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New Dovo, Help Appreciated

Imo the minimum you need for a new dovo is a 4k stone. It won't be too fast, but the job will be done. A 1k stone would speed things up, but not really necessary if you won't be honing too many razors.
 
you could always pop two layers of electrical tape on the razors spine for now and do x strokes on 8k to develope a double bevel... this way hope fuly you get a shave ready edge ...just do 10 x strokes at atime and check hht with medium hair hair ..repeat untill you mange a hht then strop remove tape first .. then pick up aditional hones later ..

gary
 
just to join in here: make sure your norton 8K is lapped. I see that you've achieved and are pleased with the shave from it (many are), but ensuring the hone itself is True will improve the whole experience, especially with the soft and easily-unflat Norton 8K (and 4K if you have it on the flip-side).

Congrats on the shave, BTW. If you're happy with it, that's what counts!
 
Just received my Norton 1000/4000 stone and new new proraso sandalwood cream. I'll update this in a while as to the quality of my edge after sharpening!
 
So I spent roughly a half hour on each stone this time. I noticed the 8000 had a much different "smoother" feel once i'd gone through the other 2 first as opposed to when I had first received it. After completing I tried the thumbnail test and it did pretty much what I thought it was suppose to. I dug in a big but also felt smooth. I stropped about 50 strokes or so and put it to my face. It still really felt like it was struggling to get through a two day growth. I was required to apply a fair bit of pressure to get results. Guess it's back to the drawing board as far as honing..
 
i read that 4k/8k is much easier but its not as easy as people think it takes weeks of parctise even months. first thing is the 4k needs the hell lapping out of it to get rid of that grainy feel... if i was you i would use lynns method..4k 40 circles each side with medium pressure.then 10 x strokes . dry razor ..If your thumb pad realy grips and holds the onto the edge , dry thumb pad that is your bevel is set. if not repeat untill it does...then do another 40 circles each side with moderate presure. then repeat 40 with weigt of blade each side light presure then do 20 x strokes . Move to 8k do 30 light x strokes strop and shave .. This method is consistant ..
 
So I spent roughly a half hour on each stone this time. I noticed the 8000 had a much different "smoother" feel once i'd gone through the other 2 first as opposed to when I had first received it. After completing I tried the thumbnail test and it did pretty much what I thought it was suppose to. I dug in a big but also felt smooth. I stropped about 50 strokes or so and put it to my face. It still really felt like it was struggling to get through a two day growth. I was required to apply a fair bit of pressure to get results. Guess it's back to the drawing board as far as honing..

thumbnail test post 8K will likely degrade your edge. Use a hair/armhair at that point, I'd say.
 
So would you say that the amount of pressure used would decrease the higher you moved up in grit? Just performed another 60 IDENTICAL strokes(back and forth) on the 1000 to try and I guess "start over". Should a razor grip your thumbnail before you move to 4000? Sharp enough to easily cut armhair?
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
After your 1000 or 4000 laps the edge should easily catch and sever hair off your arm or leg hair with NO pressure. If you graze the blade through the hair without touching skin it should catch onto and cut the hair cleanly in two.

Honing takes time so don't get discouraged. For some learning to hone is just as hard or harder than learning to shave.
 
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