Thread: New to straight razors. How long before I should try and hone a new ready to use razo

Hi guys, my first straight razor came in the other day and I am stoked. My first shave went well I think, no nicks or casualties to any protruding body parts. I ordered a kit on Amazon which included a Col. Ichabod Conc, and some accessories. Some time ago I bought a nice vintage Henkles but some moron took it to a knife sharpener who put it on a knife grinder and gave it a blade that kind of comes together as a V on the blade, as if it were a knife. I also bought a Norton 4000 8000 stone. My questions are
1. How long until I will need to hone my new razor
2. Am I likely to be able to put an edge back on the Henkles

I know both questions are subjective but any answer will help. I am scared to death to use the stone as I do not want to do it wrong. I have watched numerous videos on the subject and get the general idea. I guess it will be nice to have the Henkle to practice on. Anyhow any other tips you may have will be helpful.

Hmm..do you mind posting a picture of your Henkels razor? I'm really interested to see exactly what you're saying.

1. You will need to have your new razor honed immediately. Unless you bought it from someone who promises it's shave ready. I think if it came from Amazon, it's likely it could be sharper.
2. We'll have to see the razor I think, before anybody could tell if it'll ever take a shaving edge again.

I could take a picture but I don't think you would be able to tell much from just a picture. The edge is really hard to see but you can tell if you look close it was sharpened like a knife. They said the Dovo was shave ready. It cut my beard effortlessly with very little pull. How do I post a pic?

Hey, Case,

The thing I'm stuck on is that it shaved effortlessly & w/ little pull. This is good. Pretty much everyone here recognizes the enthusiam.
We get smarter, but the enthusiams remains.

Most people, myself included - ignore the recommendation to learn the shave first - for about 6 mo. Use pro-quality edges during that time. I thought I'd learn to shave and hone at the same time - and it was a , uh colorful process. That's why I'm pinklather. Using substandard edge while learning the shave - takes alot longer & bleeds more. There are guys that hone professionally, others learning the art that will hone for free (I do), and a few groups/websites that offer a free honing service. There's no need to endure marginal edges. Sharpness alone will not make for a pleasant shave.

That's not just my opinion, but fairly widely held. Note Glen's comments on it in this excellent thread about honing.

"First off I always recommend 6 months of Straight Razor shaving before you start doing anything other than learning to shave After 6 months you should have enough experience to know if you are going to continue using SR's, and at least stand a chance of knowing if your honing is getting there ..."

The thread is very worthwhile:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/beginners/75261-beginners-tips-october-2011-a.html


Having a 2nd razor can be handy - so you can keep shaving while one is out being honed.

Best of luck w/ your learning. You're gonna LOVE your shaves.

When it starts to pull, do yourself a favor and send it out to a professional honer for the first sharpening. That way you will know that the bevel is done right. Then you will be able to easily maintain the edge with your Norton 4/8K stone. Don't worry about a finishing stone just now, that will come later after you master the 4/8K. The 4/8K is plenty for now and the edge will be just fine from it.

Originally Posted by jbtusa

When it starts to pull, do yourself a favor and send it out to a professional honer for the first sharpening. That way you will know that the bevel is done right. Then you will be able to easily maintain the edge with your Norton 4/8K stone. Don't worry about a finishing stone just now, that will come later after you master the 4/8K. The 4/8K is plenty for now and the edge will be just fine from it.

Any idea of any professional honers? I just shaved a second time and I see what pinklather was talking about. It was a lot duller than it was the first time and pulled a lot more. I will hate to wait for my razor to come back from being professionally honed. Any recommendations on a second razor that is cheap but decent quality to use as a backup while my razor is shipped off? We don't have a professional honer in my town. I prefer to use Amazon if you can find one there to recommend.

Robert "Pinklather" would be an excellent choice to hone your razor. He's done many for me and he does a great job. Send him a personal message and he'll tell you what to do. Also, you may have dulled your razor learning how to strop. Go slow with no pressure across the leather and concentrate on technique, not speed.

Originally Posted by pinklather

Most people, myself included - ignore the recommendation to learn the shave first - for about 6 mo. Use pro-quality edges during that time. I thought I'd learn to shave and hone at the same time - and it was a , uh colorful process. That's why I'm pinklather. .

That certainly got my attention and is making me rethink my plans.

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Originally Posted by regularjoe

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Im going to send Lynn my Henkels to see if he can get an edge on it. I may try and practice honing it myself just to see if I can get it where it needs to be. Ill probably screw it up, but then Ill be right where I started anyway so no big deal. This forum is great. I LOVE the experience of a good shave, and the fiddle factor that goes along with it is awesome too. Looks like I have found a great new hobby. I am telling anyone who will listen about it. I could see spending a lot of money on this, but I will hold off going hog wild until I am more experienced. Is the Dovo I bought a decent razor? Its the Col Ichabod Conc. Can anyone recommend other razors that are inexpensive but good for beginners? Thank all of you guys for your help! I have a feeling swapping knowledge on this forum will be half the fun!