Thread: Tools and Techniques

I've noticed lately a resurgence of "I know better than you" type of posts. I'd like to bring a new perspective. We have a vast variety of tools and techniques. Many of these are very successful, some perhaps less so. Some are very personal in their effectiveness.

I, for example, thought the Norton hone was a P.O.S. hone for a long time. Now, after awhile at it, I'm seeing its value. But, I'm not going to tell others to stop wasting their time honing on a Norton, or a Coticule, or whatever; especially if its working for them. And I'm glad I never did.

What I'd like to do is to focus on individual experiences and let them be shared.

I first became very interested in straight shaving a long time ago when I read about street barbers stropping on tire rubber. Cool huh?

Imagine what an ass you'd look like running up to that guy and saying "Hey, I've talked with Lynn and he says thats not right"

Atleast provide your own insight, second hand info is, well...kinda pathetic.

So I think it should be a personal thing . . . or atleast thats what I think Lynn would say... LOL

Excellent post.

This is a lot like brewing (I'm a total noob on razors, so I have to equate it to something I know a lot about).

There's tons of different ways to brew, tons of different mashing techniques, tips and tricks, warm pitches, cold pitches, batch sparging, partigyle brewing, fly sparging, etc. Occasionally I see brewers get into this huge war over which way is better and the real answer is... "which way allows *you* to make the best beer you can?" Sure, there's some very wrong things to do and that's ok to point out, but there's almost always multiple "right" ways too.

It's the same thing here. There's more than one way to do something. If you don't know *how* to do something, then you should learn a specific way from someone who has mastered it. Once you've learned that technique and mastered it, you now have enough knowledge to go off and adapt your own style and your own methods.

Each person will have their own preferred tools, their own little tricks and knacks that work well for them. Sharing those is fine, but be aware that there is always another way to do something and your way is just that... *your* way, not necessarily *my* way.

-- Gary F.

I think I've said it before in other posts but in the end everyone has their own way of reaching their goals of getting and maintaining a razor in the sharpest state and no matter how off the mainstream thought the technique is as long as the goal is reached everyone is correct.

Having said that the next question is how many of us out there really really knows or has experienced that untimate goal. How many of us think our razors are really sharp when in fact they are far from it but since we have never used that ultimate razor we don't know and keep shaving with a really dull razor.

Yes we can perform all the tests in the world but its the shave that is the ultimate test so my question to all of you is how do YOU know that you've got the meanest razor out there? To me the answer is that I can run the razor over my face and it almost feels like the razor never touched my face and there is no irritation at all and my face feels like a baby's butt.

And how do we decide that my edge with a $10 barber hone that shaves me just fine is worse than someone else edge with $300 worth of gear they barely understand how to use. Sharper or not, who cares. Maybe I don't. Maybe someone else just needs to learn to practice using a barber hone, or a Norton, or a strop. How many of us get it without practice?

afdavis it doesnt take a rocket scientist to know who this post is directed at...I'm not lynn's parrot or anyone elses...my opinions are MINE! The fact that I sometimes mention that Lynn agrees with me is hopefully to give credibility to my response in order to make mastering shaving skills easier for the new shaver...I dont post alot...I only post when I think I have something valuable to add...while its great that you have become a master barber honer, I think thats wonderful...I doubt that your hone is as sharp as a norton but who cares...it works for you...we all look at the world differently...I agree with some of your posts and some of your posts like the one you recently wrote on backhoning made my head hurt... one second you endorsed it the next sent you didnt like it... This forum is not my life...its not important to me to see how many posts I can make although its too bad that the newbies look at member classifications and number of posts made to help them decide who's credible and who's not...its very evident to some of us who is knowledable and who isnt...but I dont care about that ...Im not going to change your mind or anyone elses. what I do care about is the newbies...I want to help give them the easiest path to success in mastering this art without making them go thru the frustration and pain that many of us went through...I want to make it as easy and quick for the newbie to get up to speed and I dont care who's right or wrong as long as the newbie shaver benefits...charlie larman

Charlie,
What each of us offers is no more than opinions. You have yours based on what you were taught, I have mine based on what I was taught. Neither is inherently right or wrong. As for ease of success, that depends on who is being taught. There are guys who will learn to use a Norton easily, there are those who will learn to use a pasted strop easily too. I appreciate your support of my hanging strops and my business but you discredit my paddle strop concept and ease of use at every turn. That personally offends me. No one here needs to tell another he is wrong, or to tell a newbie he has made a pooor choice when he has just bought a proven product. We only need to offer advice based on our experiences and support those opinions without bashing those of another.

Yes, I am biased. I like the way a rank beginner can get a razor sharp with a pasted strop. Technically a Norton may give a better edge geometry but how many here are going to learn that without real teaching? I present all the options to my customers when they call and let them decide what path fits their needs and learning curve. I am also biased in that I make and sell paddles but believe me, that is not why I plug them. I make far more money on a hanging strop with less headaches involved. Hell, for that matter I could simply resell Nortons for less than anyone else and stay out of the shop altogether. I would also get far more newbies, who started with sharp razors, 4 weeks down the road when their razor dulls e-mailing to say "now what"?? I belive in giving them the tools to be able to sharpen on day one.

We have different opinions of what a newbie needs, you, I, AF Davis, Joe Lerch, Hal, Randy, etc.... We can support our opinions without diminishing those of our fellow members. Your method is great, it works for you, it works for many, it will not work for all.

Hopefully this thread has not taken a bad turn but we need to respectful of everyones opinions.

Best,
Tony

Well put, Tony. For myself: I have mediocre results with a Norton, better results with barber hones, and best results with strops. What does all that mean? Just that the results are mirroring the amount of practice I have with each method. The big Norton is the most PITA to travel with, so sees the least use. The important thing is that I'm keeping my razors keen enough to keep me stubble free for 16+ hours after the shave. One of these days I'll even try the pasted balsa just for kicks. If your edge maintenance technique is stupid but it works, then it ain't stupid.



Wayne, my $.02

I am greatful for all of the opinions expressed here. I digest them, and then apply them in my own way. No one here is wrong or right. We all know what works best for us as individuals. Although it's not a pasted paddle strop, I'm glad I started with Tony's paddle strop. I learned to take my time and focus on holding the blade flat against the surface of the strop. I'm still no "honemeister", regardless of what displays by my name, but I'll get there. I have the tools, but have not made/taken the time to "sharpen" my skills. But the day will come. While I seldom/never comment on honing/stropping threads, I feel that my major contributions to this forum are more along the lines of brushes, shaving creams and soaps. I don't/won't shave with a straight razor daily, and that's because to me, this is just shaving. Let's all have fun, share opinions and ideas, and help each other out. We can agree, we can disagree. And we can still be gentlemen. And to me, that's the most important thing here.

RT

I just came back into town and this is the first post I have read today so....

I really have to agree that there are many ways to skin the "razor" cat and we all need to be respectful of the other persons techniques and tools. Bashing a technique or tool that has been used for years does not make sense and is an affront to others who have used it successfully. I really doubt that anyone is the best at every razor, tool, technique and situation and I really doubt that there is a best tool or technique.

Let's each of us continue to do what we have been so good at.... helping the other guy, sharing our knowledge and experiences and enjoying each others company.

Mowed that big ass lawn today