Thread: Hone options

The Norton combo is a great stone and worth every penny. Last a lifetime too, ... unless you're Lynn.

X

Originally Posted by xman

The Norton combo is a great stone and worth every penny. Last a lifetime too, ... unless you're Lynn.

X

is the norton all that is needed---i asked a question about the belgium coticle but wasnt too clear on how much of a necessity it is??

I was planning on picking up some e-bay razors when I find something I like and doing restoration. I like that kind of stuff but don't have anything for it. Would it be better to just do the polishing and cleaning and send them off to a honemeister for the sharpening? I am ordering a 4 sided paddle strop with .25 and .50 micron diamond paste. I have heard you can maintain a good edge for a while with that. Would that be better than risking a good razor by learning to hone on it?

Originally Posted by not that Chaney

I was planning on picking up some e-bay razors when I find something I like and doing restoration. I like that kind of stuff but don't have anything for it. Would it be better to just do the polishing and cleaning and send them off to a honemeister for the sharpening? I am ordering a 4 sided paddle strop with .25 and .50 micron diamond paste. I have heard you can maintain a good edge for a while with that. Would that be better than risking a good razor by learning to hone on it?

There is nothing wrong with sending off your blades to get honed. It keeps people like me occupied.

It all depends on what you want. You can get your blades honed for a modest fee, and with a 4 sided pasted paddle, you can maintain them for a long time.

It takes time to learn how to hone, and you have to buy at least 1 stone.
If you see razor honing as something you would like to do, buy a couple of razors on ebay (or in the BST forum). Use them to get some honing practise and make all the beginners mistakes on those cheap blades.

If instead you see razor honing as a boring chore (necessary evil) then you might be better off having them honed for you. That way you don't have to spend the money to buy stones and the time to learn how to use them.

Or you can compromise: have someone hone your dull blades (new buys from ebay or other sources) and then buy a small finishing stone (for example a small 4x1" coticule) to maintain the edges.
You still have to spend a bit of time learning to use it properly, but it takes less time to touch up razors with a good edge, and it takes less time to learn as well. And a small coticule only costs 30 dollars or so at www.theperfectedge.com

Hope this helps.