Thread: The weeping Hone Contest!

A poem by the honeless shaver.
I am honeless!
I have no place to lay my blade, no sharpening tool or stone.
2000 grit paper, paste and strop, my best attempts at a makeshift hone.
I am honeless.
Budget restraints call the shots for now, so like most newbs I do my best.
'tis the reason I am so thankful for the free stuff in these contests.
I am honeless.
No norton no coticule no shapton have I, not even a slurry stone.
No wet no dry no synthetic piece that I can call my own.
I am honeless.
One of these days if the timing is right, a message from straight razor place,
will be in my box informing me that I have won first place.
What joy there will be, on that great day, as you can probably guess,
I will unwrap my gift and be able to say that I am No longer honless.

Seriously, thanks to all those who donate.

My son got me back to SR after a long hiatus, at least 14yrs! Long story shortened, I'm semi retired and due to an accident from an uninsured and illegal alien driver 4yrs ago and am limited on what I can spend. Well I found some second hand stones from a retired carpenter and tried to relearn my honing skills. They're getting better, I picked up a couple of those $5 Gold Dollars. I had some extra $$ and found a kid on EBAY selling some Chinese stones. Well...I guess I should of known better. The stone first had to finished let alone flattened, spent almost an hour and a half, then lapped it flat! After finishing on the 8k the new stone dulled my edge! Showed my son and he took the stone over to one of his coworkers father who hones blades and he said the stone is at BEST a 6 maybe a 7k, but wouldn't use it because of the bad quality. then I complain to the kid on EBAY who'll return my money less a 2% restocking fee!! WTF!..OK.. I go to get ready to package it up and drop it and pick up all 6 pieces! soo I just have to eat this one! I can still shave off a 8k edge! A hone will be at the top of my X-mas list this year!
thanks, AB

My son got me back to SR after a long hiatus, at least 14yrs! Long story shortened, I'm semi retired and due to an accident from an uninsured and illegal alien driver 4yrs ago and am limited on what I can spend. Well I found some second hand stones from a retired carpenter and tried to relearn my honing skills. They're getting better, I picked up a couple of those $5 Gold Dollars. I had some extra $$ and found a kid on EBAY selling some Chinese stones. Well...I guess I should of known better. The stone first had to finished let alone flattened, spent almost an hour and a half, then lapped it flat! After finishing on the 8k the new stone dulled my edge! Showed my son and he took the stone over to one of his coworkers father who hones blades and he said the stone is at BEST a 6 maybe a 7k, but wouldn't use it because of the bad quality. then I complain to the kid on EBAY who'll return my money less a 2% restocking fee!! WTF!..OK.. I go to get ready to package it up and drop it and pick up all 6 pieces! soo I just have to eat this one! I can still shave off a 8k edge! A hone will be at the top of my X-mas list this year!
thanks, AB

Sounds like a variation on the Humpty Dumpty story.

Har har.

Originally Posted by pipeguy

My son got me back to SR after a long hiatus, at least 14yrs! Long story shortened, I'm semi retired and due to an accident from an uninsured and illegal alien driver 4yrs ago and am limited on what I can spend. Well I found some second hand stones from a retired carpenter and tried to relearn my honing skills. They're getting better, I picked up a couple of those $5 Gold Dollars. I had some extra $$ and found a kid on EBAY selling some Chinese stones. Well...I guess I should of known better. The stone first had to finished let alone flattened, spent almost an hour and a half, then lapped it flat! After finishing on the 8k the new stone dulled my edge! Showed my son and he took the stone over to one of his coworkers father who hones blades and he said the stone is at BEST a 6 maybe a 7k, but wouldn't use it because of the bad quality. then I complain to the kid on EBAY who'll return my money less a 2% restocking fee!! WTF!..OK.. I go to get ready to package it up and drop it and pick up all 6 pieces! soo I just have to eat this one! I can still shave off a 8k edge! A hone will be at the top of my X-mas list this year!
thanks, AB

If you're looking for a good Chinese 12k, Woodcraft carries them.

Buy Natural Water Stone 8 x 2-3 4 x 1-1 4 at Woodcraft

Thanks! It doesn't have to be Chinese but that was the cheapest I could find for any good natural finishing stone that I was trying to find. The one you linked is nice too but still more than that "fake" one I bought! My biggest problem is money gets tight sometimes, and that one is more than I can spend at the moment. I have another surgery coming up in 2 months and have to conserve $$
Since my accident I am off of work a lot from the back injuries I sustained. Since it was an uninsured and illegal that hit me I have to swallow some of the expense plus the time off work hurts.(my insurance covers the major med but not the medicine or time off of work!)
I think that one you posted will definetly be my next stone. Unless I find one on Ebay but now I'm leery,plus being new to this I'm not quite clear on what stones will suit what i need. i.e. some of the Arkansas stones are hard or soft without any grit rating. I've been away from this so long I've forgotten what's what for stones (good or bad)..plus back in my day I don't think I ever went over something as fine as a 6k or even maybe an 8k if you were exotic!
Thanks for the referral, I'm going to bookmark it.

Thanks for the info Pensacola Tiger! Have you actually used these stones yourself?

Originally Posted by dkshave

Thanks for the info Pensacola Tiger! Have you actually used these stones yourself?

I have one, and a slurry stone cut from another. It's a pretty decent polisher, but it is really slow. I mean REALLY slow. The edge needs to be stropped on chromium oxide to refine it that last bit, but I've gotten a decent shave right off the stone with just a few passes on plain leather.

Just a few days left so anyone who wants to enter do it now.

The contest is now closed. The judges will retire to their chambers to make a decision. Check back early next week.