Sharpening a straight razor is no less exciting than shaving itself. If you learn how to sharpen a straight razor, you will be able to handle any cutting object. Therefore, every man should acquire such a skill.
In order to sharpen a straight razor, various stones are used. No matter how much you want to save money, you will have to spend money on several copies, which you will use alternately each time. Today, synthetic stones are often used for straight razors, which you can buy in our store of straight razors and accessories for them.
Buy stones for straight razors in the britvaopasnaya.ru store
Our online store is a specialized store of straight razors and accessories. We work directly with manufacturers, which means that we only represent original products. In our large catalog you can buy stones for sharpening straight razors, belts for straightening straight razors, as well as straight razors from world-famous manufacturers: Solingen and Thiers Issard. Solingen razors are presented in two lines. From us you can buy Dovo Solingen and Erbe Solingen straight razors.
With proper care, these truly high-quality razors will last you for decades. To make shaving comfortable and safe, you need to buy a stone for sharpening a straight razor and a belt for straightening. Below we will tell you how to choose and use the right straight razor stone.
Choosing a stone for sharpening a straight razor
People who have recently purchased a straight razor are often lost in the huge offer of the modern market and cannot choose suitable stones for your instrument. Different materials, cross-section, quality - it’s really easy to get confused. Your choice should be stones that have the following qualities.
1. A good stone for sharpening a straight razor should be uniform. Look carefully at its surface. It should be perfectly smooth visually. If you observe elevations or heterogeneity on it, then it is better to abandon such a stone.2. Size matters! 150x50 stones are best suited. You can find other offers on the market: 60×180, 70×200, etc. We recommend that you stick to the optimal size so as not to overpay and sharpen your straight razor with maximum comfort.3. Evaluate the shape of the stone. It should be smooth on all sides. Often there are low-quality samples in which only one side is declared smooth. Get ready for the fact that you will be buying a really high-quality stone.
For complete and high-quality sharpening of a straight razor, you will need several stones of different grits: #500; #1000; #3000; #5000; #6000; #8000; #10000.The first stone will be useful to you for correcting the geometry of a straight razor, rough processing of the cutting edge and its repair. Further sharpening should be carried out on stones with an increasingly larger cross-section.
Natural or synthetic?
Among straight razor owners, there is ongoing debate about which stones are best to use for sharpening their tools: synthetic or natural. Let's try to understand this issue. For a long time, stones produced in Belgium and Germany were considered the best. This natural stones made from slate. They were even once called “razor stones.” But progress does not stand still and can offer us alternative options. Recently, synthetic stones made in Japan have become increasingly popular. How are they better and why are they worse?
1. Think about what nature can provide us with and what a machine for making synthetic stones can provide. Slate can be heterogeneous in places, have different grain sizes, and gradually fail, which will lead to poorer sharpening time after time. Unfortunately, nature did not even imagine that it was creating stones for sharpening razors, so it was not in her plans to make them ideal. A synthetic stone for sharpening a straight razor is made precisely for this purpose, and therefore has optimal characteristics. Therefore, with a high-quality approach to the production of such stones, homogeneous samples are obtained without compactions, elevations or small depressions.
2. Experienced sharpening specialists still tend to choose stones created by nature. They say that using a straight razor sharpened on such stones is much more comfortable.
3. The use of natural stones is a true tribute to tradition. You will sharpen your shaving tool the way your ancestors did. Which stone to choose is up to you. Still, for beginners, we recommend synthetic stones, which are easier to handle. Alternative The modern market is ready to offer us alternative versions of stones for sharpening straight razors and, in general, other methods that you will have to evaluate. We highly recommend that you try each of them individually to see which one is right for you. It is necessary that the sharpening process brings maximum comfort and pleasure.
Water stones
Most often, such stones are used for sharpening woodworking tools. However, it is also suitable for a straight razor. It should be used for honing a razor (very rough sharpening) when the tool no longer works as it should.
Water stones also come in synthetic and natural varieties. Most often, the composition of such products includes aluminum, silicon carbide and ceramics. Before use, the stone must be moistened generously. You need to buy stones for sharpening straight razors according to the size of the tool itself. Try to keep the length of the razor no longer than the width of the stone. It is better to purchase a water stone with a small supply in order to be sure to sharpen your instrument with high quality.
Ceramic hones
These are old-fashioned straight razor sharpening stones that you can still buy in regular stores, but you'll have to look for them. You can purchase domestic diamond-coated products. Such stones are called “butcher’s rod.” They are much more delicate than water stones, so they can be used for fine processing of the cutting edge. As a rule, these are very small stones that give a truly high-quality result. Suitable for dry work. You can also wet such a stone. It all depends on how comfortable you are with working in one way or another.
Fine abrasive grit or sandpaper
You can try this method only for the sake of experimentation, since you are unlikely to like it. Sandpaper needs frequent replacement, although it is inexpensive. How to tell if a razor is sharp
It can be very difficult for a beginner to determine that the cutting edge of a razor is perfect and suitable for use. There are two effective ways, allowing you to determine how sharp your straight razor is. To do this, you can use a hair on weight or a microscope. It's better to combine them.
