Thread: hone help

I am looking to start straight razor shaving some time in the near future, but i felt that before diving in head first (and possibly ruining my face)that I should prepare for this change. First I switched from my DE to a disposable blade razor (I know it isn't necessarily like a real straight but it makes the idea of placing a naked blade aginst my face less daunting).
My next thought was that i should at least learn some basic honing and stropping techniques and be able to get a razor sharp enough to be able to shave comfortably. So i bought several vintage razors from ebay (Maybe this really is jumping in at the deep end?) and then, due to money constraints bought a combination strop and hone by Cyril r Salter.(i am now think maybe another mistake.).
I started practice honing on the worst razor i bought, which is a wedge with a few rough patches on the blade.(which i had to first pass over diamond sharpener to avoid scratching the hone.) i then practiced on a few others.
Surprisingly enough i failed to get a useable result out of this. The best result i got was from in fact the really beaten up wedge, which i managed to successfully shave part of my arm and leg, however it fell way short of the face shaving league.
I can think of a few reasons why.
Maybe my technique isn't the best, and this might have had an effect on the results, although i think i was being very careful to follow all advice on this site.
Also I just emailed Cyril r Salter about the grit of the hone, to which they replied. 'Its a 400 grit'. This cannot be right, i think this must be a typing error and mean 4000. even so, is this high enough to put a reasonable edge on a razor?
Anyway, i ordered a norton 4k/8k to use, as i am impressed that i can shave my arm on a first attempt from a completley blunt razor, and maybe it might need a higher polish.
Any advice, or comments on the quality of this hone/strop?
Thanks
Nick

Honing an ebay special is indeed jumping in at the deep end.

FWIW, disposables are sharper than even a well honed straight. Straights are more forgiving than disposables, and shave smoother. At least that's my experience.

4000 grit is too coarse for a final stone. a 4/8 should be enough. after the 8K you might want to use a pasted paddle or a finishing stone like a coticule.
Also, be sure to lap (flatten) your stones before first use, as they might not be truly flat.

Honing is a skill, and it only comes with practise and patience.
And making errors of course. That is where the ebay razors come in handy.

I have ordered a razor honed by Lynn (adjustme69) and should the postal service ever see fit to deliver my money order, I will use that razor only for a testshave, and for comparison when I am honing other razors.

Lynn is the top guy when it comes to putting an edge on razors. Having a razor honed by him gives you a benchmark with which to judge your own efforts.
I just hope I will not be too depressed when I finally get to do that.

I am thinking that my first 'serious straight' will be a professionally honed job, as i could not face the fact that i might ruin it!
Thanks, i shall look into finishing stones.
I am thinking that this strop/hone combination is just a marketing thing for newbies, as the workable area on the strop is quite small and if as you say that 4000 isn't fine enough, then i am struggling to find out what the use of it actually is!
oh well you live and learn i guess
Thanks
Nick

Hehe, so the norton arrived today, and on three ebay razors i managed to get a really good edge on. After some experimenting, i got the right technique, and whilst none pass the HHT they are usable. I just had my first shave with one, which shaved me just perfect apart from some minor pulling on my chin(but i get this with any razor) so maybe a little work and i will have a razor for every day of the week!

oh, and it seems that this hone combo is not a 4000. It is glassy smooth compared to both sides of the norton, unless it is a different type of stone?
My problems honing came from its inability to cut the blunt razor enough for me to see the difference. 5 minutes on the nortone 4k followed by the 8k, then trying (blindly!) to use the pyramid system seemed to work just fine and the razors acquired a good edge.
The remaining 4 razors i have though, require more work, and i have ordered some 1500 grit paper to deal with the edges on those!
Thanks for the advice, now i can say that i had my first straight shave with a razor i sharpened from an edge like an axe to a comfortable(much more so than the disposable straight i have and about the same as my DE) shaver. I know i shall learn so much more from this site, and i look forward to more great straight experiences ahead!

I think you are to be congratulated for approaching this in a logical way. I think too many people go out and buy all their gear and then can't figure out why they aren't getting a good shave and after ruining a good razor then ask what they should do. I think your approach is the correct one. When your ready to use a good razor you'll have no problem maintaining it.

You will know when your razor is great for shaving by the fact that a truly great shaver is one where if your eyes were closed and someone else was shaving you with your razor you would never be able to tell there was a razor on your face. It should be that smooth and comfortable

bigspendur,

I really like the analogy you provided above (or below, as I can never remember how these threads cue new posts) about the razor not being "sensed" on your face if it's truly sharpened properly.