Thread: How long does it take to learn to hone?

Well now I think we're really starting to agree with each other.

Only to add a few more thoughts, since you bring up Erricson and I am an instructional designer by trade we need to clarify what the enabling objectives actually are. For example, in my humble opinion learning to shave is required of anyone that says they know how to hone. I've only met one guy that said he could hone a straight razor but had no idea how to shave with one and ofcourse my concern is "How do you know its really going to produce a good shave?"

Now, what I do is often hone a razor until its sharp. Silly me, but thats the way I do it. Why, because I don't know any better. But, if you ask Lynn he often refers to learning how to hone each razor. That makes me think that he actually knows the specific honing strokes, grit, and pressure needed to hone, say a TI, vs a Dovo. That is kinda hard for me to even think about, but it wouldn't surprise me at all. That takes us back to my point about "when do you arrive" at learning how to hone.

And the reason it took me 4 years is because, besides being stupid, I kept realizing that I could get better, and better, and better, and really still haven't stopped learning. I thought I could hone a razor for a while and then found out I couldn't. Until I created a razor that cuts hairs, was smooth as silk, was easy to strop, and never nicked the user I realized that the level of really good honing is very far away from just "honing".

But, here is where I get a little annoyed. I hear lots of people say something like "It only takes an hour to learn, once I trusted a light touch, but it took me 5 months, 3 weeks, 6 days and 23 hours to get to the point where I knew when and how to do it, but it only takes an hour to learn to hone, of that I"m certain"

Knowing what I know now I take no issue with the 1961 barbers manual that says "it takes about 10 years to learn how to hone well".

But, you count up the hours for the newbies, include the time it takes them to learn to shave, and I'll buy whatever you come up with.