learning the hard way.

I know your all going to tell me I shouldn't do this, but I am anyway. My venture into the world of straights started when I saw a couple of vintage razors at an antique shop that I picked up fairly cheap. They are not shave ready and one has a frowning blade. Instead of sending them to a pro to fix them up for me I have decided to restore and hone them myself. Armed with a hard Arkie and a ceramic hone I found in the tool shed I plan on learning to hone before learning to shave. I am not at shave ready just yet but am confident I will get there before 2014, lol.
Anyways I woul like to thank everyone on this forum for the depth of knowledge on everything for straight razors. Maybe one day I will never have to buy DE blades again. The way I look at it is, I get to learn an art with a blank canvas.

Yup, there is no "easy way".
And nobody here will tell you that there is only one way to learn this particular sport, to each his own.
Best of luck my friend.

Most don't recommend it, but I learned to hone before I learned to shave. During this time, I was shaving with a Shavette, so I knew well what shave ready sharpness was.

Problems arise not when you try to learn honing first but when you try to shave with the blades you are learning on. I didn't do that, and I don't recommend it. It took me a month of working on honing every day, ruining two crappy razors in the process, but after a month I was able to produce a shave ready edge. It was only then that I attempted to shave with my own work.

I knew from reading in this forum that I would not be satisfied with "sending out" my razors and being dependent upon someone else for sharpness. I just had the sense not to try to shave with my work until it was right. It took a month of reading, practicing and honing, but it was worth it. Shaving with a blade you have honed is a special treat. Just put in the required time before you try your work on your face.

Congrats on choosing the road less traveled.

As long as you have the stones for it, go for it!
Now you need at least 5, not those that made want to use a straight. To fix the frown will take work, the stones will run about as much as a good new straight. But I understand that need as I am working a couple of old boys myself. Practice technic first, with the work to get rid of the frown, very easy to get sloppy when honing.
Best of luck, let us know how it ends up.
JRS

Well I managed to work the frown out, took forever though. I'm picking up two new hones on Friday, a Jsyn 2000/5000 and a BBW as I hear it can put out a pretty smooth shave. Looks like I'm already a vintage razor/natural stone kind of guy. I picked up another old razor and have started to restore it, just need to finish removing some pitting before I move on to polishing it. In the mean time I'm searching for the next natual stone (coticule, Jnat) and vintage razor that needs some TLC!

This addiction takes hold quick!:rofl2: