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Lapping film, try it.

Weird...the bevel was the smoothest, shiniest thing I'd ever seen in my rad-shack micrsoscope...really pretty, but it wasn't the best shave ever, just a regular straight shave. It even was able to pop hairs easy root-out and -in. I'll give it a go on some other razors, but i dont see the films replacing my rocks, just supplement them. Lots of times I can see where they are useful, that's for sure. Teased, but not "sold" yet. ;) maybe I've always been limited by technique, so that improving the edge isn't removing the current walls to advancement.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
If you have a nice shiny bevel, but the shave isn't so hot, I suspect at some previous point in your progression you did not fully develop your edge. Each step must be done fully before moving on to the next stage, if that makes sense. In other words, you can have a highly polished "not-so-sharp-but-sorta-adequate" edge. Try another 40 laps on your bevel setter and then running through your progression again. A carefully executed film edge should shave like crazy. Finer grits won't wear away much steel, so don't be shy about using lots and lots of laps once you are at the 5u stage.

Is your plate nice and flat? Light pressure? I know you know what you are doing, just trying to jog you past the obvious stuff that we sometimes overlook.

Have you got good results already with this blade, using stones? What films are you using?

If you don't get it after another attempt, I suggest using the burr method to make sure that your bevel is set perfectly before starting your progression.

Could be your bevel angle is a bit heavy, maybe. If you have never had this razor at the scary sharp stage, it is possible. Much over 18 degrees can give meh shaves, sometimes, even with a perfectly executed hone job. If you were a newbie I might wonder if possibly it is your stropping but in your case probably not. Still, don't overlook the simple stuff.
 
Thanks, yeah this is that one particular Boker with a wacky grind that months ago I brought up as "crispy" and had to fight it. The coticule treatment tamed the beast, but it seems I'm back to "that dad-gum Boker" again. Guess it wasnt fair, now that I think of it.
 
To what level did you use the films? 1um? 0.3um?

I find that stopping at 1um often gives more comfort than going to the 0.3
 
To what level did you use the films? 1um? 0.3um?

I find that stopping at 1um often gives more comfort than going to the 0.3

I went all the way to .3, but didn't use the wet-paper under it afterwards, since I didn't want to get all nirvana-fied just once, I'd rather get nirvanaed first, then leave something for further nirvanification later. I'll sneak up on it with a different razor, stopping at 1, then to .3 the next day, then to wet-paper under. Maybe by then I'll be so excited I can't hold onto the razor.....maybe not. :adoration:
 
Keep in mind, lapping film is just another way to go. It does not provide Nirvana for those who cannot achieve it with stones.
Lapping film is merely a quite effective (both in performance and cost) solution.
On the other hand it yields much better performance in regard to the polish, that is just unbeatable

I still use my Shoubudani and Shapton 30k as finishers on some razors, my lapping film on others.
All of them provide me with fantastic shaves
 
Keep in mind, lapping film is just another way to go. It does not provide Nirvana for those who cannot achieve it with stones.
Lapping film is merely a quite effective (both in performance and cost) solution.
On the other hand it yields much better performance in regard to the polish, that is just unbeatable

I still use my Shoubudani and Shapton 30k as finishers on some razors, my lapping film on others.
All of them provide me with fantastic shaves
With the ability to add that single sheet of paper underneath the film, I say it does add something that no other hone can. But I'm a zealot.
 
*There* we go. Honed up a razor with the whole shebang (bevel set on slate, then went 12 micron through 0.3 micron using that slate as the backer) and gave it a go. Yeah...dude....sweet. I got as smooth a shave in two passes (WTG/XTG) as I usually do in three (WTG/XTG). Coulda done ATG, but didn't have time.

The only problem I see is that it takes some of the mystery out of getting a good edge...Not that that is a huge problem, but it makes me philosophical cuz it seems that much closer to machine-generated / cookie-cutter / like-every-one-else's edges. It was too easy to get a reaallly nice edge. :) If you were wanting to compare one steel vs. another, this film stuff would be the standard honing solution...takes the honing variation out of the equation (or could if you were careful).

So, when does the community start comparing the smoothness of one company's film vs. another company's film? Sounds like at least a cheaper rabbit hole to go down than rocks. ;)
 
The only problem I see is that it takes some of the mystery out of getting a good edge...Not that that is a huge problem, but it makes me philosophical cuz it seems that much closer to machine-generated / cookie-cutter / like-every-one-else's edges. It was too easy to get a reaallly nice edge. :)

This is probably the real reason I was banned over on SRP. I was promoting lapping film, which takes away all the mystique and confusion of honing, thereby allowing just about anyone to hone their own to vorpal sharpness, instead of needing to send it off to the resident honing guru for $20.
 
