Thread: Hello from a newbie!

+1 for all above me!!

fresh, buying those razors for practice honing is a great idea. But!!! if you are new to str8's, I assume you have a sharp razor already. If you don't, use that money to get one. You have to have a baseline like anything else does, to get an idea what a true sharp razor is really like before you can ever hope to hone one to shave readiness.

Mastering the small incrementals of actually using a str8 takes months and months to do. Sadly, you can only practice those skills once a day, which is why it takes so dang long to get good at it.

Maxi said it very well, learn the art of shaving, then learn the art of honing.

I have the entire arsenal of hones now, and I have attempted to actually put a real bevel on a dull razor 7 times. I have succeeded three times now. Just a tad over 33% ratio. Not too good. I have been working on the same razors over and over. I have about 30 razors now that ARE shave ready, that a myriad of masters have honed for me over the last year. I have a lot of sharp razors to compare too, and I realize that it will be quite a while before I can actually say I have some honing skill. Right now I have a little luck occasionally. I think you have to see it and actually be taught how to do it properly. I've been floundering on my own, so I'm being patient until another opportunity to be taught arrives. That might not be until next July, but oh well. Until then I'll play with my duds until I learn something on my own.

I ramble, sorry.. I tend to do that.

Good luck mate!!! Experimentation is the spice of life!!!

Mike