Thread: Can chefs hone razors ? or just knives

Hello all - I am a collector of many old things ,radios in particular.For some reason I`ve always had an interest in old stuff.I have always shaved with a mug ,brush and a superspeed A 3 because it is cheap and easy.In the back of my mind I always thought using a str8 would be cool.Two days ago I found this forum.I now have a F . Baurmamm & Sohne and a Robert Klaas (Prussia) on the way as well as a strop.I understand how difficult honing can be for a newbie like me but I think I have an advantage.I am a chef and have been sharpening knives on stones for over 30 years.Please let me know if this assumption is faulty,I have looked at many videos and it SEEMS pretty easy for someone of my experience.If there is somebody in South Florida doing this kind of work I would love to meet you and give you the buisiness
This is a wonderful site and forum.I will be hanging out by my mailbox. I can`t wait for my stuff !

As long as you put a good portion of your knife technique aside and adhere to the needs of the razor, of course you can do it.

Very different bevel angle would be the main difference most of the other skills/senses from knife sharpening apply. Also remember where crazed knife nuts end (1k?2k?4k?6k?) razor folks usually start

Hi, I'v ben a butcher for 19 year's. I can get my knifes extremely sharp but razors are completely different I'v found. The angle, pressure on the blade. I got a cheep old razor on Ebay I'v ben practicing with. It has a different fill then my knifes. I was thinking the same thing as you. Good luck & have fun. This razor thing is very addictive-!!! LOL

My advise for you is to check the classified section under member services and find yourself a honemister. This would give you a shave razor to start shaving with and a reference of what a shave ready razor feels like. After you read a lot about hones and honing technique, buy the necessary hones and feel that you can do it, it may be a good time for your first attempt to honing using that professionally honed razor as your reference. You can start the learning process here:

Category:Hones - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Category:Honing - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Also, make sure hat you watch Lynn's and others honing videos here:

Videos - Straight Razor Place Forums

There are a lot of resources in this forum and I am positive that you would have no problems honing your razors in the future.

Al raz.

Okay, those of greater experience will likely be able to point out the error of these statements...

If your razor is in good condition, I see now reason why you should have any trouble honing it if you have the right stones. An 8k is bare minimum. Make sure it's flat, flat, flat (even if it's brand new there is a good chance it needs to be lapped). Personally I like to put on a bit of electrical tape to protect the spine from honewear.

Lay the razor flat on the hone, if it's not wide enough to cover the entire blade use the X motion. Apply little to no pressure, make sure you don't lift the spine and just go until it's sharp. (I personally stop to do the HHT on it every now and then.) Depending on the grit of your stone, passing the HHT can mean your either pretty close to done or getting near done. :P

I don't think honing a razor in good condition is any arcane art, it's just a matter of having the right tools and having done enough reading. It's the tricky razors that seperate the men from the boys. Someday I hope to be able to tackle the tricky ones. :P

But yeah, trying to leave you knife skills aside is a good suggestion... Though on the topic, if we have a butcher and a chef here... Would you mind passing on a couple tips for using butcher's steel? I seem to have trouble with it. I typically lay the knife on the steel, using the angle of the hollow ground and draw it back, as you would stropping a razor. Same idea with the spine flip, laying it back on the hollow ground and using an x pattern. To me this seemed to make sense, but I've noticed other people who use /completely/ different techniques (ones that seem to me should likely be harmful to the edge) get better results more speedily. Any tips you could pass on?

As long as you're not a pastry chef, and sauteing is not part of your beard prep...and yes. learn to strop effectively you will do great

most of us learn to at least be able to maintain our razors sharp. i think with enough motivation pretty much anybody can learn to hone, but it takes some practice.
you really want to have a benchmark blade, there's more to an edge than just being sharp.
the best is as you say, find somebody local to you to help you, but that's not a necessity.

COBO....When steeling a knife on a steel a good rule of thumb is 30 degrees. Picture your thumb under the blade that will be close . Draw it from the shank end 'handle"to the tip, with the blade running down the steel like putting a razor on the hone blade first. With light presser I do 5 on both side's, then 3, then 2.
This is just a guide line all knifes are different. German knifes will have thicker edge & Japanese knifes will have a finer edge.
I would research your brand of knifes & check with the maker for solid advice on your make.