What Am I Doing Wrong?

Venom8431 · Dec 11, 2008

For the last couple of days I have been trying to hone my 5/8 DOVO SS/Full Hollow str8 and am having no success. Yesterday, I did about 80 passes on a Belgian blue stone and the blade still wouldn't cut a single hair on my arm. I tried another 30-40 passes and still no progress. I'm being very careful not to apply pressure and I'm keeping the blade flat and using slow, controlled movements. I know my hone is flat as I paid to have it flattened from a reputable vendor so that's not the problem.

Should I try and use a lower grit in the 1k-2k range? The blade was factory fresh when I got it, so I don't understand why the edge is so dull.

Sticky · Dec 12, 2008

Sounds like the bevels on each side don't yet meet each other. A faster cutting hone might get you there faster.

Use the marker and TNT test to gauge your progress and see where your hone of choice is actually cutting the edge. Factory fresh edges vary widely.

chess1 · Dec 14, 2008

most factory blades aren't shave ready .question is have you shaved with this blade before yes how was your shave?if this blade already had bevel you dont have to go to 1.--2 k.instead uses norton 4k couple stroke and then you cna go to 8 k.Now usually after 4 k side you already have to able to cut hair on your arm's.
after 8 k go to belgian coticle with slurry.
most people jumps to belgian before edge ready for it that is why takes longer ednless time and you still don't feel sharpness after belgian/
hope this helps
the best way to learn how to hone please own microscope wich you can use after every stone with your eyes it will help to learn too.
good luck

Thebigspendur · Dec 14, 2008

If its a new razor do not go below 4K and personally I wouldn't use that. Maybe a few strokes on the 8K but I would mostly concentrate on a 12K. Most new razors are not shave ready but you don't want to mess with the bevel unless something is seriously wrong.

BTY the belgian blue is a very slow cutter and stainless takes a few more strokes but if you did maybe 20 strokes on the 8K and maybe 40-60 on a coticule if you had one that should do it.

Venom8431 · Dec 14, 2008

So far the only stones I have are the blue and yellow stones. I think my technique might be part of the problem. Probably most of the problem. I already have plans to send the str8 out to someone.

In the near future I plan on getting the Norton 4k/8k and a DMT D8E. I was also thinking about a Chinese 12k.

vgod · Dec 15, 2008

if your bevel is set, you need to work on getting your edge better= more passes on the highest grit stone that is working. (if your edge is getting better at 4k, do not go down. if 8 k, do not go down.)

now the contrary, i have never owned a new blade. never. i have never honed a new blade. however looking at the post and description, you need to work on your edge. if you are not getting results where you are at and with what you are doing, then change it. lower grit, more pressure to get things moving, then less. change something to see results, then work your way from there.

good luck. once you get 'it' and see change, it is a huge step.

vgod

Rob590 · Dec 18, 2008

Hello...
I haven't honed a Dovo yet, but I did see or read somewhere that people often have problems with honing Dovo razors...
That is because Dovo razors ordered with pre-honed option from factory are honed with the angle, so the spine is not touching the hone during the honong process...
I think that you should give it a try with 3 layers of electrical insulation tape, and through out the progression honing remove those layers of tape gradually...
It is pretty much the same process when you are making a new bevel on eBay razor...
You will have multiple bevels (# of bevels = # of tapes) but they will gradually go away through out your progression...
There shouldn't be any problems or suprizes...

Thebigspendur · Dec 19, 2008

Rob590 said:
Hello...
I haven't honed a Dovo yet, but I did see or read somewhere that people often have problems with honing Dovo razors...
That is because Dovo razors ordered with pre-honed option from factory are honed with the angle, so the spine is not touching the hone during the honong process...
I think that you should give it a try with 3 layers of electrical insulation tape, and through out the progression honing remove those layers of tape gradually...
It is pretty much the same process when you are making a new bevel on eBay razor...
You will have multiple bevels (# of bevels = # of tapes) but they will gradually go away through out your progression...
There shouldn't be any problems or suprizes...

Is this something new? I have never heard of Dovo's coming from the factory with a prehone option. Every Dovo with a prehone option I've seen has the honing done through the retailer and a prearrangement with a honemeister.

Dovo's in general are no harder to hone than any other razor out there.

