Thread: Rating razor quality poll

I see in the original post it is directed at honers. Certainly a honer is not going to like a razor as much that pushes their skill level to overcome any defect in the design or quality of a blade.

If you are an end user or a low volume honer the the thought of using twice as much time to get that blade to shave ready is of less importance.

In that case you might want to qualify "honers" with professional as they do it as part of making a living. The rest of us are just "honers". Yes, in that case us non pros that hone for ourselves are less concerned with how long it takes to get a good edge on a blade for whatever reason.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

In that case you might want to qualify "honers" with professional as they do it as part of making a living. The rest of us are just "honers". Yes, in that case us non pros that hone for ourselves are less concerned with how long it takes to get a good edge on a blade for whatever reason.

Bob

I hesitate to use the word professional because to be a professional that would have to be your main, not part of a way you make a living. Unless you have a very low cost of living I cannot see in this day and age making honing straight razors your sole source of income. This brings up a good point although off topic...

How many people hone straight razors as their main source of income and don't depend on other sources such as,razor and related sales, their day job, spouse's income retirement income, etc.

Time is simply not the issue,,, doesn't really matter whether you are honing your razor or somebody else's it takes what it takes to get it right ..

I was more thinking Quality Build vs Sloppy Build..


A well designed, well ground, and tempered razor is a pleasure to hone and shave, where as an abortion on the hones might shave well, but it is still a sloppy build...

Note: that I am not saying anything about bad honing in the past, as that is not the razor's fault that was the loose nut behind the stone

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Time is simply not the issue,,, doesn't really matter whether you are honing your razor or somebody else's it takes what it takes to get it right ..

I was more thinking Quality Build vs Sloppy Build..


A well designed, well ground, and tempered razor is a pleasure to hone and shave, where as an abortion on the hones might shave well, but it is still a sloppy build...

Note: that I am not saying anything about bad honing in the past, as that is not the razor's fault that was the loose nut behind the stone

All this makes me even more amazed when you find a 19th century razor in your hand that has not been infected by a zombie honer or limped out of the factory with some issues. The improbably level seems high. Further, I wonder how the 'professional' (barbers and surgeons) handled the task of honing in the past, not to mention the Average Joe who tended his own blades.

Originally Posted by WW243

All this makes me even more amazed when you find a 19th century razor in your hand that has not been infected by a zombie honer or limped out of the factory with some issues. The improbably level seems high. Further, I wonder how the 'professional' (barbers and surgeons) handled the task of honing in the past, not to mention the Average Joe who tended his own blades.

Hone a few NOS Heavy grinds and it becomes apparent that most of the honing issues came from bad honing over the years They are no harder to hone and they have tiny little even bevels..


As to Honing back in the day

From my research

Most razors came "Proudly" honed from the factory some even claimed hair tested so the average barber and user simply was doing a re-freshen

There was an entire profession "Cutlers" that did the work of the "Pro-Honer" today they did other sharpening also

Other then that I do not have a clue

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Hone a few NOS Heavy grinds and it becomes apparent that most of the honing issues came from bad honing over the years They are no harder to hone and they have tiny little even bevels..

Does that mean I only have to hone a few NOS Heavy grinds to validate the truth of most honing issues have come from bad honing? Or does it mean that I need to hone thousands of NOS heavy grinds like the 4 guys on the planet at this point in time have done?

Hone Damage! I have used a straight razor nigh on 40 years and a majority of those years I had no idea how to hone the blade. I started with diamond hones, shave, and it was s _ _ t. Went to limited Arkansas whet stones, and shave was S _ _ T. Broke down after several years and bought Norton Water Stones, shave was S _ _ t. Bought new Arkansas stones. Some blades finally came up to cutting the steel and giving me a bit better of a shave. At least most of the blades will cut the hair. I persisted, over hacked up nickes and burning face. I did have to back up the SR shaves with a standard dollar razor which cut better than any of my hones. Contacted a barber friend from High Sch. Alumni and asked him. He sent me instructions, but nothing like what I found here, but he said barber schools were dropping the straight razor (I don't know. he said so.) and said use the dollar razor because the SR damages the skin.
I have worked my drooping A _s off to get this right. I have about 20 SR's and Zombie hone which I call Cave Man Grind. I have about four SR's that are not ground to death. I have used tape to try and achieve the right edge. I will go to my grave without having finally achieved the honing skill to alter these conditions. I have read everything here and on other forums and the internet. So, so many ways to approach the honing. But. The grade of steel, to me, is a critical factor, then whether the blade has been abused n the honing process.

Originally Posted by 32t

I hesitate to use the word professional because to be a professional that would have to be your main, not part of a way you make a living. Unless you have a very low cost of living I cannot see in this day and age making honing straight razors your sole source of income. This brings up a good point although off topic...

How many people hone straight razors as their main source of income and don't depend on other sources such as,razor and related sales, their day job, spouse's income retirement income, etc.

Simple solution if you have a problem with using the word pro.

Anyone who derives some income/supplements their income from honing razors for others on more than just an occasional basis. It does not have to be a sole source of income. There are many examples on this forum of members who do this and are recommended as people to send razors to for a pro honing. I think most get the idea of what professional means in relation to a person honing razors. It is a matter of money received for services rendered and likely at a far greater volume of work compared to those who hone for themselves.

Bob