Thread: How many people hone themselves?

I'm just curious but what percentage of straight shavers also hone their own blades? Would you say the vast majority? I'm still starting out at this hobby but I just read a thread about how much of a skill honing is and if you are simply honing your own blades (say once every 3 months) then I can't imagine having enough time to perfect the skill if you are only responsible for your own blades...

If you wind up with dozens of second hand razors and just keep practicing, then you will learn after a while. It happens.

Michael

If you are just doing maintenance honing on already finished edges, it would be easier than restoring ebay edges or whatever. Even just crox and basla and regular stropping can keep a razor going for a while.

It's a good question! I suggest, if you have the ability to do so, add a poll to this thread. Then everyone who sees it can vote with what THEY do. This'd give you at least a small sample of the percentange you're asking about. Ofc, it might be totally inaccurate. But at least it would answer the question you were wondering about...sort of

It's just another part of the hobby. I hone my own

Originally Posted by EggSuckingLeech

I'm just curious but what percentage of straight shavers also hone their own blades? Would you say the vast majority? I'm still starting out at this hobby but I just read a thread about how much of a skill honing is and if you are simply honing your own blades (say once every 3 months) then I can't imagine having enough time to perfect the skill if you are only responsible for your own blades...

I would guess about 75%-80% hone/maintain their own blades some way

I would guess closer to 50% hone from bevel set up

I would guess way way lower for people that hone "Razors with Issues"


ps: If you want me to add a Poll just fire me a pm and we can figure it out

Most people hone their own. Sending stuff out to be honed is just a stop-gap. Updating razors honed by others can really be easy. Once a razor is honed, then keeping it running is an easier skill. We use the word "honing" far to generally.

Although not as often used, honing is as much of a part of shaving as stropping. Learn to strop and learn to hone. It is part of the process. We are all not experts but the majority of us get along fine.

I have no interest at all in honing from the ground up. As most, if not all of my razors are antique shop / flea bay specials, I send them out for initial honing. After that, I usually can do my own touch up honing.
My equipment includes a Spyderco UF hone, a vintage barber's hone, a balsa FeOx strop, a CrOx leather faced wood strop and your standard linen and leather strop.
Odd that as much as I like straight razors, I have never been interested in honing. I consider it a chore.

I do hone my own, even fix some with issues ... the best advice i ever got was from a fairly popular face around here. "restoration is not honing"
dude goes by gssixgun .. ya mighta heard of im
Mike