First, try cutting the hair on the fly with your straight razor. You can do this on your hand without touching the skin. If the razor cuts hairs, then it is safe to use. Next, look at it under a microscope. At 500x magnification, the cutting edge should be mirror-like with only minor spots and scratches.
Common mistakes in using sharpening stones
When you're just starting to use a straight razor stone and haven't gotten any experience sharpening it yet, you may encounter some interesting effects and bugs. To quickly learn how to bring your cutting edge to perfection, we recommend that you avoid the mistakes listed below.
Sharp pain in the hand
You work with the razor for one hour, two, four, and now it is brought to perfection, cutting hair on the fly! Remember that you have been working for a very long time, so be prepared for the fact that individual fingers or the entire hand may experience spasms. It manifests itself as sharp pain.
The pain does not occur during the sharpening process, but after it. During the evening, we do not recommend that you carry fragile objects in your hands, or hold children or animals in your arms, because the sharp pain may cause you to drop them. Also, do not shave immediately after sharpening. This may cause injury. And if you drop the razor, it will result in chips and the blade will have to be sharpened again or even purchased a new tool. Many people think that they need to see a doctor for things like this. The fact is that spasm cannot be predicted. Beginners should be prepared for this effect.
Along the blade and in a circle
With all due respect to the people who taught you how to sharpen kitchen knives and other cutting tools, you must look at the facts and use a straight razor sharpening stone correctly. You must clearly understand what processes occur with the cutting edge due to certain manipulations with stones. And the first thing you need to know is that any stone leaves scratches on the cutting edge, right up to the final stages of processing.
When you move the cutting edge across the stone, this has a positive effect on the sharpness of the razor. The grooves will be across the blade. In this case, the razor will withstand a lot of stress when chopping, cutting and planing and will not become dull for a very long time.
This is not to say that circular and longitudinal movements will not make the razor sharp. However, she will not remain so for long. The fact is that longitudinal grooves create thinning in some places. This leads to the razor gradually breaking off in weak areas. “Where it’s thin, that’s where it breaks.” With this approach, you will have to use the straight razor stone very often. It is acceptable to use circular and longitudinal movements on non-abrasive stones that do not cut the cutting edge. This straight razor stone is designed to harden the tool.
Don't push!
Excessive pressure on the tool is a common mistake of new owners of straight razors. It is important to observe gradation here. At the very beginning of sharpening, when roughing the cutting edge, the pressure on the razor should be significant. The next time you use the razor, you should gradually reduce the pressure. In the final stages, the razor should press on the stone only under its own weight. In some cases, even this pressure should be reduced.
Why is this so important? The fact is that with high pressure the razor bends, and you are processing not the tip of the cutting edge, but areas located slightly higher. This will not lead to a positive result and can ruin the razor if you are particularly diligent.
Appearance or efficiency?
Even experts often use electrical tape or other interlayers when using a stone to straighten and sharpen straight razors. In the short term this will not cause serious problems. However, after 10-15 such sharpenings, the razor will work worse and worse. Why? Explanations will be required.
Electrical tape and other layers are used to prevent damage to the blade of the razor by abrasive materials. This measure ensures that the razor looks aesthetically pleasing, there are no rough edges left on it, and it remains mirror clean. But using such devices, you violate the geometry of the tool. It is already made so that anyone can sharpen it without resorting to the use of other materials and tools other than stones.
When you use duct tape, you change the angle of sharpening. He's getting dumber. Accordingly, the razor itself becomes duller and duller each time, despite the fact that you use a microscope to control its condition and other tricks. Therefore, we strongly do not recommend using electrical tape. Using low-quality abrasive materials It is quite difficult for a beginner to buy stones for straight razors and not make the wrong choice. If you purchase a cheap, low-quality stone, you risk not only not achieving the desired result, but also ruining your razor. Such products are sold at every turn at prices ranging from 20 to 200 rubles. As a rule, they are made in China.
Determining if an abrasive stone is not right for you is not easy. First, look at the price tag. A good tool cannot be too cheap. Once purchased, test the stone on something less gentle than a straight razor. Take a kitchen knife and try sharpening it. If during the process the grains break off from the stone or they are located on it in small clusters, then it can be thrown away, “buying your mind” in this way.
What is so bad about chipping grains? They can be simply fatal to the cutting edge! When they break off, they begin to roll between the surface of the stone and the cutting edge. This leads to blade damage and serious chipping. Naturally, this negatively affects the severity.
Level the stones!
It is very rare to find a perfectly smooth stone that will become a faithful friend to your straight razor. Therefore, any stone, whether it’s just from a package or an old one you inherited from your great-grandfather, should be leveled before use. The exception would be DMT grade stones. But even among such products there are crooked goods that need finishing. Finishing is a rather complex process. It can be done using another stone of a smaller section or special tools. In this matter, it is better not to take unnecessary risks and contact a specialist.
Cleaning before use
During storage, stones become covered with dust. Dust particles, although small, serve as an additional abrasive that interferes with work. Wipe away all debris from the stone with your hand, both before use and during work. Wash and moisten water stones in a timely manner to achieve maximum results.
If you take care of the stones for sharpening straight razors, which you can buy in our certified online store, then your tool will delight you every day with its sharpness and efficiency. Don't make common mistakes and don't stop improving!
