Thread: I couldn't help myself, it was inevitable

Well after 14 full months of resisting honing (and more importantly buying hones) except for a Naniwa 12k for touch-ups, my resolve evaporated this rainy weekend. I ordered and am now waiting for a Swaty from an Etsy dealer and Naniwas 5k & 8k Superstones. As with all things shaving, I'm sure this is the beginning and not the end!

Harold,

Been there, done that, and "hold on". It's kind of like a race track....as soon as you hit the finish line.....you realize you're standing on the starting line.

But, you'll really enjoy the challenge, and down right fun of honing. Well, right after the aggravation of it!!

Swaty is a very nice touch-up hone. You'll like it!!

Regards,

Howard

How did the 12k work for you? I've been thinking of that route. The issue is that sending things to Lynn is so cheap and the turn-around so quick, having 3 razors in rotation allows me to just ship them off for honing.

Originally Posted by MajorEthanolic

How did the 12k work for you? I've been thinking of that route. The issue is that sending things to Lynn is so cheap and the turn-around so quick, having 3 razors in rotation allows me to just ship them off for honing.

It (paired with a DMT 325 to lap it) worked great. It is a fun beginning to trying to care for my own razors. I agree on the low cost and benefits of sending them off, and have been doing that with great results too, because I had let a few get past the place where I could bring them back with the 12k, give my amateur skill and confidence. However, now that my technique for stropping, lathering and shaving have gotten better, I decided I'd get the tools before this SR craze drove the prices higher. So with around $125 for the 12k and DMT and the same for the 3 recent acquisitions, I'm in financially about 6-8 or 10 honings deep, break-even wise. That assumes I'll be able to master the stones, which I'm sure I will over time. In the meantime, I still have 2 free re-honings from Lynn and I'll have everything back to a gold standard to start from, having had 2 already re-done by Lynn and just having 3 done by Gssixgun, who did a great job too.

So the short answer is it's probably only financially smart over a 2 year period, but hell, it's a hobby.

Originally Posted by Haroldg48

So the short answer is it's probably only financially smart over a 2 year period, but hell, it's a hobby.

My theme of the day has become: "Being a member of SRP means that you never have to justify/explain yourself - we understand and we have your Six..."

Like learning how to shave with a Straight there is a learning curve.
And just like how great it was when you finally "got it" - getting a razor to shave ready is just as rewarding (for me at least)

The Gssixgun and Lynn videos are very helpful, watch all of them.

Oh, and keep your elbow up...

Smooth Shaving and Honing...

Get an ebay restorazor and start from the bevel up - it's the best way to learn - look for something with a relatively straight edge so you don't have to learn rolling strokes right off the bat. Perfecting the bevel is the key to it all - after that it's all downhill. And get a $4 LED 30x loupe off Amazon - learn to look at bevels and scratch patterns - very helpful IMO.

-john