Thread: Blade Refreshing

Maxx, if your TI arrives truly shave ready, then you will hopefully be able to maintain it on clean linen and leather. Start practicing your stropping with a blunt knife or use your shavette without a blade fitted. My highest grit stone is a Naniwa 10k SS. I get a great edge from that. Then I use linen with CrOx, clean linen, then leather. It's then stropped every use just on the clean linen and leather. It gets a few laps on the CrOx every 5 or 6 shaves.

Obviously, YMMV!

I'd like a 12k too, but I don't think it's really worth me spending that extra money for the minor difference it would make to my 10k edges. It depends how much cash you are willing to spend. If you don't spend too much on stones, you can buy more blades!!

Good luck.

Hi Maxx, and welcome. I started learning to refresh in September, using a Chinese Guangxi hone (been working great so far for me with just that and then straight to a leather strop). A lot of good answers to my questions about refreshing and lapping hones in this thread here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...se-hone-7.html

You might find the info useful. Good luck, and enjoy your new razor!

1) the higher the grit the finer the edge. The 4/8 is more versatile but the 12k leaves a finer edge. The 12k will do more than most think with a little effort.

2) All of the above. You can go from stone to crox to bare strop, stone to bare strop or crox to bare strop depending on what the blade needs. If I was only choosing 1 option it would be the stone as it is easier and quicker and capable of more. A hundred laps on linen and leather tend to take any harshness out of a stone edge if you find it.

You can also keep the stone for only when the crox seems to be loosing effectiveness and use the crox as your basic touch up method. A good crox stick/paste/ powder buy will last you a lifetime and can be used on many readily available substrates.

But, the problem is stropping, just one errant lap can ruin an edge. Once that happens, you will have to go to a stone or more aggressive strop to repair the edge.

One of the most frustrating things for new shaver to grasp is, you have to do what the edge needs. There is no formulaic/ step by step recipe for maintaince or repair. The course of action is totally dependent on the problem. Good magnification of at least 60X can be purchased for a few dollars and that will show you the extent of damage.

The difference in performance between an 8, 10 or 12K is not that great, neither is the cost. That being the case buy the highest grit available, last time I checked a 12k Super Stone was about 86 bucks.

If you use an 8K stone you will need to strop on Chrome Oxide for a bit more keenness and for comfort, if you stropping skills are good you could strop on linen and leather off a 12k Super Stone edge, but more likely you will still need some Chrome Oxide for comfort.

Do not get caught up in the Hype of inexpensive natural stone claiming to be in the 12k range, most are not anywhere close to 12K and bring with them a host of issues for the novice honer. The Super Stone is a no brainer, rock solid performer. Yes, I know some have had good results, but they are in the minority. In the end you will just buy the 12k super stone anyway. So set yourself up with success and start with the best equipment.

Awesome stuff guys, very much appreciated advice and experience. Definitely gives me a good idea of what I'll need to accompany my razor with. Thank you all for the input!