It must be admitted that I decided to write this article not without hesitation. Their reason is ridiculously simple, and it is this: “As many sharpeners, as many sharpening methods.” It is clear that sharpening a knife is different from sharpening scissors, and both are different from sharpening a bladed razor. Actually, the latter is the subject of my next note, which should be taken as an invitation to discussion. But the discussion is constructive, where there is no place for trolling and arguing until we are hoarse about which of us, the “grinders,” is cooler.
The issue of sharpening razors is not at all easy, and it needs to be approached carefully and carefully. At the same time, I don’t like to cast a shadow on the fence and believe that the problem of sharpening is so important and eternally relevant that it would be wrong to ignore it in the blog. I will try to present the material in such a way that it is understandable to the reader who does not have professional training as a sharpener and is generally encountering such a discussion for the first time. Additional motivation for writing this article came from questions from our customers who note the high quality of the razors. « Art RAZOR» and, at the same time, sometimes they show surprise at our choice of sharpening materials. In fact, many European razor lovers are still confident that the best sharpening of a blade can be achieved exclusively with expensive natural stones!
Razor model " RAVEN" (production " Art RAZOR") on the working surface of the synthetic stone series NANIWA SS(800 grit)
There is one more point. Many users of blade razors have become skilled in self-sharpening their instruments, and some even enjoy this process, simultaneously deriving purely practical benefits, i.e. do without paid professional sharpeners. However, in any case, in order to do this work, you need high-quality stones. Well, and skillful hands, of course :). And if the first is relatively easy to solve with the help of money (usually considerable), then the second is a matter of rather sophisticated skill and motor skills. I think I will also touch on “amateur” problems, but now I want to focus on professional sharpening.
What is it? What are the criteria for professional sharpening? Personally, I distinguish three of them for myself:
The ability to get a high-quality shave right out of the box, without any adjustments or additional tricks;
Stability of sharpening, that is, the razor retains its excellent shaving properties for a long time (at least six months to a year), subject to proper daily use and competent editing by the user himself;
Comfort, “softness” of shaving, when no special effort is required during the procedure.
The listed points can be put in any order, the essence will not change. In fact, it is precisely on these tasks that any sharpener concentrates. But the result is achieved in different ways. Unfortunately, due to the involvement of a fairly wide range of people of varying degrees of training in the discussion, the problem has acquired a large number of myths, prejudices and even outright “sectarianism”; Sometimes these controversial and false stereotypes penetrate into the professional environment.
The main question that causes a conflict of opinions is whether to sharpen with natural stones or synthetics? Let's look at this in more detail. And for this we will make a very small theoretical excursion.
My working set of Japanese synthetic water stones of the professional NANIWA SS series, by grit from left to right: S 400, S 800, S 3000, S 10,000. There is another “step” missing in the picture, 6000 grit, since I use a stone from a different line; This is how it happened historically :)
Sharpening is the formation of the working surface of a cutting tool. In the vast majority of cases, and always in relation to a razor, sharpening is performed mechanically, by removing “excess” metal in the area of the cutting/shaving edge. Sharpeners of blade razors one way or another strive for the so-called fast sharpening. It means that when working on each abrasive material, we get a gain in sharpness, and so we move from coarser-grained abrasives to less coarse-grained ones. Since correct sharpening of both the razor and the knife is carried out exclusively across the cutting edge, a microsaw is formed, which is responsible for the cut. Let me note in passing that significantly higher requirements are placed on the razor’s microsaw, since the hair is cut in one movement, sliding at a certain angle to the surface of the skin (about 15-20° degrees, contrary to the common misconception about 30° due to inattentive reading of specialized hairdressing literature) and at a certain angle (about 25-30° degrees) to the general direction of shaving the area. If this second angle is ignored, then shaving occurs not by cutting, but essentially by scraping; then they talk about straight shaving, which is not very welcome, as it injures the skin and does not use the full potential of the tool.
When the correct geometry of the edge is set already at the very first stages, then in fact, then the sharpener only removes the risks remaining from the previous coarse abrasive, and even more precisely, covers them with new ones, which are much finer. The smaller the marks, the sharper the razor. In theory, everything is extremely simple :).
Almost everyone who sharpens razors is unanimous in the opinion that the following stages should be followed: 1000 grit (sometimes you can skip), 3000 grit, 5000-6000 grit (depending on the composition of the kit from a particular manufacturer), 8000 grit, 10,000 grit, and... further, as they say, to taste; some go further, up to 15,000 and even 18,000 grit, which I personally think is excessive. (In passing, let me note for the uninitiated, simplifying it greatly, that grits are a unit of measurement for abrasive materials that shows how many uniformly distributed and almost identical particles of abrasive fit on a square centimeter of a tool - stones, circles, sandpaper, etc.) Alas, this is the same Grit is not very standardized today, and therefore there are even some comparative tables that bring grits into line with the microns in which roughness is usually measured (a fairly good, albeit cursory, overview of the issue can be found, for example, here:
Roughly speaking, leading manufacturers of sharpening stones are tied to their own internal industrial standards, and they correlate non-linearly with each other. With synthetic stones everything is somewhat simpler and more standardized, although there are certain differences depending on the manufacturer.
