Thread: Beginner in Knee deep

Here are some photos of my present kit. It is inexpensive and effective but it depends on developing your skills for success. Follow ups in this thread will focus on the items and how to use them.



The products



Paddle Strop and old belt.




The hones

so whats the cheese grater for? ot what is the hone that looks like a cheese grater?

The Cheese Grater is a Harbor Freight Special. Four sided diamond hone for about $8 which works nicely to lap my stones....er my hones.

ahhh i was wondering what it was and where it was from so does it work well?

nice lookin kit you got there! I love seeing everyones tools!

It gets the job done. After watching Glen's video of one stone sharpening, by comparison it is nowhere near as elegant or precise or quick as a DMT 320. The objective for me thus far has been to avoid a major investment in shaving gear while learning. This approach gives me a broader experience from which to make choices for my limited funds. The hones represent about $100 and they mostly came from my knife hobby. The next addition is a barber hone. The Strop Bat has two pasted sides and serves as my finisher for the moment.

The diamond hone is a good example of skills/equipment conundrum. I have a great deal of experience with steel on stones which means I can feel and see things while honing I wasn't aware of when I began to learn. If I had started with the DMT for a lapping tool I would have had much better results as a beginner. I have nerve damage in my hands and arms. The longer learning curve was therapy. I can now obtain a great edge on a razor but it takes me considerable time to achieve. Think two hours or more as opposed to someone like Lynn or Glenn doing the same or better in a matter of minutes. If the journey is pleasant I opt for developing the skills slowly and come to appreciate the finest tools all the more. I recently bought the Norton 1k/8k and it is much easier to work with than the King 1k/6k. I don't spend much time on the pasted strops now.