Thread: Unsuccessful honing

Hello SRP, I have recently taken the plunge and attempted to hone my own Straight using a King 1K followed by Norton 4/8 K. This has proven more frustrating than I anticipated. I was unable to establish a acceptable edge. I have followed the steps outlined by the pros and still seem to come up short. Is it typical for beginners to struggle with this skill initially? Any help is much appreciated.

Honing is more art than skill. You can read all about it and watch videos but you need to learn by doing and that just comes by practice. If you have truly followed all the steps outlined by the "pros" then you just need to develop the feel for holding the razor and properly executing the strokes and figuring out the pressure to be used. Also make sure your hones are totally flat.

It's a skill. Give it a few years. There is no unsuccessful honing, only incomplete honing. If you haven't yet, get an edge honed by a pro to evaluate.

It's mostly about smoothness and polish. I've never once taught anyone that had even an adequate stroke after the first few hours of practice. After a few weeks it looks pretty good. Once you develop a perfect stroke you've got a shot at learning to hone. Until then you're kind of just wasting the stones time.

Thank you sir, I appreciate the guidance. I will keep at it.

You have to screw up a razor or two before you get it. You learn by mistakes, and first you have to make them in order to know how to avoid them in your future attempts. That's what "practice" razors are for. I learned fairly quickly, with some help, but two razors lost their lives first in my efforts.

Last words for Ace's practice razors....

I was in your place a few weeks ago. Practice practice practice is the best policy. I was told that 75% of honing is setting the bevel. Once the bevel is set it will cut hair, once you have the bevel done polishing the blade is easy. I go to a 12k and get a great shave. I set with the Norton 1k. Also when you watch Lynn's and gxs video's you will get it. Also use pressure and keep your arm up to get the blade flat. My two cents.

Another suggestion, beyond "keep at it":

. . . Get a 10x loupe so you can see what you're doing!

Watching the progress of an edge, as it gets smoother and sharper, is what guides your decision-making about what stroke, and what hone, to use.

"Rules" about honing have to be modified based on how a razor is behaving as you work on it. With a loupe, it's easier to find warps, frowns, and other problems -- and correct them.

If you can't see the bevel, how do you know it's been set?

. Charles

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

If you can't see the bevel, how do you know it's been set?

By how it cuts whiskers, or how it catches on your thumb pad. You can feel it. However having a loupe can be pretty handy.

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

If you can't see the bevel, how do you know it's been set?

. Charles

I use the thumb nail test for the bevel (initially), then a few more light passes on the hone and the arm hair test to confirm