As I have already said, many sharpeners of blade razors believe that “real” sharpening must certainly be done on “naturals”, or natural sharpening materials - Japanese hard water stones using the so-called nagura (providing a fine suspension with water; it is the nagurami that sets the sequence of increasing grit), various American “Arkansas”, European or Chinese slates, etc. And there are also stones that are sharpened using oil. Generally speaking, full list of all kinds of stones would make up a rather impressive catalog. Sometimes Japanese stones are simply elevated to cult; their supporters create a whole philosophy around the subject and, in general, as they say, catch Zen. To be fair, it should be noted that before the advent of high-quality synthetic stones, yapnuts gave very good and, as a rule, predictable results... I think sharpening on natural stones has become widespread and highly appreciated due to the fact that many advanced users periodically do not sharpen, but simply sharpen their razors, and this has become a good habit for them at the level of a reflex. In this case, naturalists are a completely acceptable option.
At the other pole are those who generally prefer to form the cutting (shaving) edge of the razor on sandpaper, and then bring the razor sharpness to a comfortable state on a pasted belt - leather or fabric, lubricated or rubbed abrasive paste, in the simplest case, with GOI paste. I don’t want to dwell on this method in too much detail, because I consider this approach to be amateurish and lead to rapid wear of the razor itself and inevitable distortion of its original geometry. However, for a not-too-demanding user, this is almost the only way to keep the razor in working condition without incurring special costs, without delving into the intricacies of our craft and without the services of a professional. After all, this is how our grandfathers sharpened their razors :).
An example of a razor that has been sharpened correctly, and therefore its original geometry is preserved in excellent condition, despite its very “venerable” age (razor ERIK ANTON BERG, Sweden, Eskilstuna, con. XIX century - beginning XX century
This razor was not so lucky (razor BENGALL, England, Sheffield). In this case, I do not mean damage to the handle, but defects in the blade, which are a direct consequence of systematic unprofessional sharpening, most likely using emery and a pasted belt: sharpening of the blade, significant grinding of the spine and a clear tendency to the so-called. a reverse smile - the bend of the line of the shaving edge towards the butt... But this razor, initially excellent - is almost the same age as the previous one!
What about the notorious mirror shine edges? The play of light on the edge is a spectacular thing. Of course, such an effect in combination with a successful hair cutting test, as a rule, indicates a high-quality, solid sharpening. At the same time, the “mirror” is not an end in itself. But the width of the edge is directly related to the ergonomics of use. A tool with a thread edge is easier and faster to sharpen on a clean belt; this sharpening promises to be more durable. But this is just a natural consequence of the correct actions of a qualified sharpener. The main argument in favor of synthetic stones - an argument that reflects the physical essence - is that at each stage of grit, up to the highest values, it is sharpening that occurs, and not polishing and smoothing. After all, at each stage metal is removed, that is, the edge in the transverse projection becomes sharper. Metal removal provides specularity, because the fresh regular marks left by the abrasive on the steel are very small; With high grit it is not so easy to see them even with a magnifying glass; you need a good microscope.
Shaving edge of the razor " ERIKA" ((production " Art RAZOR") demonstrates our internal sharpening standard.
What happens when using natural stones as the number of grits increases? Up to a certain value of grit (this line, in my experience, lies somewhere around 3000-6000, depending on the brand and quality of the stones), the difference between natural and synthetic is almost invisible, insignificant. There is intensive metal removal (at the micro level, however, synthetic stone still gives a more regular picture), the shaving edge is formed in the “standard” mode. But at a certain stage, natural stone begins to work simply as a flat table with a certain average roughness coefficient, and the soft nagura suspension has practically no abrasive properties in relation to steel. It, of course, is needed for something else, for sliding and protection from peculiar microtraumas of the edge, because the movements of even a very good sharpener are imperfect. So, the metal is no longer removed, and the shaving edge begins to simply to be smoothed, to be more or less well polished. At the same time, the sharpness of the blade also increases, but this is no longer a completely controlled and manageable process, which is closer to art than to technology. With all the ensuing consequences. What happens during burnishing is a microscopic analogue of “hardening”, when the geometry of the cutting edge is adjusted using pressure applied perpendicular to the plane being leveled. So getting ready for work regular braid; An experienced mower can easily improve the cut of his tool by beating the edge with a hammer on an anvil. As we can see, the physics of the process when working at high grit levels differs significantly between natural and synthetic materials. With micro-hardening it is much more difficult to achieve a mirror-like shine on the edge. However, some sharpeners succeed in this.
In general, today I do not know of a fully developed and exhaustive small details model of the razor sharpening process. The expressed considerations and deep theoretical knowledge of anyone, in fact, are worth nothing without skillful and experienced hands. Sharpening a razor is one of those activities in which the combination of understanding the theoretical foundations and developing sustainable practical skills is best demonstrated. Here practice and the quality of the result act as the measure of things. And of course, each master has his own style, set of techniques and professional “secrets” that cannot be conveyed in simple small talk.
