Double Arrow blade

Well I got my chinese double arrow blade today and was very happy to have a new honing experiment, But an hour plus into trying to set the bevel and Iim not so happy.

Started out with the BBW as I thought it would be coarser. The blade is a 6/8 inch with a very wide spine and uneven top half of the grind. A very crude blade but that was what I was expecting. it showed up with a factory bevel of sorts but would not shave arm hair at all

Got an easy slurry on the BBW coti and went to work with half strokes ( 30 reps/set) r sets later I tested it and no where near close to shaving arm hair. 4 more sets of 30 and the same result- nothing. ack

set up slurry on the coti side and did the same., same result.

went to slurry on la dressante and same- nothing. a little crispier sound but no cutting  bevel looks great under microscope and by eye but nothing.

add one layer tape. repeat on la dressante. slurry to thick. nothing. again.

then onto water on dressante and X strokes. more crispy cutting sound but no arm hair. Ack

add another layer of tape and same thing.

soaking norton 4/8 k right now to see if that's the deal. will dull and start over. this is one tough blade.

edit

30minutes later I'm set to use the norton and I check the edge, and it seems far crispier on the arm and the TPT! WTH? Still not shaving arm but perhaps I will retape and stay on the coti a little longer before going to the Norton.

The les lat on light slurry diluted to water with two layers of tape.

edit again

tried using the norton 4 k and it made a very ugly scraping sound. ack. tried different angles and positions and it just sounded like shit. So I gave up. It's not me it's the blade.

But I had to get my confidence back so I dulled one of the black russians and set out to do a dilucot on just the nouvelle vein, what I've found to be a very soft stone and not a great cutter on slurry or very keen on water. just average for everything but still very pretty :))

Dulled on glass, one full downstroke. failed arm hair

solid slurry with les lat hybrid bout . great slurry fast and easy.

sets of thirty half strokes switching triangle bout side every ten strokes

slurry turning grey after 4 laps

6 laps and slurry is thickening, test arm hair: passes! It's not me, it's the metal :)) thankyou :))

Rinse blade but not coti, 15 X strokes

rinse blade and coti

50 X strokes on water.very deliberate strokes. Good stone/ edge contact.

shaved leg hair perfectly. yes!
40 laps on linen
50 laps on leather.
Shave ready in 20 minutes

The double arrow is OUT! lol. there is a big difference between cheap and inexpensive. My Russians were inexpensive, the Chinese blade is cheap.Cheap lesson for me.

Also, for honing, the sound and the feel are everything; not the lap count.