Thread: Progress!

Well I got my first 100% successful hone today and I'm fairly excited about it!

My first attempt was on a factory sharpened "shave ready" DOVO that really wasn't shave ready. I managed a very slight improvement but wound up sending it to Lynn for a proper hone along with another that I'd been dumb enough to ding against the faucet while shaving.

2nd was on an old family razor that hasn't been used in at least 60 years. It has a slight smile at the toe & I did ok everywhere but there.

Then I found gssixgun's 3-part series "how to hone a smiling wedge" on YouTube. He lined me out on a few things to keep in mind when honing a full hollow instead of the near wedge he used in the films, mainly less pressure & probably fewer strokes.

After that I made my 3rd attempt today on an old sheffield with a bit of a smile & it came out great! The toe could be a little better, I left a little pit in the bevel area, but the whole edge shaves well. Maybe not as well as my 2 dovo's will when I get them back from Lynn, but I definitely feel confident that I can maintain & repair small nicks on my own at this point in time!

I still want to pick up a couple more old ones to hone first before going back to finish the family razor just in case this one was a fluke. Gotta fill those last 2 empty pockets in my 7-day travel roll after all!

Edit: DYAC

Sounds like a promising start
Just watch out though, honing is at least as addictive as the shave or the razors to some of us

Yes, I already have more stones coming & it will indeed be difficult to keep myself from touching up my razors more often than is necessary.

My 12k is a Chinese water stone & I've got a Naniwa ss 12k coming in to replace it, along with a dmt so I can quit using wet/dry sandpaper laid out on my marble countertops. The coarsest I have now is the norton 4x8, so ups is also bringing me a 1k to complete the low end. I have some pastes but I haven't used them yet. Wanted to get the basic hone down first before introducing another process.

Hi Ken,

Yep, you're hooked! You've got what I would consider my minimal survivable collection--the DMT, a 1k, the Norton, and the Naniwa12k. That's the core of my honing. I've got some coticules, a Thuringian, and a Charnley, but they're icing. Lately I've been entertaining my honing bug by trying out the different blades on different finishers. Shave once, redo edge on different finisher, compare. My standard for comparison is the Naniwa.

If you get a chance to go to a meetup, take it! You'll see lots of hones and honing there. Where do you live? There might be an enthusiast near you, and it's probably OK to make eye contact.

So, you haven't started down the rabbit hole of different strops yet? Good for you, hang in there, man!

You've got a lucky opportunity, with two fresh blades coming back from Lynn. Enjoy shaving with one, and put the other back as a reference blade. Get it out every two or three weeks to remind yourself how sharp they can and should be.

Glad to hear you're having fun. Best wishes to you.

I'm interested in getting a coticule or two, but I really don't know anything about them. Would a person just order a coticule or are there different types/grades you need to know about first?

You start out getting an extra razor so you have one while the other is out getting honed.

Then you get into honing and you need a few more razors to develop your honing skills.

Finally you keep buying razors so your honing skills won't get rusty and you forget how to hone a razor.

God I love this hobby!!!!

Originally Posted by KenWeir

I'm interested in getting a coticule or two, but I really don't know anything about them. Would a person just order a coticule or are there different types/grades you need to know about first?

There be voodoo in the Coti lol! Read this for all the info you might need - http://www.coticule.be/straight-razor-honing.html

I love my Coti - but they take a bit of practice to become proficient at. It's not rocket science or anything, but you might want to master your Nani 12K first.

LOL - Who am I kidding - like that's going to happen enjoy your future coti lol.

Originally Posted by earcutter

There be voodoo in the Coti lol! Read this for all the info you might need - http://www.coticule.be/straight-razor-honing.html

I love my Coti - but they take a bit of practice to become proficient at. It's not rocket science or anything, but you might want to master your Nani 12K first.

LOL - Who am I kidding - like that's going to happen enjoy your future coti lol.

He knows me well! If I wait till I've mastered the naniwa I'll have dozens of finely honed razors before I buy a coticule. I'll give that article a read & see if I can't figure out what it is I want to do next

Originally Posted by KenWeir

I'm interested in getting a coticule or two, but I really don't know anything about them. Would a person just order a coticule or are there different types/grades you need to know about first?

OMG, there are zillions of cotis, vintage or new, this vein or that, that grade or this, and every one with its own learning curve. You might look at the ones in our Classifieds right now; the sellers can tell you how they behave, what they're good at, whether they're right for you. And if you want to be completely bewildered and bedazzled, check out the coti selection at The Superior Shave. You'll want a fast internet connection for the coti page. It's huge.

Happy shopping. Don't buy six cotis I wouldn't buy!

Only six of them?