I really don't want to seem categorical. Inevitably, my reasoning will seem controversial to some, this is completely natural. I don't consider myself an infallible guru of the razor sharpening process. But everything I write about here are conclusions drawn based on my own experience, both positive and negative. In addition, almost any user who has purchased our razor can testify to the high quality of sharpening and shaving comfort. And therefore I will allow myself to draw several conclusions, which I formulated primarily for myself and for Club of Free Masters « Art RAZOR» .
Conclusion one:if you need the most predictable result, then it is easier to achieve it using synthetics, especially if you do not have a long-term habit of using natural stones.
Conclusion two:When sharpening a razor, you need to care not only about the immediate suitability of the tool, but also about the duration of the achieved result and the safety of the blade.
Conclusion three (main): You can sharpen in any way and on any stones, if you know how to do it really well! If not, then it is better to turn to a professional and purchase a known high-quality razor, which initially brings a minimum of hassle, worry and work to bring it to perfection. I responsibly declare that razors « Art RAZOR» You can shave straight out of the box. By the way, developing the necessary sharpening skills for everyone inevitably leads to damage to at least one or two razors. This is the harsh truth, it is a journey of trial and error :).
In conclusion, so as not to be considered a boring theorist, I will show how I sharpen myself. This is just a fragment of the video, it does not reflect the entire process, but it shows the nature and intensity of the movements at the final stages of sharpening.
I wish everyone, both professionals and amateur enthusiasts, success in sharpening and am ready, to the best of my ability and knowledge, to continue the conversation about the technology of the razor sharpening process.
Sharpening stones are used with grits of 320, 600, 1500, but sharpening does not reach razor sharpness.
Judging by the 1500 grit stone and the absence of a sharp edge, I assume that this is either a matter of too much pressure on the stone or that the grits are Chinese.
If you have Chinese stones ADAEE or similar, then they should be compared to sandpaper.
Those. The grain size for 320 is M45, 600 is M25, 1500 is M13.
As practice shows, shaving starts from M10-M7 on a hard ligament and M7-M5 on a medium one. Of course, there are talents who can force the M14 to work, but that’s what they are talents for. This is about synthetics.
Tell me, what influences sharpening to razor sharpness the most, what is the most important thing in this matter?
Pressure, pressure and more pressure. Even the thinnest abrasive can bend the edge.
Therefore, the first thing we learn is not to squeeze and remove the burr. Second, turn over what you are sharpening more often; it’s not for nothing that our sharpening heroes spent so much time on turning mechanisms. Well, the third is the selection of abrasive. If the blade does not shave on JiS200 - P3000 - F800, adjust the pressure. And of course all your stones must be aligned.
Is it worth buying a fine-grained stone, such as ACE 3000?
As far as I understand, we are talking about Chinese “ruby” ceramics? If yes, then it’s worth it, there’s no doubt about it. It is sintered aluminum oxide. The abrasive is very cheap if you search for it on Ali or Ebay using the words "3000 ruby Sharpening" ", then it will cost up to 200 rubles with delivery, be sure to check the dimensions so that they are 150*20*5. The whole problem will be to grind it in; the bars most often come crooked. I spent three days on my first one, although I polished it on simple river sand. Apply the grid with a marker; a pencil will not help here. After drawing out the plane, it should be finished using KK F600 powder. As a result, you will get a bar that is enough for you and your children, its production is minimal, and it chews steel well. It’s hard to call it a finish, more like a pre-finish. However, I finish the 50-55hrc kitchen on it, but to be precise, on the second one, which is ground in F1200 powder. Work with it using Vaseline oil from a pharmacy, or better yet, olive oil.
Pasta is a personal choice. I won’t impose it, but if GOI is needed, it’s only for razors; it rips out pieces from stainless steel and polishes out flaws. Chromium oxide causes the metal to “flow”, as does jasper and baicalite, and on free grain this is not always good. If you want a paste, then try aluminum or iron oxide on a hard lap (on the same “ruby” ceramics). When your hand learns to regulate the pressure, you can use leather or a sling, but it’s better not to abuse it.
Honing– this is an abrasive treatment using honing heads - hones, which allows you to obtain surfaces with a high level of accuracy.
If you bought a razor that has already been polished, this article is unlikely to interest you. In addition, it is important to remember that a well-sharpened razor lasts on average 2-3 months, but it happens that some people manage to use it for six months or a year. The key principle of honing a razor blade is that the blade should lie flat on the abrasive and move with the sharp edge forward. It's really simple. But at the same time it is very difficult.
Honing is not just sharpening knives. First of all, you need a special abrasive. There are at least three options.
Firstly, water stone - they are used for sharpening tools in woodworking. There are artificial and natural ones. They typically contain aluminum oxide, ceramic and silicon carbide. It should be moistened generously with water. Holding the razor large and index fingers, you need to move the razor along the stone.
Better to use big Stone, on which the entire blade is placed (or better with a margin of 5 cm), otherwise you will have to maintain the correct sharpening angle manually. It is important that both the tip of the blade and the comb (“spine”) of the razor are pressed against the stone. When you reach the edge of the stone, turn the razor over and now press it with the other side.
