Thread: your experience is needed

So if I go out and get the norton stone should I go ahead and attempt to get the blade sharper myself. I think I can find the stone before I could find the paddle strope with the honing paste. I live in the Los Angeles area and I don't know of any store that carry paddle strops. anyway, so...to hone or not to hone myself, that is the question.

Originally Posted by encore

So if I go out and get the norton stone should I go ahead and attempt to get the blade sharper myself. I think I can find the stone before I could find the paddle strope with the honing paste. I live in the Los Angeles area and I don't know of any store that carry paddle strops. anyway, so...to hone or not to hone myself, that is the question.

You can go to Art of Shaving and get a paddle strop. They don't have too many to chose from, but they do have a good TI travel paddle with razor holder. I've been planning on getting one for travel.

I saw that they had one at the Westfield Mall in Canoga Park (the Valley) when I was down there last weekend.

I would strongly suggest that you have the first razor honed by someone from here at the SRP. That will give you a basis for comparison for future reference. Just post a thread for honing service wanted or look in the Classifieds section under Services.

I can't agree enough about getting it honed by an expert here.
While I'm all for learning it all, beginning by honing the razors myself really set me back.
Mostly due to not realizing my honing wasn't so bad, it was my stropping that needed work.
You really want to eliminate the question mark of honing in the equation, not add two possible reasons on top of technique should you not get good shaves.
It can be hard enough to get a good shave with a perfect blade, as it is, if you're new.

Originally Posted by Friggin Joe

I can't agree enough about getting it honed by an expert here.
While I'm all for learning it all, beginning by honing the razors myself really set me back.
Mostly due to not realizing my honing wasn't so bad, it was my stropping that needed work.
You really want to eliminate the question mark of honing in the equation, not add two possible reasons on top of technique should you not get good shaves.
It can be hard enough to get a good shave with a perfect blade, as it is, if you're new.

Yeah, me too. I got very hung up on the honing at first and then, stropping clicked. Always good to have a well honed and stropped blade for comparison with your other(s).

I agree with the above. Start with a professionally honed razor and then all you need for at least the first 20 shaves is a strop. Honing takes time and practice and you will probably be better off buying a few cheap ebay razors to practice on and make your mistakes. Keep your TI in good shape to use as your benchmark when you practice honing.

Originally Posted by AlanII

Yeah, me too. I got very hung up on the honing at first and then, stropping clicked. Always good to have a well honed and stropped blade for comparison with your other(s).

Originally Posted by Smalleyboy

I agree with the above. Start with a professionally honed razor and then all you need for at least the first 20 shaves is a strop. Honing takes time and practice and you will probably be better off buying a few cheap ebay razors to practice on and make your mistakes. Keep your TI in good shape to use as your benchmark when you practice honing.

I agree with both you gentlemen but have something important to add: sending a razor to someone else for honing is not just for newbies. I have been shaving with a straight for 28 years and I have 10 razors in my rotation, which I hone myself. Some of them shave better than others and a couple of them I really didn't like. I always wondered if it was my honing or if they just weren't good razors.

Well, when I found SRP and began to improve the various elements of my technique, it so happened that my first razor needed to be cleaned and repinned and since I don't do that kind of work, I decided to send it off to moviemaniac in Austria. He cleaned, repinned and honed it for me for a very reasonable price and when it came back I was shocked. My worst razor had been turned into one of my best. So, I sent him my second worst razor for cleaning and honing. It turns out it was my honing after all. What I hadn't taken into account was that they were of harder steel and I just wasn't equipped to deal with them. The moral of my story is you will never be so good that you can't learn something from somebody else.

Originally Posted by Chimensch

The moral of my story is you will never be so good that you can't learn something from somebody else.

I think we can probably all agree on that.