Thread: Questions for Honemeisters

The interesting thing here for me is the basis being experience. It wasn't until I had honed about 1,000 razors that I started to look more for specific systems for different levels of honing or restoration needed to get the job done. The style of razor and manufacturer played into it as well. Back then, I was primarily using the Norton 4K/8K and eventually started bringing in all the other toys. I started off honing and restorations with nothing but X strokes and then moved to using circle strokes for moving steel quickly as in a restoration or chipped edge and X strokes for refining from the bevel to the final polish. This approach really does not vary much today, but I have a lot more stones and goodies to play with. I guess the bottom line here is to learn what it takes to hone a razor and build from that experience. Hone each razor using a method that works for you and then do 20 on that method and 30 and so on. Try another 10 razors on a different method and compare results. Vary the routines, stones and pastes. Vary your approach. Pressure vs. no pressure? You will start to see similarities and differences. I also honed about 1,000 razors before I ever started charging for honing because learning to hone was the quest.

And always remember that no matter how many razors you hone or what your level of expertise is, some new guy won't be able to shave with that just honed razor, because he is probably having difficulty with the razor angle and grip. And someone will always have a better method for them and someone will always have the one method and somebody will always have 1 and 2 and 5 and 10 better stones or media. Someone will always have an opinion even though they have never tried that method or stone. So long as the quest remains for that ege that will produce that one next greatest shave, you will keep learning. Who should care more whether you have honed 10,000 razors or 50 razors to perfection for you.

Create your own sins. I don't breadknife because I have a better method for me. I don't use a rolling X. I don't routinely use tape. A lot of people have had success with all of these things.

Sometimes I yearn for a day when there were a lot less choices and yet still a lot of great shaving going on and then I think back to all I have learned and the yearn is immediately gone.

Have fun,

Lynn

Thank you for taking the time to chime in Lynn! I hope your recovery is going well!

I absolutely love sharpening. I've learned so much in these past few weeks, and judging by my failures, I hope to be (and stay) on the right road soon enough. Everyone here at the SRP has been a great help

Like many things in my life, I do them my way because through trial and (mostly) error, it makes practical sense to me. In this case, I thought what I was doing recently with my razors to get them sharp was against the new-found wiki "rules", and decided to start fresh, which ironically, ended up being a mistake. However, I will say that the razor has been successfully re-honed at least. (BTW, I spared my Bismark). Seeing the thread that Jimmy sent me about the rolling X stroke really helped. I was doing that in the first place, but felt it was wrong.

I am on my own sharpening journey just like everyone else here who sharpens. I take everything everyone says and think hard about it. Unfortunately, sometimes the best way to learn is by making mistakes. The trick, I find, is to not make them more than twice. What's great is that people like Lynn, Jimmy and others are here to guide us aspiring noobs along!

BTW I have my results for the cheapo ebay razors. I'll post them in that thread!

Very well put Lynn! You have to develop your honing skills, in part by making mistakes. Breadknifing, IMO, is a DRASTIC step- but until you have tried it and then spent HOURS resetting the bevel you removed, only then can you decide what works best.

There is NO recipe that works for every razor and every person that attempts to shave with it. Just don't get frustrated and QUIT!

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Now one of the worst mistakes you can make is taking a nicked blade and trying to just "hone" it out... I was trying to explain this in another thread today also, but a nick or chip can change to a crack so fast it is scary, especially in full hollows....

can you tell me what thread please Glen?

I've had cracks appear twice just out of the blue, and I knew it was only a chip before, or was it?

well now I know there weren't, but I don't know the rest of the story

can someone PLEASE educate me?

one was a 8/8 W&B