Now move it towards you in the opposite direction. One pass in each direction. As a result, the movement looks like this: away from you, turn it over, towards you. A full circle is one sharpening cycle. The most important thing in the sharpening process is to maintain contact between the razor and the abrasive with negligible pressure. It is especially important that the pressure is the same when passing on both sides of the razor - this will ensure that the tip of the blade is even. If you don’t want to scratch the razor comb, you should cover it with regular electrical tape.
The second method is old-fashioned ceramic hones (touchstones). These are often called "butcher's rods." You can try to buy them on eBay or use domestic diamond ones. They are softer than waterstone and can be used for liner blades. Can be sharpened dry or moistened with water. These donuts are usually small, but they give excellent results.
The third way is fine abrasive chips or sandpaper. Abrasives require frequent replacement, but are quite inexpensive.
Of course, there is also a complex “Russian option”: first sharpen on a fine stone for knives, then on the surface of the smallest diamond chips, then on a belt (from a special hairdresser’s to an ordinary officer’s) - apply paste (from GOI paste to expensive imported ones) and on the smooth surface of the belt, grind until you are stupefied.
Now about the process itself. How do you know when sharpening is finished? This is not easy for a beginner. Steel is ductile, and it is quite easy to get nicks, bend the edge of the blade, or even break during the sharpening process. Therefore, you should not get carried away with the process. The best approach is to sharpen, try to shave, sharpen some more.
You can try it on the hair of your left forearm - it is less coarse than on your beard. If the razor moves smoothly and does not resist, it is ready for shaving.
For those who approach the sharpening process as a scientific work, you can control the sharpening process under a microscope. A handheld microscope with 10x magnification is inexpensive, but unfortunately under it it is difficult to see the very edge of the blade. A battery-powered microscope with 10-60x magnification gives the best results. But at maximum magnification the quality suffers too much. The ideal option would be a professional platform microscope with a USB connection to a computer. But, of course, the most The best way control the degree of sharpening - just feel it.
What to do if the blade is sharpened? Typically, in this case, reverse honing is used: a block is driven along a fixed blade. If the razor is sharpened correctly and carefully, it can be used for several months before the next sharpening.
“It became obvious that for many people there is too much information there. And although the table of the grain size of sharpening stones (gritness of abrasives) given in it will probably be useful to everyone, listing the basic concepts used in sharpening knives, the properties of abrasives and other details is often unnecessary. Perhaps , after reading such a comprehensive article, not everyone will find the answer to a simple question: what grit is needed to sharpen his knife? Therefore, I will try to briefly answer what kind of grit sharpening stones are needed for sharpening a knife, in particular a kitchen one, and how to choose the right stones for sharpening.
Type of abrasive grain in the whetstone
Due to the different properties of abrasives, it is important to choose the right type of abrasive for comfortable and quick sharpening. Diamond or cubic boron nitride (CBN) effectively cuts metal of any hardness. They even cut the zirconium dioxide from which they are made Ceramic knives. Therefore, diamond and CBN stones can be used to sharpen knives of any type, as well as cutters of metal-cutting machines and pobedite drills. Obviously, such sharpening stones must be available, at least for some specific purposes (a drill is dull, it’s faster to sharpen it than to go to the store for a new one). However, due to the excessive sharpness of diamond, the cutting edge formed by a diamond stone will have a distinct notch, reducing its strength. Accordingly, a knife sharpened with diamonds will dull faster than the same knife sharpened to the same sharpness with a less aggressive abrasive. Therefore, if you have to sharpen not only ceramic knives and knives made of powder steels, it is better to sharpen with something else.
The most versatile type of abrasive is silicon carbide. It copes well with hard steels and does not become dull, gradually chipping with sharp edges. The cheapest type of abrasive is aluminum oxide (corundum), but as it wears it rounds and loses its sharpness.
In order to sharpen with cheap abrasives without losing speed, the Japanese make stones from aluminum oxide on a soft, weak bond. The abrasive grains are weakly retained in them and quickly fall out without having time to become dull. Instead of worn-out grains, new ones quickly come into play, the stone is renewed without losing efficiency...
But also quickly wearing down
As a result, despite the cheapness of the abrasive, sharpening on soft aluminum oxide stones can be a more expensive pleasure than sharpening on silicon carbide stones.
However, if you only have to sharpen stainless kitchen knives (which have a relatively low hardness), you can reduce the cost of the process by using not too soft aluminum oxide sharpening stones, for example, Russian ones with hardness C, or European ones with hardness M (English).
Selecting the hardness of the whetstone
Since when sharpening a knife, the abrasive stone (block) is also ground down, for comfortable and quick sharpening it is important to choose the correct hardness of the sharpening stone. Soft stones work faster, but also wear out quickly. The higher the hardness of the knife being sharpened and the wider the sharpening chamfer, the greater the need for rapid renewal of the stone. Classic Japanese knives are made with a single-sided sharpening and a wide bevel made of very hard steel. Soft Japanese sharpening stones are designed specifically for sharpening them. For softer European-style knives (particularly the cheaper Tramontina series), sharpening stones with a harder bond are better suited. With the same efficiency on these knives, they will wear out less. For European knives made of hard steels, which are not inferior in hardness to Japanese ones, but have a narrow chamfer, an average hardness of the binder is needed.
