Thread: Honing motivation...

I'll try not be beat a dead horse potentially (and probably unsuccessfully) with this thread.

I guess what I'm looking for is an unbiased response from a biased experienced honer.

It is my impression that once you get "decent" at honing (I'd consider myself there) that you can get a pleasantly sharp and smooth edge and therefore shave with most any hones.

Most everyone gets to that stage. This is the stage that is necessary to get to if you want to hone your own razors and if you want good shaves from those blades.

There is a honing level beyond this stage however and that would probably apply to most people reading this particular sub-forum.

Would you say that, realistically speaking, the motivation to go beyond this stage is more for the challenge, enjoyment and experimentation than for actual improvements in the edge.

Regardless of whether you can tell the difference between the various edges is that secondary and enjoyment in honing the primary motivation?

Jnats are more fun and challenging as well as coticules and it's satisfying to own 20k and 30k synthetics but it's my impression that the cost/benefit ratio isn't necessarily there if edge improvement was all that was involved.

The same might apply to the benefit vs time required to learn.

Is it fair to say that once you go beyond the basics of honing that the primary motivation is generally something other than any improvement that you might get in the edge?

Originally Posted by gcbryan

I'll try not be beat a dead horse potentially (and probably unsuccessfully) with this thread.

I guess what I'm looking for is an unbiased response from a biased experienced honer.

It is my impression that once you get "decent" at honing (I'd consider myself there) that you can get a pleasantly sharp and smooth edge and therefore shave with most any hones.

Most everyone gets to that stage. This is the stage that is necessary to get to if you want to hone your own razors and if you want good shaves from those blades.

There is a honing level beyond this stage however and that would probably apply to most people reading this particular sub-forum.

Would you say that, realistically speaking, the motivation to go beyond this stage is more for the challenge, enjoyment and experimentation than for actual improvements in the edge.

Regardless of whether you can tell the difference between the various edges is that secondary and enjoyment in honing the primary motivation?

Jnats are more fun and challenging as well as coticules and it's satisfying to own 20k and 30k synthetics but it's my impression that the cost/benefit ratio isn't necessarily there if edge improvement was all that was involved.

The same might apply to the benefit vs time required to learn.

Is it fair to say that once you go beyond the basics of honing that the primary motivation is generally something other than any improvement that you might get in the edge?

Yep, it's that last 1% that we can't let go of.

Most hone for the challenge. Other wise why would we buy so much stuff. We can all get our maintenance done for very little money compared to the cost of getting a hone job done for us. A well maintained razor can go for a long time. A well known member did just that. He honed his own for a while, got tired of chasing his tail, sold all his hones and microscope and got someone else to take care of it. Another well known member here has stated in posts about his vast collection of Jnats, synthetics and other naturals, but has recently gone back to shaving off a Norton 8K.
I think we are here for the challenge and because we love trying all the other stuff. If all we wanted was a good shave with a nice razor we would each have two razors and a finisher for touch ups, or maybe a barbers hone. Most of us are chasing our tails looking for the next level, or the next great hone. It is all about entertainment and enjoyment as far as I can see.

Originally Posted by kelbro

Yep, it's that last 1% that we can't let go of.

Yep he is right,,

Chasing that last 1% is the difference between Shaver and Hobbyist

There are MORE Hobbyists typing on SRP then Shavers that is a simple fact.


I have posted this multiple times on here

About 90% of the work involved in honing is at the bevel set, about 9% occurs in Sharpening and Polishing after that, it is in the Finishing that we tend to argue about most and spend the most money on

Shavers do not understand that, it is senseless to them, but to the Hobbyist it is of utmost importance.. This difference in mentality is another source of conjecture on the forum

I honed my razors with nothing but a Carborundum or a Swaty. Which I used was random and pretty much irrelevant as they produced comparable edges. When I found SRP and learned about other hones, I started with a set of Nortons. I set aside 7 razors in a leather roll to continue to maintain them as an "old school" control group. That way I would be able to compare the edges of both groups.

Over the years I bought a few hundred hones, but I also got better at honing. The thing is, I got better at honing the "old school" control group as well. I can produce a perfectly good shaving edge off of my first two barber hones. Really, they still are all that I need. All the other stuff remains fun and experimental but not necessary for my face.

That does not mean that the edges off of the barber hones are as good as the edges off of many of my other hones, but they are good enough for me.

I too agree that we are constantly chasing a better edge. I don't know how many times I've shaved with a razor that shaved just fine and asked myself "Self, how much better would this boy shave if I took it to the (?) and gave it a few more passes?" So, the question is:

Are we ever really truly happy and completely satisfied with our edges?

Is the primary motivation generally something other than any improvement that you might get in the edge?



Not really. There is improvement, though very small. Most say it is at best, a 2-5 percent improvement.

There is a difference in a spectacular edge. I still get those edges, where I feel my face and say WOW.

You can’t get there with every razor. It really is a combination that has to happen. Some razors will just take a better edge. It does not matter the brand, size or grind, some when put on the right stones with the right pressure are just, WOW.

That’s what I keep looking for…

Sent these three razors, honed on these respective stones off to a friend today to test shave. They have very different edges and quite possibly, he may not like some of them. Motivation? Have fun and use your friends and acquaintances as guinea pigs, what else?!

Originally Posted by Utopian

I honed my razors with nothing but a Carborundum or a Swaty. Which I used was random and pretty much irrelevant as they produced comparable edges. When I found SRP and learned about other hones, I started with a set of Nortons. I set aside 7 razors in a leather roll to continue to maintain them as an "old school" control group. That way I would be able to compare the edges of both groups.

Over the years I bought a few hundred hones, but I also got better at honing. The thing is, I got better at honing the "old school" control group as well. I can produce a perfectly good shaving edge off of my first two barber hones. Really, they still are all that I need. All the other stuff remains fun and experimental but not necessary for my face.

That does not mean that the edges off of the barber hones are as good as the edges off of many of my other hones, but they are good enough for me.

The First Line Here Really Says It All!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What We Need And What We Want!!!!!!!!!Ty

I just like to make things sharp. I've always enjoyed honing knives and various other things. Straights just give me a different means to grade the edges that I've obtained.

When I pick up a new hone, it's less "chasing a better edge" and more simple curiosity regarding the hone itself. I guess I'm the oddball here, as I'm less interested in straights and shaving, and more interested in hones and honing. One just happens to compliment the other.