Thread: What is up with all the honing inconsistency

If a car need oil change every 3 months why does not everybody do it? I mean here one oil change is ~ $40, I can easily get a filter and oil and do the job my self (which I do). But very few others do that too, most go to the shop 4 times a year and pay for that.

Same with honing , some people can do it some can't or do not want to deal with it.
Your math is off a little bit too, a pro honed razor can be maintained for months before it needs a touch up, and if the person using it knows what they are doing they can maintain the razor for much longer.

So if we do this for self satisfaction, the art of it and nostalgic experience

I shave with a straight because I like it, not because it was the old ways etc.

Stefan beat me to it, I always equate honing to an oil change, BTW I do NOT change my own oil, but I do hone my own razors, and quite a few other's hmmmm I bet some of my honing customers are Mechanics


BTW I agree that you should learn to hone your own if you so choose...

Am all for DIY stuff (even self prostate exams If I pay mega bucks for any razor,it is going to a pro for the first go around.
After that I maintain them with a barber hone or my zulu,is pretty hard to screw up a pro set bevel with those two stones.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Am all for DIY stuff (even self prostate exams If I pay mega bucks for any razor,it is going to a pro for the first go around.
After that I maintain them with a barber hone or my zulu,is pretty hard to screw up a pro set bevel with those two stones.

Prostate exams....wow... I quit doing those in Med school.... Now I examine other orifices.... I'm a Ob/Gyn (no funny jokes please...)

Much to learn.........

Yep, your first finisher might pay for itself in a short time. It's all those other ones that you *have* to try.... They might be better!

Hey CF,

The only thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet is *When* is learning to hone the right move. I had the supreme humility to ignore experienced counsel saying to first learn the shave - then learn to hone. There's a reason I'm called pinklather. It was colorful. It was a challenge. But it was not pleasant until I experience the smoothness of a nicely done edge. Mine were fairly sharp, but they weren't smooth. Sharp isn't enough in this game.
However you proceed, I hope you have alot of fun. Years on, the enjoyment still has yet to fade, and I'm still amazed that 'joy' and 'shaving' can really appear in the same sentence again.

I purchased a micro abrasive hone along with my first razor because I'd like to learn how to hone. I'd hate to be sending off my razors every so often to have them honed. Just seems like a hassle to me. So I'm going to pick up a cheap razor and practice honing with it. When I feel comfortable, I'll step up and do it to nicer razors. Then I'll eventually get nicer honing stones down the road.

Btw, I am the type of person who likes to change my own oil. Unfortunately I have been living in an apartment complex past 5 years and they have a strict "no working on cars in the parking lot" rule. So I have been forced to get my oil and filter I like from Wal-Mart and take it to the dealer to have it changed (I get the oil on my own because I like synthetic oil and we all know how much dealerships charge for that).

Anyway, I always like a challenge and love acquiring new skills.

I started with a Shavette and knew right away I didn't want to have to depend on someone else for sharp edges. So I learned to hone while shaving with the Shavette. When I could produce a shave ready edge, the Shavette sat idle while I shaved with my straights. I rather like honing, both the act of it and being able to create my own edges.

Originally Posted by Chreees

Anyway, I always like a challenge and love acquiring new skills.

I like the challenge and the possibility of a new skill that I may enjoy.
You never know until you try it.... I may not like it at all... but I have to try.

Originally Posted by pinklather

Hey CF,

The only thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet is *When* is learning to hone the right move. I had the supreme humility to ignore experienced counsel saying to first learn the shave - then learn to hone. There's a reason I'm called pinklather. It was colorful. It was a challenge. But it was not pleasant until I experience the smoothness of a nicely done edge. Mine were fairly sharp, but they weren't smooth. Sharp isn't enough in this game.
However you proceed, I hope you have alot of fun. Years on, the enjoyment still has yet to fade, and I'm still amazed that 'joy' and 'shaving' can really appear in the same sentence again.

Everything in due time is the moral I guess...
I am excited about all of this... but SO many variables.... Maybe I should just start with a blade, a strop, and some Chromium oxide paste and go from there...:-)