Nishy said:
Thanks I remember you mentioning earlier that you prefer a shave straight if a hone. Can I ask why this is? Is it just purely personal preference?
I still use a strop after honing - but the point I was making is that you can get a very sharp edge off a hone that is also smooth. I don't profess to understand what happens when CrOx is used but I find the edge too 'crisp' - perhaps it is similar to a feather SE blade.
Even after a couple of years I'm still very much in the learning stages when it comes to hones but have found that a Japanese natural I've had since last Christmas gives results that suit me in terms of the level of sharpness and feel. Because of that I tend not to experiment a great deal whereas others might see what differences different combinations of stones have. I've got a South African Zulu natural, Thuringian, Coticule, Welsh, plus 16k and 20k rated man-made as well as the lower grit ones.
The thing I like about the Jnat is that using different levels of slurry stone allows you to see just how the bevel is progressing. Under magnification, you see the scratch marks begin to show as hazy, then with each different slurry, the bevel gets brighter and the edge looks completely ribbon like. For whatever reason, I find it much easier to understand what the loupe is showing me when I use the Jnat.
I think it takes many years to understand and have a feel for the razor in hand and which stone will best suit it. There's a general saying that hard steel needs a softer hone - I'm nowhere near understanding the principles behind this or what other stones may suit a certain blade. However, I'm going off the subject a bit as the thread was about beginners.
