Thread: Newbies are always asking

Newbies are always asking what hones they should buy.
I have read many posts with many suggestions as to the best hone progression to start out with. I recently PMed a newbie honer what I thought was the best hone combination for starters and it went something like this:

Norton 1k
Norton combo 4k, 8k
Naniwa SS 12k W/BASE
A good Thuringian as a finisher.

This combination is easy to learn and can get you some of the best shaves with a minimum $ OUTPUT.

As always, newbies should learn to achieve a good 8k shave before proceeding to any finisher.

For best results, take your time learning. Don't rush it. Enjoy the ride.

I am still leraning but if I could offer some advice, it'd be first learn how to make a good bevel, that is the basis.

Originally Posted by jelajemi

I am still leraning but if I could offer some advice, it'd be first learn how to make a good bevel, that is the basis.

You are quite correct about setting a bevel first. Click here:

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://...ZU6GjLIGphx3rQ

Hello folks, I am new to this and certainly wished I had started straight razor shaving years ago. I am not sure how to start my newby thread so for now I am trying to reply to existing posts with questions. I bought my first razor from a Vietnam war vet years ago but didn't have the equipment to sharpen it. Then one day, I went to take another look at it and come to find out, my wife had tried to use it for a screwdriver. I should of made her shave her legs with it. Or at least that is how I felt when I first saw it. Good thing she wasn't home. Water under the bridge now. I just bought my second razor not knowing exactly what to look for other than German steel and its nice and shiny. It looks like it has uneven wear to the toe end. So... I began looking how to correct that or make it work which will include sharpening and honing. I don't have the funds to just drop $200. for all the stones and a barber hone. I read in one post that if your razor is shave ready, which mine isn't, that all I would need is a barbers hone and a strop. Is this correct? I have found several barber hones on ebay, but not sure if the old ones are good or would a new one put a finer touch on the blade?
Lots of questions but I will try to figure out how to start my own thread to get the ball rolling.
Thanks gents for your time and wisdom on the subject

IMO, newbies should NOT even think about Hones or Honing until at least a year into learning how to shave.
You need the learn how to strop,you need to learn how to prep, you need to learn how your beard grows,you need to learn and master differant strokes.
For cheap you can have your blades pro honed,start with tools that are perfect from the getgo.
Are many SRP members that are hone and stone fanatics,learn to walk before you try to run,you may fall flat on your face.

There are no new barber hones. The best of the old is a Swaty. Many others, but most serious honers consider the Swaty as THE barbers hone. As far as a set of stones for honing from bevel to shave ready, many choices. 1k, 4k,8k and 12k for finishing. Naniwa's, Norton's, Chosera's, Shapton's are all considered fine stones. They are synthetic and consistent in their grit numbers. Naniwa's don't need to be soaked. Also needed is a DMT325 or an Atoma for lapping the stones to keep them flat. Read the wikis and watch the videos. Great stuff there.

Originally Posted by mrsell63

Newbies are always asking what hones they should buy.
I have read many posts with many suggestions as to the best hone progression to start out with. I recently PMed a newbie honer what I thought was the best hone combination for starters and it went something like this:

Norton 1k
Norton combo 4k, 8k
Naniwa SS 12k W/BASE
A good Thuringian as a finisher.

This combination is easy to learn and can get you some of the best shaves with a minimum $ OUTPUT.

As always, newbies should learn to achieve a good 8k shave before proceeding to any finisher.

For best results, take your time learning. Don't rush it. Enjoy the ride.

If I may ask, why both a Thuringian AND a 12k stone?
A Thuringian is probably not finer than a 12k, particle size-wise. And, it's not slow at all.
If you want a 12k, but don't like its edge, instead of a Thuringian, use the back side of your strop, and spend 5$ for some fine CrOx.
A medium sized diamond plate for slurry or occasional lapping seems more suitable addition.
If the bevel setting goes slowly, raze slurry. For touch-ups, it's a good idea to raze slurry and dilute it.

Many people talk about naturals of 20k and 50k grit. Particles don't get so small. I doubt that there are any stones at all, anywhere in the world, that their bigger cutting particles, the one that give the edge, are smaller than 2-3 micron. It's their subtle cutting power, rounder and more fragile shape that makes them feel super fine.

My first stones were a king 1k, a Belgian blue, and a Chinese 12k, 60$. No matter what I have learned, the edges and time spend on them are not far behind my best combinations.

I like your idea, and, indeed, it's much more enjoyable to start from nothing and from trial and error find what works best for you.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

you need to learn how to prep, you need to learn how your beard grows,you need to learn and master differant strokes

And how are these activities related to honing? For me, that stuff happens during the shave. Learning to hone is a separate activity.

One should, of course, have a pro-honed razor or two to compare to newby honing efforts. Otherwise you'll have no idea what's possible when you get those 'ok' shaves from your own honing.

This is coming from a guy who jumped into honing a few months after starting with a straight. I have a lot to learn regarding honing, and I'm loving the process.

Like TimS, I learned to hone and shave at the same time. That's why I'm called pinklather. Wow, was that ever a mistake.

If I can encourage some of the newer guys - You wouldn't know that the honorable MrSell has been using, maintaining, restoring and collecting our beloved razors for more than 40 yrs. I would recommend anyone starting to hone - PM Jerry for his excellent blog post about how a new guy learns to set a bevel. He's used more barber hones than I knew existed. If that's not enough, he's also a pleasure to talk to and learn from. Certainly, he's not the only one skilled and experienced, but one we're lucky to have share his experience.

[QUOTE=pixelfixed;1284915]IMO, newbies should NOT even think about Hones or Honing until at least a year into learning how to shave.{/QUOTE]

Thanks for the input. Across the board your probably so right. I on the other hand feel a sense of confidence in approaching honing as I have a lot of experience in metallurgy and knife sharpening in general. I will say that I don't have any in straight razors though. I do have other reasons for trying to learn this on the quick that I won't go into here. I will keep your advise and now that you mention this, I have been considering trying to find someone locally or in the group that would help me with my first sharpening.
Thanks again.