I am a little fascinated!!

[Colin Howkins]

Being new to this forum I am fascinated by what I read - it was my son that steered me toward your forum. I point out that I am not new to using a razor, my one and only has served me well some 44 years.

What I find facinating is that I did not realize that shaving was so difficult, as is getting an edge on a razor.

Experience tells me it is not rocket science. There seems to be a lot of discussion given to what is the definitive edge - it's simple - one that works.

I would make the observation that a number of people are looking for a scalpel edge, when in fact you are not using a scalpel, you are using a razor. Consider that the 'definitive' or finest edge is not necessarily the best edge, as it becsue of its definition it is fragile and I would argue that an edge like that would need particular care, be easily damaged and a lot of time would be spent on the hone, and you would end up wearing the razor away.

I would only put my razor to the hone only a few times a year, it is stropped lightly on leather before and after each shave and about once every 3-4 weeks it is stropped on linen using a very fine abrasive paste.

Believe it or not it is only in the last few weeks that I came to find out about stropping paste. In past years I would buy polishing paste from a spectacle maker and use that.

For many years the hone I used belonged to my grandfather - he died in 1954 - it is black, hard with brown swirls through it. I think it might be an Arkansas stone.

As I do a fair bit of woodwork I guess I am used to edged tools, and over more recent years have used a Japanese water stone to get a final edge on chisels and planes, I also use this stone now as my razor hone I think its about 8000 grit.

One final thing, when using a hone, in order to get a good edge, it must be flat. Every now and then, if I feel the stone is 'out of flat' I have a piece of 6mm glass and using about 180 grit wet and dry paper - used wet - the water will stick the paper t to the glass, rub the stone over the wet and dry until you see the stone is once again flat. It will cut better and you will get a better result.

I have never bothered to look at an edge through a loupe. I reckon that would lead to inventing to your problems that don't really exist.

I live a bit by the addage 'If it ain't broke - don't fix it'

I do thank you all for your initial feed back. I will be interested to see what reaction this will now bring

Regards

[Chimensch]

Hi Colin:

I agree with what you have to say. The problem is that simplicity is very hard to achieve and many of us started out with a very heavy-handed technique before we learned to be more delicate. I think that you were fortunate or maybe you picked up this knowledge from your grandfather, which I did not have the opportunity to do.

[clrobert60]

Well said, Colin. Maintaining a shave-ready razor doesn't have to be complicated or difficult.

[poona]

Welcome to the forum buddy.

Did your father teach you to shave, strop and hone?

[hoglahoo]

I have never bothered to look at an edge through a loupe. I reckon that would lead to inventing to your problems that don't really exist.

Oh but the fun we have solving imaginary problems and proving wacky theories!

I like to think I can get a perfectly smooth face by shaving with a straight, but haven't been able to yet. The search continues for me - in the meantime I still enjoy my straight razor shaves

[nun2sharp]

I'm with you brother! Simplicity is the key.

[Wildtim]

Colin,

I'm guessing you are apretty handy guy. I also didn't have a huge number of problems when I first learned to hone my razo, I actually had more problems learning to hold it and shave with it. I was being to delicate at first. A lot of guys, however, have no mechanical knowledge, they plain aren't handy. Heck I know a guy that can't change the oil in his truck without a three pag einstruction manual, and another that prefers using screws for minor repairs simply because nails are to difficult to drive. It's for these guys that we try to break it down into the smallest instructional pieces possible.

Plus we each have our own little tricks that work for us but really can't be easily taught to one another in words. There are guys on here who are dedicated to every different type of sharpening medium known to man, and that sparks discussion over which works best and which is fastest and which is easiest to learn.

All this stuff is really simple till you rtry to teach it without many pictures to a guy halfway round the world who has no apptitude for hands on work at all.

[JMS]

Colin, I felt much the same as you when I found this site, and still do to some degree, but I have realized that many here are not as adept to picking up and understanding the physics involved in shaving with a straight and sharpening such an instrument, just as I have been using this computer for over a year and still can't wrap my head around it! It appears to be very simple, and I am told so everyday, but I still have trouble! I think computers and the lack of physical labor required in the work place today has seriously changed the way we think and approach things!

Confounded, new fangled devices anyhow!

[Weeeeee]

I think along the same lines. I was shocked when I read a post about sharpening stones that were over $300, and 15,000 or 20,000 grit. My finest stone is 8000, and I paid less than $40 for it. Between that, a cheap paddle strop with aluminum oxide, and my strop, I am able to get what I think are great shaves.

[AFDavis11]

Most guys just end up with a stone that is waaaaay too fast, but don't get the concept at all. Its like telling someone they can't handle their hot wife, their fast car, or their credit card limit. Its a bad subject; truth or not. Then, on top of that, everyone wants to do whatever they want to do. The whole idea of just following rules is just so . . . not cool. Then, trying to explain this stuff without pics, video, or a sense of how things should feel, and its totally crazy.

Colin, jump on one of these threads where your trying to explain to someone how to hone a razor you can't even see, and you'll start to appreciate the problem. One wrong word on your part and the guy is out spending $300 on a hone in a heartbeat.