Hardness selection whetstone is often problematic due to the fact that the manufacturer does not indicate it. In this case, you have to either look for reviews from those who have experience using specific sharpening stones (and hope that these people are competent in this matter), or select the right stone by trial and error.
Selecting a whetstone based on the type of coolant
In addition to the hardness of the bond and the type of abrasive, you need to choose the right sharpening stone according to the type of lubricating fluid (coolant). Water stones work faster due to the released suspension (a suspension of water and colored abrasive). However, quickly rusting knives, when using such stones, can become covered with rust right during the sharpening process. Oil stones do not create this problem. But they work more slowly (often the same stone can be used either with water or with oil, but usually, if the stone is started to be used with oil, it will no longer work with water, like a real water maker). Oil stones are more versatile. If they are also hard like aluminum ceramics, they are very good for processing knives made of stainless steels(aluminum ceramics are most effective for sharpening stainless knives). Due to the versatility of oil stones, it may make sense to sacrifice sharpening speed in favor of versatility and reducing the number of stones (having oil stones, you don’t have to buy a set of fast water sharpeners for sharpening stainless steel, using the same set for all knives).
Choosing the grit of a whetstone for sharpening a knife
In general, for kitchen knives it is enough to finish sharpening on stones with a grain size of 10 microns (1500 grit). Japanese system, 600 units according to FEPA-F). Although classic Japanese knives, which have very small sharpening angles and are made of brittle steel, and therefore prone to chipping, are best adjusted to 3000 grit (5 microns, F1000). If you sharpen a Japanese knife more roughly, the relatively large teeth on the cutting edge resulting from sharpening will cling more strongly, cut more aggressively, but also break off faster, dulling the knife.
For soft European knives, on the contrary, sharpening up to 3000 grit will be unnecessary, since the edge becomes very thin and on soft steel it quickly wraps like foil and is smoothed. Larger teeth are more durable. However, too large ones will not give the desired spiciness. We need to find a middle ground. Practice has shown that 1500 grit is a good result. The knife begins to cut tomatoes at any angle, even tangentially. So, he doesn’t have any problems with any products.
Having figured out what grit you should finish sharpening your kitchen knife with, it’s time to figure out what grit you should start with.
Some people recommend starting with the coarsest stones. There are many instructions on the Internet that state that you need to start sharpening with a stone of 120 grit, or something like that, and gradually move on to finer-grained stones. However, this method is good not so much for sharpening as for destroying the knife. The coarse grain removes metal fairly quickly. This is good if the knife is so damaged that it needs to be repaired. However, just because it doesn't cut office paper well (the paper cut test is often used to test sharpness), that doesn't mean it needs a rough grind. If the knife has already been sharpened once and has no damage, there is no need to sharpen it with a stone coarser than 240 grit (Russian M63, FEPA-F230), unless you want to soon have only the handle left of the knife. Moreover, even 240 grit is often too rough. Good kitchen knives have a fine blade (the thickness of the blade before the sharpening chamfer begins), on the order of half a millimeter. In order to return them to the desired sharpness, it may be enough to immediately start with a 1500 grit stone.
I specially made a video on this topic, using a knife and a stone, the characteristics of which are publicly available and known to many.
For classic Japanese knives with their small angles and brittle steel, the Japanese themselves recommend starting sharpening with 400 grit (Russian M40, FEPA-F320) to avoid chipping. But, since the Japanese do not wait until the knife becomes extremely dull, they usually start sharpening with 1000 grit (grit approximately between Russian M20 and M14, FEPA-F 400-500).
In general, what grit stone to start sharpening with is an individual question. This depends not only on the degree of bluntness, but also on the width of the chamfer and the brittleness of the steel. The larger the chamfer and the stronger the bluntness, the coarser the starting stone should be to reduce time costs. The more fragile the knife, the “thinner” the starting stone should be to avoid chipping.
As a result, it turns out that to sharpen a European kitchen knife you need stones of 240, 400, 800, 1500 grit. For classic Japanese you need 400, 800, 1500, 3000 grit. The Japanese themselves often use a reduced set, reduced by 1 stone: 400, 1000, 3000. As a result, less space is needed for the stones, the whole set is somewhat cheaper, but sharpening takes a little more time. For a Japanese knife of the European type, produced specifically for Europe, depending on the specific models, the optimal option may be either a set of 240-1500 grit or a set of 400-3000 grit. In many cases, a set of 240, 400, 800, 1500, 3000 grit is good for them.
From my statements about the sufficiency of 1500 or 3000 grit, it becomes unclear for what purpose finer-grained stones are produced. Some “Internet teachers,” apparently believing that since stones exist, they must be used, insist that a kitchen knife needs to be sharpened down to 30,000 grit stones.
But let's figure it out, do you need it, even if the companies that produce these stones claim that you don't need it? The Suehiro company, which produces stones of 30,000 grit, claims that higher than 1500 is not required for a kitchen knife. Hoji Hattori, president of the Masahiro company, in this video, referring to classic Japanese knives, says that sharpening above 3000 grit is not required for them either.
