Hey there!

My name is James, i just signed up to this forum because i thought it would be a lot better to share my growing passion for classic shaving with a lot more people!

So this is not my first time shaving with a straight razor (i've had one before) but when it needed honing, i would go to this guy in Montreal who would do it for me. He's known for his honing and the cutlery he sold. He had his own workshop at home and was actually recommended when i went to this store called Vasco's located Downtown Montreal (which is a rip-off by the way).

Anyway, now i've moved to Ottawa and i've decided that i want to learn how to hone for myself. I've been looking around online, and there are a lot of video's explaining which type of stone to get. Many people say one solid grit is enough, some use 3-4 various grits. Some people prefer Norton water stones, some prefer naniwa super stones.

Because of so many different preferences, i've been getting pretty confused as to which one i should get. It doesn't seem so hard to hone (since many video's show you how to), however, the procedure seems to be a little complicated (how many different stones i should get/use, if i should strop after, etc..).

To give you a little background as to what i have at the moment:



So, for the QUESTIONS:
  1. What type of stone should i get/use?
  2. How many rounds should i be doing on it?
  3. Is stropping needed after the honing process?
  4. Is there anything else that i need to buy?


Any additional info that would help me out would be greatly appreciated!!


Looking forward to your replies, and happy shaving!

Thanks,
James