Thread: Another "Not quite sharp enough" post

If you are learning to shave with a straight razor and learning to hone at the same time you are up against it. It will be hard to know if it is your shaving technique, lathering/stropping technique or honing that is the real culprit. I'd say to have one of the razors honed by a person known to put a shave ready edge on a blade. That will give you a benchmark of what a good edge should do and feel like if you do not strop it before the first shave. If the shave is bad then you know your lathering/shaving technique needs work. Strop it before the second shave and if the edge is worse you have an idea that your stropping needs work.

The best way to learn honing is one on one with a mentor if at all possible. Honing is one of those things that looks easy, it is once you get on to it, but can take a while to get consistently good results from doing. It takes time and practice which can be greatly shorten by having a mentor. Almost everyone goes through that period of frustration in learning to hone.

There are a few variables when you start shaving with a straight razor and by adding honing to the equation it adds to that. It is not impossible to do but may take a bit longer. Take your time, slow and easy does it.

Bob