Sorry but I would not be putting all that tape on the spine. if you do you will be creating a double bevel and then by gradually removing the tape undoing the double bevel. You should be able to just hone with no tape or maybe 1 layer if your concerned with protecting the spine.

Rob590 · Dec 19, 2008

Sorry, my mistake... I believe it's ordering through their honing service... Don't take me for granted, but it has to do something with the factory... I don't want to sound smart or anything...

Any way, I believe that honing a Dovo is not a rocket science, but it would really take very very much time on lower grit stones to recreate a bevel that has been created with a lifted spine...

I apologize again if I said something wrong, but that's how I honed my old Soviet Raketa razor and it worked just fine for me...

TonyJ · Dec 19, 2008

Do you see the bevel when you look at the blade? Does it look fine in general?
I have a dovo 5/8 full hollow too and I have noticed that the blade is really thin and quite a hard to hone. Not the hardest one what I have but still.
One chance is that the blade so flexible that the bevel might occur but its still dull.
Try to get a magnifying lens it helps a lot to check out how well you get the bevel and give a seeing what you're doing. They're quite cheap and should be widely available. Mine cost 10 and is adjustable with from 60 up to 100 X magnification. That kind of.
Keep the pressure low all the time as you have done. Otherwise blade bends up and every stroke actually dulls it.
I agree what Thebigspendur said don't lower the grits. You might have a bevel already it isn't just enough sharp. So go to the upper grits and be patient. Do you have a strop?

Venom8431 · Dec 20, 2008

TonyJ said:
Do you see the bevel when you look at the blade? Does it look fine in general?
I have a dovo 5/8 full hollow too and I have noticed that the blade is really thin and quite a hard to hone. Not the hardest one what I have but still.
One chance is that the blade so flexible that the bevel might occur but its still dull.
Try to get a magnifying lens it helps a lot to check out how well you get the bevel and give a seeing what you're doing. They're quite cheap and should be widely available. Mine cost 10 and is adjustable with from 60 up to 100 X magnification. That kind of.
Keep the pressure low all the time as you have done. Otherwise blade bends up and every stroke actually dulls it.
I agree what Thebigspendur said don't lower the grits. You might have a bevel already it isn't just enough sharp. So go to the upper grits and be patient. Do you have a strop?

Yes, I have a paddle strop with a variety of pastes. I currently have three other str8s that I've been using, so I'm not in a real rush to sharpen the DOVO just yet.

chess1 · Dec 22, 2008

i just got dovo from member to hone .I find out it is impossible to hone this blade.it says dovo 38 solingen.
Blade has been made from very smooth steel and it does get edge right away very easy but as soon as it touches hair edge is gone.i think dovo start to make bad blades or this is 1 mistake.finally i did tape back of the blade with 2 layers first and get a new edge make it close to shave ready condition and send to the member.why i used 2 layer in this case edge doesnt brake right away will keep edge God knows how long.box says swedish steel
if you have same razor then try return to seller.hope this helps

AFDavis11 · Dec 23, 2008

The sharpness your describing, passing the HHT, is very subjective and not really as important as you might think.

You could put some permanenent marker on the edge and hone it a little and see if there is a multiple bevel, or just look with a microscope/loope and see if you have multiple shades of gray. More than one shade of gray is a multi-angled honing job.

I would hone on your highest grit, strop for a bit, and go back and forth like that and see if you can get the razor to shave on your cheek.

In the meantime start looking for someone that can evaluate the blade and hone it if needed.

You can send it to me if you'd like, but others I'm sure are closer to you.

Venom8431 · Dec 23, 2008

AFDavis11 said:
The sharpness your describing, passing the HHT, is very subjective and not really as important as you might think.

You could put some permanenent marker on the edge and hone it a little and see if there is a multiple bevel, or just look with a microscope/loope and see if you have multiple shades of gray. More than one shade of gray is a multi-angled honing job.

I would hone on your highest grit, strop for a bit, and go back and forth like that and see if you can get the razor to shave on your cheek.

In the meantime start looking for someone that can evaluate the blade and hone it if needed.

You can send it to me if you'd like, but others I'm sure are closer to you.

Thanks for the offer, but I already have someone else lined up to evaluate/hone my str8.

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What Am I Doing Wrong?

Venom8431

Sticky

chess1

Thebigspendur

Venom8431

vgod

Rob590

Thebigspendur

Rob590

TonyJ

Venom8431

chess1

AFDavis11

Venom8431

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