This is probably the real reason I was banned over on SRP. I was promoting lapping film, which takes away all the mystique and confusion of honing, thereby allowing just about anyone to hone their own to vorpal sharpness, instead of needing to send it off to the resident honing guru for $20.
you forgot the gold dollars....
 
This is probably the real reason I was banned over on SRP. I was promoting lapping film, which takes away all the mystique and confusion of honing, thereby allowing just about anyone to hone their own to vorpal sharpness, instead of needing to send it off to the resident honing guru for $20.

I did wonder when I was on SRP recently and came across a post of yours, and beneath your name it said something like "Banned user...."
 
This is probably the real reason I was banned over on SRP. I was promoting lapping film, which takes away all the mystique and confusion of honing, thereby allowing just about anyone to hone their own to vorpal sharpness, instead of needing to send it off to the resident honing guru for $20.

btw... been doing the math on the whole "over 40,000 razors in 15 years" thing......

7.56 razors per day everyday for 15years.... and that would be $800k in honing profits....

hmm..... is it possible someone is fudging a bit?
 
I just tried the lapping film for the first time and did the whole progression from 12 down. It really did make it pretty easy. I started with 5 razors and was able to comfortably shave with two of them. Keep in mind I have zero honing experience and hadn't even attempted it before this. I think with the other three I moved down too early from the bevel setting stage. IMO lapping film should be something everyone at least tries.
 
btw... been doing the math on the whole "over 40,000 razors in 15 years" thing......

7.56 razors per day everyday for 15years.... and that would be $800k in honing profits....

hmm..... is it possible someone is fudging a bit?

Try 48weeks/year, 5 days a week, so 240 working days a year. This ends up 11.11 razors/day over 15 years. I have read here somewhere that 20 minutes per razor or less is the goal of a professional honemeister. (So up to 24 razors per 8 hour working day... Wow)

On a good day I can hone a formerly shave-ready blade in 20 minutes, but usually I take twice as long.

Phil
 
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Try 48weeks/year, 5 days a week, so 240 working days a year. This ends up 11.11 razors/day over 15 years. I have read here somewhere that 20 minutes per razor or less is the goal of a professional honemeister. (So up to 24 razors per 8 hour working day... Wow)

On a good day I can hone a formerly shave-ready blade in 20 minutes, but usually I take twice as long.

Phil
hmm.... that my friend is a lot of razors........

i usually do 2 or so a day....

i usually take ~15mins to go from dull to shave ready *(occasionally i have a problem child like the kamisori i made yesterday and started honing today... that little bastid was 2 hours getting the bevel set... to be fair it was its first time to be honed....) but once i got that bevel it was 5-10mins to shave ready....

it shaved very nicely...
 

ouch

Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
I just received a very generous gift from a member: a sampler of lapping films. Before I get to the stupid questions, I'll start with the ultra-stupid questions.

1) They're much bigger that I imagined. What do you use to cut them? I would think it's critical to have a clean edge.
2) What do you attach them to? I'm thinking of using the glass side of Shapton GlassStones atop a stone holder.
3) How do you attach them to the surface you're using? Just wet and stick?
4) Do you hone is both directions? (Just double checking- it's okay to hone edge leading, right?)
5) How long do they last? How do you know when they're done?
6) How fast are they?
7) How's the feedback?
8) Will I throw my stones, sprays, and pastes out the window?
 
I just received a very generous gift from a member: a sampler of lapping films. Before I get to the stupid questions, I'll start with the ultra-stupid questions.

1) They're much bigger that I imagined. What do you use to cut them? I would think it's critical to have a clean edge.
2) What do you attach them to? I'm thinking of using the glass side of Shapton GlassStones atop a stone holder.
3) How do you attach them to the surface you're using? Just wet and stick?
4) Do you hone is both directions? (Just double checking- it's okay to hone edge leading, right?)
5) How long do they last? How do you know when they're done?
6) How fast are they?
7) How's the feedback?
8) Will I throw my stones, sprays, and pastes out the window?





1) I use one of those paper cutting chopper thingys we have here at the office. I imagine scissors, or an exacto knife with astraight edge would also suffice.
2) A sheet of glass, a polished marble tile, a precision granite plate.
3) Yes, just wet, and lay the film down on there, and press out the excess water. It'll stay in place from stiction.
4) Use in both directions, just like any other hone.
5) They last upwards of 20 razors. They just get less and less aggressive, You'll probably simple get bored with an old sheet and start with a new one before you have actually used it up completely.
6) 85 mph
7)I love the feedback, very velvety smooth.
8) Don't throw out the pastes and sprays. But, yes, ditch the stones.



Don't forget the piece of paper under the 1um when finishing!
 
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