Of course, for microsurgery, where ciliates have to be dissected, stones of 30,000 can be useful. 15,000 grit stones can be useful for sharpening razors. But on a knife, chisel or plane, no one will notice the difference between 15,000 and 8,000 (2 times less grain). There are, of course, people who claim that they notice the difference between 8,000 and 15,000. But I think this is the result of self-hypnosis (if not deception). Because in theory there should be a difference, they want to believe that they feel it.
The 8000 grit stone gives a nice clean mirror. Such a stone is needed either for decorative purposes, or to give maximum sharpness to high-hardness tools that work on hard materials (for example, chisels). No person will notice the difference between 3000 grit and 8000 grit for any product. Accordingly, kitchen knives do not require stones with a grit value higher than 3000. However, if the knife is hard, you can add a small amount of sharpness to it by sharpening it on a stone of 5000 - 6000 grit. It’s possible even 8,000 - 10,000. But this is not so much for sharpness, but for a decorative effect. After 8,000 or 10,000 grit, cutting efficiency may decrease due to the smoothing of the teeth on the cutting edge. Some people, in order to get a mirror chamfer, but not lose cutting efficiency, after sharpening at 8000, sharpen the stone with 5000 or 3000 grit, slightly increasing the sharpening angle. Thus, the main part of the chamfer on the knife remains mirror-like, and aggressive teeth appear at the very edge. All this “dancing with tambourines” naturally takes a lot of time. And, in addition, a lot of money, because the higher the grain size of the stone, the more expensive it is (more overhead costs for crushing, sifting, preventing clumping, obtaining uniformity, etc.).
And now it’s worth asking yourself the question, are sharpening stones with a grit above 3000 necessary?
If you sharpen just to cut, you don't need such stones. If you enjoy the process, you don't mind the money, and you sometimes have time to meditate on the sharpening process - why not? It is healthier for your health to spend $400 on a 30,000 grit sharpening stone than to drink it.
But before you think about buying expensive fine-grained stones, get a basic set from 240 to 3000 grit (possibly 120 grit in case of a damaged knife). Over time, you will become clear whether you are ready to spend time on more fine sharpening, or there is not enough time even for the set that is already in stock.
Abrasive pastes for sharpening knives
Abrasive pastes on leather, felt and other materials are not needed to sharpen a knife. The purpose of the pastes is to polish the surface. They don't add any spice. Often they even lick the teeth, making the knife duller. With careful control, paste on hard, smooth leather can compensate for the lack of fine-grained stone (around 8000 grit). But this replacement will not be effective and is justified only if it is impossible to purchase it. If there is a stone, the paste is not needed for sharpening at all. For surface polishing only.
Sometimes on the Internet you can find videos in which people quickly sharpen knives on leather with paste and, thereby, return their sharpness. But this sharpness is fleeting, as it appears mainly due to pulling out the burr. As soon as the hangnail is crushed (and this happens very quickly), it disappears. This means there is no point in sharpening with paste.
You can often see people straightening razors on their skin...
But, firstly, they edit the skin without paste, and secondly, a razor is not a knife. It is important for a razor to not have teeth so that it does not cause irritation. And editing the skin just smoothes out the teeth and removes any remaining burr, making the razor less aggressive. At the same time, they “pull back” the razor with the skin, just as they “pull back” the braid with a hammer. But for a knife, the loss of aggressiveness is not necessary, just as there is no need to draw back, since the drawn edge becomes thin, like foil, and quickly crumples, dulling the knife.
You can polish the knife with paste after sharpening. But it will cut worse than before the paste. You can remove the burr on the skin after fine-grained stones. But on the skin without paste, and with just a few movements, so as not to overdo it and start pulling out the metal. But just for sharpening, paste is not needed. Just to add more shine.
What specific sharpening stones are best to choose for sharpening?
There is no definite answer here, since it depends on what knives you sharpen. If it's inexpensive, you can look for Russian bars made of aluminum oxide, or even better, silicon carbide (more universal), 120-3000 grit. Then you can compare with the price of Chinese Taidea and YJSHARP bars on Aliexpress. I have not used the mentioned Chinese sharpening stones, but I have seen many positive reviews about them. Judging by the reviews, Chinese corundum bars are less salted than Russian corundum bars. Above 3000 grit you can take Taidea or YJSHARP, but personally I prefer natural stones. I don't like to soak a bunch of rocks, and natural rocks generally don't require pre-soaking.
Inexpensive natural stones can be purchased on Aliexpress.
If price doesn't matter, you can just take the Naniwa SuperStone kit and not have to wonder what it costs.
To regularly maintain working sharpness, you need a stone of approximately 1500-3000 grit. It must work without soaking in order for it to be as convenient to use as a musat. Spyderco Fine (diamond powder, boron carbide, aluminum oxide or, in extreme cases, silicon carbide, it needs to knock down the gloss from the grinder), White Hard Arkansas (lapped to about 1500 grit), Chinese “Red Ruby” and Chinese slates for 2000-3000 grit.
Trying to replace the whetstone with musat will not give long-term results. After several adjustments with musat, the knife will still have to be sharpened normally, starting with relatively coarse stones. And when using a sharpening stone of 1500-3000 grit, the chamfer is completely worked out, and coarser sharpening is not required.
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