Just wondering if anyone out there just uses hones and strops to get shave ready and how do you do it?
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Just wondering if anyone out there just uses hones and strops to get shave ready and how do you do it?
As opposed to?
many people do. over here (north america, i guess) that is the norm.. sometimes pastes are used to finish an already shave ready edge.. it is uncommon here to use pastes to hone an edge although in europe it is somewhat more common to set the bevel on a bevel setter (1k, etc) and use a progression of pastes to get the edge to where you want it.. it sounds like you have a lot of reading to do, check out the library/wiki and drop by chat if you have questions.. there is a chat going on tonight..
Like many others, my answer is "yes."Quote:
Originally Posted by hillbillyhession
I do it by honing with a variety of natural and synthetic hones, cleaning the blade on a newspaper strop, and then stropping sometimes on leather and sometimes on linen and then leather.
That's it. No pastes are needed.
Caveat: I'm a novice honer!
If you mean do you use pastes?
The only way I get a super edge (sometimes) is to use CBN (or equivalent) after the hone.
That's not to say it's not good enough straight off the hone, but to take it to the next level I use the paste.
I'm striving to get a better edge off the hones since I'm thinking maybe the pastes are making up for honing inexperience.
I do. Just stones and strops. No pastes, or sprays.
Me Too,,,stones & strops
I don't use paste after naturals, I do use on synthetic progression and I think its 100% up to you. I don't think it makes you a better or worse honer though. Its just a tool. Besides if the edge is no good the paste will do nothing anyway. So answering your question. Yes it is definitely possible and pastes do add that little extra if you need it. What I don't quite understand about it is its like almost taboo to use them. Like you can't hone if you use paste. Its just another tool.
I use em all... paste, paste on balsa, paste on leather, paste on linen. Cow strops, roo strops... I would use others but the $, oh the $!! Anyway, diamond sprays, Crox. And oh the hones - Big ones, small ones, natural hones, synthetic hones... hell I used a brick once. It's whatever :).
I am not faithful to any one methodology. I am just not experienced enough to be loyal.
But overall, all said and done, I do find myself leaning to rubbing my blade against something paste, spray or crayon-like after the hone and before the leather.
Well this subject is included in the 99.9% of everything about buying, using and maintaining a straight razor! That 99% is all about ‘Personal Preference’!Quote:
Originally Posted by Hirlau
Personally I like the feel of the blade off of either my Norton 8K or the Naniwa 12K!
I just touched up a blade for a newbie by using a Swaty since that’s what he’s going to have available when the time comes.
I liked the shave!
Stone & strop for me as well. And hardly ever stone, even; mostly strop. Like cudarunner said, it's all about personal preference. And that's a wonderful part of wet shaving.
Mostly stones and strop. Ever since someone here advised me to shave straight from the stone for comparison, I realized I could get an almost equally sharp razor from the stone with more smoothness. Every once in a while, I'll touch up with .5 diamond on felt or CrO3 on a nylon strop.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hillbillyhession
Quote:
Originally Posted by OCDshaver
Same question, tons of responses about pastes etc: but no clarification
Gssixgun,I was wondering if there was anyone who just used hones and strops only,as opposed to spays and films after honing.And how do you get a nice mellow or smooth edge using only this method?
Me, most of the timeQuote:
Originally Posted by hillbillyhession
PracticeQuote:
Originally Posted by hillbillyhession
I think I would agree with Proinsias he put it about as direct as possible :)Quote:
Originally Posted by hillbillyhession
From your other thread you said you had a Norton 4/8 and a Swaty plus an unknown Either the Norton 8k or the Swaty should be more than capable of delivering a CCS with a simple leather stropping after a proper honing... In fact my recommendation it is sit down with just the 4/8 and learn how to use it until you don't need anything else, then it is the time to start exploring farther :p Once you master what you have it will give you the experience to judge the next steps yourself...
Now comes all the rest of the suggestions of how to get just a touch better shave :) and yes you can get just a touch better it all depends on your wants and needs...
I’m a firm believer that if you can’t get a Clean Close and Comfortable shave off of an 8k hone, then you need to keep learning the hone!
Only after getting to that point did I go with a higher grit hone. A Naniwa 12K to be exact!
Now with that said, if I were to drop and break my Naniwa 12K and I couldn’t come up with the money to replace it, I could shave off of the Norton 8K for the rest of my life!
However if I were to drop and break the Norton 4/8 I’d eat peanut butter sandwiches day in and day out for how ever long it took to save up to replace it!!!
Here’s a couple of links to Glen using the Norton 4/8K.
This is one that I watched initially and is how I developed my style of honing! It’s not exactly like his but the basics are there!
gssixgun Honing on a Norton 4-8 - YouTube
Here’s a later one with some of the ‘tricks’ to help with getting a Close Shave with just the Norton. Please note how much he strops at the end! When I first strop a razor after honing I spend a lot of time on the strops!! Afterward, not so much. It just seems to work for me!
gssixgun honing for JaNorton 2012 1.wmv - YouTube
Enjoy the journey! It’s a long strange trip but it’s well worth it!!
I really don't know about anyone else but with some blades I would used cow patties if it got me a good edge. I use stones strop's paste canvas . with a couple of my blades stones and strop is all that's necessary but others are not so willing to give up that good edge.
I use coticules, followed by a linen and leather strop. It gives me smooth shaves. But I also understand that not everybody wants to learn how to hone. That is fine, you don't have to.
I'm convinced that there are plenty of people who are actually put off by the amount of work they think is 'mandatory' or unavoidable for shaving with a open razor, which seems to include honing. It does not. There is nothing wrong with maintaining a shave ready razor with pastes (crox, diamond, whatever). In fact, it probably would be the less frustrating option for many people. Remember, most people are probably not active on a forum, and go by what they read and hear. The silent majority.
If you know one person who can hone a razor and have a crox strop, that's enough to last you a long, long time.
I rarely use paste or spray. Just a personal prejudice. After all, it is just another arrow in the quiver to get the desired results. Early on I was on a mission to get shave ready on hones and strops alone. I finally got there and the idea of using fifty cents worth of some powder following hones that cost hundreds of dollars just didn't set right with me. Now, I would use them if I felt like I needed them, but that isn't the case. Different strokes for different folks.
I am very new to refreshing and am just starting to hone. I have found (even with professionally honed razors) that the shave is mellower after a few uses, i put it down to the stropping, and use. I only use a leather strop, i have a fabric one that i used a bit but dont really any more, and a selection of naniwa/chosera hones and some slates.
I've gotten better than i expected at honing and the edges i set last a sufficient period of time. I am fortunate that i was given a very nice natural stone that allows me to maintain such an edge but I do remember prior to getting it, that pasted strops were very helpful in prolonging the edge.
I do still use the pasted strop if I'm travelling since it's a small hanging one and it rolls up to a small size.
I use pixie dust but other than that just rocks n strops
Yes just Strop after Barber Hones or some natural finishers...works great for me....
I use USPS (the Post Office) and send my SRs to a professional when they need honing. I'm still and amateur at shaving my face with a SR, I'm not interested (yet) in learning how to hone one of my babies, especially since with 5 in rotation, they only need it every six months and I figure at the beginning, I'd be doing it badly and sending them out to be re-honed anyway.
Plus for the $100 or so it costs me per year for 4-5 of them to be honed, I could barely get a start on Hone Addiction Disorder.