Thread: Sent my 2 month old razor off to be rehoned... other options?

Well, I've shaved almost daily for 2 months with my straight razor and I've made quite a few strides! But this morning I noticed there was a very very small minuscule chip on the cutting edge and when I shaved with it, I kept getting little bleeding spots (about 5 or 6). They didn't bleed past the aftershave balm, and the shave didn't hurt, but I figured it was time to see what it was like to shave with a freshly honed razor now that I have a little more idea of what I'm doing. I have NO idea how I did that to the blade. But I will keep it on a soft cloth only from here on out.

So I sent my razor off to Larry at WhippedDog.com and will hopefully have it back in a few days.

In the mean time, I'm wondering if I should invest in a paddle strop with the grits on it to help keep my blade edge in better shape in-between hones? Or are there other things I could be doing besides stropping?

I understand that honing after 2 mos. shouldn't be necessary and once i know what the heck I'm doing, i don't think it will be. But I also want to be kind to my blade and want to keep it sharp!

Thanks for any advice!

a CrOx pasted paddle can't hurt, if I had one blade, I would do a few laps every two weeks or when I noticed it was pulling. A barber hone or finishing hone would also help

Where can I find a barber hone?

Barber hones & pasted strops work fine for maintenance. But something like a chip(even a microchip) needs a bit more.

Originally Posted by vaanesthesia

Where can I find a barber hone?

There is a swaty (good barber hone) in the classifieds this morning at a reasonable price. A norton 4/8 would be good to have. It would take a little time and effort but you would never have to send a razor to anyone again ..... at least not for honing.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

There is a swaty (good barber hone) in the classifieds this morning at a reasonable price. A norton 4/8 would be good to have. It would take a little time and effort but you would never have to send a razor to anyone again ..... at least not for honing.

Jimmy +1 Very good advice. You DON'T have to spend a lot of money to do your own honing. Very Best, John

Thanks! I bought it and can't wait to give it a go.

Originally Posted by vaanesthesia

Where can I find a barber hone?

Glen (gssixgun) sometimes has them for sale on his site, gemstarcustoms.com. You could also PM him and see what he's got that is appropriate for you.

Barber hones pop up on Ebay periodically. Keep an eye out, you can get one pretty cheap. I'd opt for the 4/8K hone like Jimmy stated...oh, I actually did.