Thread: My current collection of hones.

Full agreement with Neil. As few colleagues here know at present I am only collecting the hones and once I will have more time they going to get clean, ready and used.

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

All the experts I have talked to say don't go to a 12k until you feel you have gotten as much as you can from a 4/8k combo. After a year of straight shaving I embarked on learning to hone from bevel to shave ready on a King 1k for bevel setting and the Norton 4/8k combo. After running the same razor three times thru them and a second one time I finally started getting a decent, if not a little harsh shave after the 8k. When I can get a smooth shave from the 8k I'll think of investing in a 12 or 20k for extra smoothness. Close id the name of the game, smooth is an extra in my book.

I agree with Razorfeld here but somewhere along the way the discussion took a turn for the worse. I am NOT belittling anyone who has a large collection of stones, as long as they know what each one is for and how it is used. Don't think for a minute that I don't know the value of a good stone or multiple for that matter, I have a large collection myself. I quote my grandfather quite often and this is no different, he would tell me to start collecting tools but not just to collect them but to learn how to care for them and use them in the manner they were intended. Over the years I have had hand planes, chippers, chisels, rasps, hammers, mallets, finishing hammers, wood mallets, penning hammers etc. I could have built an ark with all the wood working tools. That counts double for metal working tools, each and every one of them had a stone that was for that particular tool or type of tool. Growing up on a farm we mended anything that broke and if we needed a particular tool or what ever, we fabricated it. The underlying point to all of this is that I KNEW how to use every single tool or piece of farm equipment known and the same goes for sharpening stones. The point I was trying, not very well obviously, to get across is that someone new to straight razors needs to stick with the fundamentals of shaving and stropping not going out and collecting stones that he has no idea how to use, that's like giving a 16 year old boy with a learners permit the keys to a Ferrari and telling him to go "learn" to drive, "oh, and if you have any problens just call". Yes, I concede the point that having a 1K along with a 4/8K is good idea but for someone who has yet to master stropping IS IT? After mastering the fundamentals, starting to hone is a good idea but start off with the bare essentials and learn those before going out and buying the next one. If I have offended anyone with ANYTHING I have said, that was not the intention and I apologize.

My solution after selling most of my stones,learn how to maintain a pro-honed blade ( I use a 12K shapton)you can keep an edge in perfect order for a very long time (years).
I love all the advice that is given to newbs that do not even know how to strop or shave yet,Buy some gold dollors,get these stones,buy these pastes and sprays and practice,Thats pure B.S.
Are maybe 5 people on this site I would ever allow to touch my blades (they are the true pros).
This Syndrome of I am MAN,I can HONE,ck out my stones,truley makes me smile

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

My solution after selling most of my stones,learn how to maintain a pro-honed blade ( I use a 12K shapton)you can keep an edge in perfect order for a very long time (years).
I love all the advice that is given to newbs that do not even know how to strop or shave yet,Buy some gold dollors,get these stones,buy these pastes and sprays and practice,Thats pure B.S.
Are maybe 5 people on this site I would ever allow to touch my blades (they are the true pros).
This Syndrome of I am MAN,I can HONE,ck out my stones,truley makes me smile

dats wud um sayin man, word.

guitstik, I don't feel you were belittling anyone. I have a feeling that, and in more than general, there is a cultural, communication and experience mis-understanding going on. And it is a continual problem. This little forum of ours has members from every corner of the globe. Think for a moment about language problems (i.e. comprehension of English, the dominant language used here), cultural differences, urban vs rural upbringing, ability to communicate effectively, assuming others have your frame of reference, etc. Mind blowing, to say the least. Two examples come to mind.

One: I am a visual artist, currently working with fabric. You are a person, by your words, raised on a farm. I say red. You say red. But I see about 35 different shades, hues and tones of the generic color red. Perhaps to you, being raised on a farm with a different set of what's important see one red, the red used on barns (this may be a generalization since I can only go by what you have written). Or, you could be color red-green colorblind and only see grays of various intensities.

Two: You are rural raised, I was raised in a big city. Hand skills and repair it because there's no one near to do it for you were not part of my upbringing. You talk to me about the differences between a plow and a mechanized hoe (see, I can't even think of the - wait, it just came to me) and a cultivator and I don't know what you are talking about. Animal husbandry is a foreign nation to me.

What I am trying to say is that we, as a group, tend to believe that what we say, the tone we say it in, word choice (even spelling and punctuation) and the like is the same across the board, even though the board circles the earth. I forget, too often, that even between American English and British English there is a disparity of meaning. Add to that communicating with people who have English as a second or third language. As a result I try to keep it simple and direct as possible (at least I hope that's how it comes across).

Add to all that the fact that Straight Razor Place is a forum where ideas and thoughts can be exchanged in a gentlemanly and civilized manner with mentors and administrators available to help clarify when asked or needed.

Razorfeld, I was raised on a farm but I have three degrees in arts, science and philosophy. I attended a school of Fine Arts in Memphis studying painting and the Maters. Just FYI to fill in the voids. The farm was and is one of the central themes in my life as it was a huge part in my upbringing. I understand exactly what you are saying as there is even a disparity between locals of close proximity as say, California and Colorado.

Originally Posted by JimmyWetshaver

To each his own. For me they are a means to an end and while enjoy honing and derive satisfaction out of creatimg a beautiful edge it is by no means a zen like experience. Truth be told straight razors are one of the easiest blades to sharpen, most others dont have the built in virtually fool proof guide known as the spine to ensure the perfect sharpening angle. That is not to say it doesnt require skill, it surely does however there are other implements which certainly require much more. Lets be honest at one time this is something every man could capably do. Not the same can be said for many implements.

Jimmy, I beg to differ. I have been making knives just about all of my life, I can not think of a time when knives where not part of my everyday. In fact, I carry at least two knives with me every day. To say that SR's are easier to sharpen is a HUGE mistake. A knife is more forgiving than a SR, a knife will not flex like a SR and the angles on a knife are not as fine as those on a SR. This is the type of mentality that I speak of, no offense intended Jimmy.

With a big grin my face and to end this exchange of finely (I hope finely) defined words, meanings and ephemera, what a big bunch of wordy slobs we are. To get back to the thread of hones. I could go on and on on the merits of having as many different razors as possible (I've stopped at 38) but on hones, to say the least, I am as ignorant as a new born babe. With the help and advice of four expert honers this ignorant child has grown his collection to two barbers hone, on King 1k, a Norton 4/8k combo and a C12k (I hope that's what it is) for the day when I want to go past the mystery of the perfect edge on an 8k. At which point I'll probably go crazy and want a 12k, 16k, 20k and a 30k just to prove to cudarunner that I'm still an 81 year old adolescent with poor self control.

'Wordy Slob' now, is it, Razorfeld...

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

'Wordy Slob' now, is it, Razorfeld...

To use my verbosity to it's fullness, "I like to elucidate on the excessiveness of exemplary examples of effervescent examples of the English language." To me it is an example of subtle colors that leaves the reader gnashing his teeth after reading it. More fun than saying I paint word pictures. Would you prefer Miscreant Misanthrope?

People do not have to speak same language or to have same background to understand each other. What they need is common interest and willingness to communicate and understand each other.