Thread: Thoughts on Honing and Restoration Services

That's what I was trying to say, Chris. You just went in a different direction to say it. Some say I'm an ass, I just say I'm direct.

Originally Posted by Chris L

Please understand, Jo3 no one here on this thread I can assure you is singling you out or jumping on you. Just as Glen clarified.

I've said this before multiple times. I give great props to you "Honemeisters" who offer your services to the public. I feel is does say more about your dedication than it does about money. There's no such thing as a full time Honemeister who gains all of his income strictly from honing razors.

You could call me Mr. Analogy. Most men shave. Most men drive an automobile. I drive a manual transmission vehicle. I can virtually guarantee that if I was given the opportunity to drive a finely tuned professional high speed race car, if I could make the thing even go at all the first few times, I'm sure I'd be disappointed or at the least, I know that I would not be able to master that machine without learning how to drive it (shave with a straight vs. shaving with other methods I was used to) and I would be wrong if I blamed the car or the mechanics for my disappointment.

That's a HUGE challenge that a honemeister has: Honemeisters are up against inexperience. I tip my hat to you guys because as every one of you that I've ever known have said repeatedly, you're more than willing to work with someone new/inexperienced to help them along. Lynn was the Honemeister that provided my only Honemeister honed razors (2 of them at different times) and he gladly touched up the edge of my first one that I screwed up out of the gate with improper stropping.

Heck, I've been shaving this way daily for about 1 1/2 years and I still have subtle shaving discoveries and still do not consider myself a Shavemeister with absolute perfect mastery. Don't get me wrong, shaving this way is second nature, comfortable and relaxing. I even find myself totally in tune to shaving during the shave and yet find myself so deep in thought about something non-shaving related that I was in tune to shaving on a deeper level. That's a form of mastery to some degree.

Chris L

Chris L

I know, but i was just clarifying in case there was any misunderstanding. i am happy with the reply and correspondence i have had with the honemeister i sent my blade to. i wasn't in anyway critiquing his services, which so far seems top-notch!. I highly doubt any other one would have the understanding and humility he has had to re-assess. i would imagine most would just say something in the regards of "you did something wrong", etc.,

Originally Posted by Ditch Doc

That's what I was trying to say, Chris. You just went in a different direction to say it. Some say I'm an ass, I just say I'm direct.

Direct is better, my friend. I just yap too much.

Chris L

If I may chime in on this topic. I am getting ready to send a razor out to a honemeister in the next few days. My first straight. I am very confident in my sharpening skills of anything but a straight. I have even had former employers bring me knives into work to sharpen on their time because they couldn't get the same edge on a knife that I can. That being said, I have never held a properly honed straight so I don't know what one should feel like. I have a very good idea, but, I would still prefer my first razor be done by someone that knows what they are doing.

I will definitely attempt honing after I know what one should feel like. That I can be sure of. I like my knives to shave the hair off my arm going with the grain before I consider them sharp enough.

Personally, I think it is a excellent idea to have your first razor honed by someone that knows what they are doing. Whether you buy it shave ready from one of the sites that offer the service, or send an eBay find off to one of our honemeisters on this site, a person would get the best razor to begin the transition from a multi blade cartridge razor to shaving the way it should be done.

Thanks to all the ones that offer the service.

I think you're going to love honing your own razors, Revs. Glad to have you here.

Chris L

I saw this set of Boker instructions on an ebay auction and snagged the photo. Apparently complaints from new straight shavers happened in the good old days too. This is what Boker and Torrey included with their razors way back when.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

When I see threads like this one: http://straightrazorpalace.com/newbi...rst-shave.html

it finally prompted me to write some thoughts down...

As a Restorer and Honemiester we actually take on a huge responsibility by offering our services, especially to the newbies on the forum.... It is up to us to try and make sure that your first experience with a straight razor is as good as we can possibly make it...
I know that I speak at least for all the reputable guys that offer these services, the last thing in the world we would ever want to happen is that you get a bad shave from one of our razors... As far as I know everyone of us test shaves every blade we put out there, albeit we do so with an experienced and confident hand, but we know that the razor shaves as good as it possibly can, for us, before we send it back to you... It is impossible for any of us to do more than that, since we are not there with you helping out as you do your prep, lather, and shaving strokes....
I don't think there is one of us that doesn't stand behind their services, fully...
Just keep this in mind, all it takes is a PM to any of us, and we are there to help, I think all of us are more concerned with you loving your new straight razor, than the money we might have made doing the work for you...

Just some rambling thoughts... with no offense meant to anyone!!

I was reading this post . I couldn't believe how valuable this post was Even it has been posted long time ago.
Thank you Glen

One thing I know that happened to me was that I was too eager. I got a couple razors, new then hand-honed. I wanted to be doing all the stuff that goes with straight shaving. I wanted to strop, hone, sharpen, fidget and mess with the razor. So I did, and I think I significantly dulled several otherwise nice razors. I was just 2 weeks in and already have the Norton 4/8, barber hones, etc. when my razors were really fine, just needing normal stropping.

But the enthusiasm for a new personal hobby can lead a person to do damaging stuff!

I now have a more conservative approach, a much lighter hand on the strop, a much LATER hand on the stone...and better shaves!

This thread goes back a bit, it seems to still be as relevant today as back then, in fact we have even more people that have joined the ranks of doing Honing and Restoring for others, whether for money or not, the feeling of responsibility is always there....

I have always been amazed at how gentlemanly most everyone is on SRP...
It seems to me that the newer guys that are offering services now have stepped right up and excepted that responsibility also...

Good to see SRP hasn't changed too much over the last few years, other than the number of members keeps growing everyday

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I have always been amazed at how gentlemanly most everyone is on SRP...
It seems to me that the newer guys that are offering services now have stepped right up and excepted that responsibility also...

They probably know that they have some pretty darn big shoes to fill Glen!