Thread: When to hone...

Ive read Wiki on honing and know about the sharpness tests, but as a general rule of thumb, how often should a str8 be professionally honed? I heard every 3-4 months. Hypothetically speaking of a str8 that is used once a day, stropped prior to shaving, oiled after each shave and not abused.

Even given the parameters you mention, it will still be skewed by how tough peoples beards are. Tougher beards will wear the edge out quicker.

The rule of thumb to follow is if the razor starts to pull or not remove hair, or you need to use more pressure than normal to get a good shave, and stropping doesnt bring it back, the razor needs to be honed.

If I've read and understood correctly, you can also use paste+strop to extend the time until honing.

yes you can just don't take you're good strop for it

The simple answer is 3-4 months. The more complex answer is, whenever it needs it...and that's usually one of many variables.

I've gone six months on a Dovo Bismarck without a touchup and it was unpleasant. Even the pasted strop was doing little to improve the blade. I ended up buying a hone set and after just four strokes on the 8k, it was right back up to spec.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...eb-2010-a.html

There are several more months of these too that you might want to read...

But that one explains why your question is IMPOSSIBLE to answer

The reason that I like the convenience of barber hones is that they are best used as soon as you notice ANY diminishment in the quality of the shave. That is, as soon as you notice that your razor is not shaving the way you think it should be, you do just a few strokes on the barber hone to restore it. MAINTENANCE of a sharp edge is the best use of a barber hone.

Originally Posted by Buckfever4life

Ive read Wiki on honing and know about the sharpness tests, but as a general rule of thumb, how often should a str8 be professionally honed? I heard every 3-4 months. Hypothetically speaking of a str8 that is used once a day, stropped prior to shaving, oiled after each shave and not abused.

depends on how much you shave, the steel, your hair ect...