Thread: Newbie buying list need suggestions.

None. You have free honing for life on that blade.

True story. But if you wanted to maintain a blade you would want to look at a barbers hone or something like a chinese 12k.

+1 on lifetime honing there...certainly not a blade I would want to lose my honing virginity to.

If, however, you have interest in finding ebay or antique store finds and honing them up yourself, I would go with the Naniwa 3/8 as it gives you the best bang for your buck. You'll also probably need a good 1k grit as well to set your bevel.

The right choice of hones is determined by too many variables to give an authoritative answer as to what tools are required for honing. As a beginner, you should at the very least read the article What hone(s) do I need?, and preferably also familiarise with the articles in the honing category.

Fantastic razor, by the way. I would absolutely not use it to learn honing.

Some great advice here, please take it to heart.

FIrst off, I have to say you guys are really quick to help out a newbie. Thanks you all for answering my questions, I was aware of the free honing but thought it would be a good skill to learn since you never know if the site ever goes down. I wouldn't use this razor for learning honing, this was the one I would use to experiment with Kriegar Sharp Stainless Steel Straight Razors for $9.99 Again, thank you all.

I hope you did not buy that kriegar yet.

please familiarize yourself with this:

Brands of Straight Razors to avoid - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Originally Posted by Geo411m

FIrst off, I have to say you guys are really quick to help out a newbie. Thanks you all for answering my questions, I was aware of the free honing but thought it would be a good skill to learn since you never know if the site ever goes down. I wouldn't use this razor for learning honing, this was the one I would use to experiment with Kriegar Sharp Stainless Steel Straight Razors for $9.99 Again, thank you all.

no, I didn't by the test blade yet. I only planned on getting it if/when I was ready to learn honing.

Originally Posted by Geo411m

no, I didn't by the test blade yet. I only planned on getting it if/when I was ready to learn honing.

I can't seem to find it right now but there was a post discussing the use of trash razors for learning to hone on. A number of members seemed to think it was a bad idea.

**EDIT**
I found the post...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...ning-hone.html

Originally Posted by Geo411m

no, I didn't by the test blade yet. I only planned on getting it if/when I was ready to learn honing.

Don't. Learning to hone on a lousy razor will probably be more detrimental than helpful.

I'd suggest getting an inexpensive one from the SRP classifieds. You can take a shot at eBay or a local antique store as well, but that's a bit riskier when you're starting out and not sure what to look for.

EDIT: There are currently three razors on the first page of the classifieds for $40 or less.

Also, to answer your original question, I'd also suggest looking at either a good barber's hone or a pasted strop/paddle for in-between as those are both relatively inexpensive. When I decided to buy some stones, I went with a Naniwa 1k, Norton 4k/8k combo, Naniwa 12k and a DMT 325 for lapping. I also have a strop pasted with chromium oxide. I don't have a basis for comparison but I'm happy with the hones I purchased. The Naniwas work well (and great prices from SRD) and there is a ton of information about the Nortons.