now. I've now shaved with two razors I tokk from a "fine" diamond hone to set the bevel, to the lapping film, to CrOx/FeOx on balsa from my Whipped Dog set up. Seems almost foolproof.
Since we all know this isn't just about shaving, I will eventually master the stones, including the unused coti I have waiting for a chance!
Fat forward to now. I've now shaved with two razors I tokk from a "fine" diamond hone to set the bevel, to the lapping film, to CrOx/FeOx on balsa from my Whipped Dog set up. Seems almost foolproof.
Since we all know this isn't just about shaving, I will eventually master the stones, including the unused coti I have waiting for a chance!
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