Thread: Getting started with honing

In taking up the art of straight razor shaving, I realize that besides a strop, a finishing stone and pasted strop some stones will most likely be needed to keep things in tip top shape. Otherwise I will need to rely on other sources to re-hone and sharpen my razor from time to time. I like to learn and to be self sufficient for the most part, so I would like to give it a try.

I do know how to sharpen knives, as I make them in my spare time. So I do have a few stones (common double sided), and some Diamond Sharpeners.

I do realize that there is a lot more finishing required with a straight razor. So I am looking to pick up some new stones for that as well.

I am looking at the Naniwa Super Stones and am trying to decide the Grits (thinking about 1k, 3k, 5k, 8k, 12k) along with a lapping stone and holder. Are these all necessary as I would like to avoid buying roughly $400 in sharpening stones if they are not really necessary. The site I am looking at has a set of 4,5,6 stones but they all include a 220 which I do not feel I need as it is probably similar to my current stones and definitely not needed for the Razor. Those sets all leave out the 8k as well, jumping from 3k to 10k or 5k to 12k.

I do definitely want the 12k stone

I also was looking at a site online, where they used a piece of Granite and some 3M abrasive sheets to sharpen.

Looking for some good advice on the subject.

I think you should read quite a few threads. There are new ones all the time on the subject as well as a giant archive of past ones. There are videos in the library that should be watched. There are a lot of opinions and varying techniques that all lead to the same place. What helped me was to take one thought train from one source and follow it until I understood what was happening and then practiced it until, well actually I am still practicing and learning, but I have a firm foundation. If you are somewhere where you can find a mentor to teach you how to hone, that would jump your learning up a whole lot faster. Your location is rather vague, the more specific you are about where you are the more you will be able to meet with other like minded people, and hopefully learn from their experience. I wouldn't be in any hurry to learn to hone, at least not until after your shave is well versed. Learning two things at once can be a little taxing. There is a lot of good advice here on the many aspects of straight razors and the related sundry items. In fact it may require a little filtering. Don't be afraid to PM people and ask questions, especially the staff. Sometime you may find yourself wanting only one opinion, to keep it simple. I should also point out that just because you shave with a straight does not mean that you are executed to be able to hone it. It is an expensive aspect of this hobby. For the price of hone you could get a pro honing for a long long time.

Honing should be low on the leaning list for a beginner, stropping and shaving should be higher on the list. When you get ready for honing you can't go wrong with a Norton 4k/8k and a Chinese 12k or a Naniwa 12k. This will probably maintain a already shave ready razor for life. If you get into antique store/ebay razors you will need a 1k and probably a lower grit. A CrOx pasted paddle is also a very useful tool to have along with a barber hone.

For what it is worth, I currently have 3 "different" honing setups:

-DMT 1200 followed by coticule(s)
-DMT 1200 followed by an oil stone, followed by a CrOx strop
-local slate with varying levels of slurry

The first two setups give me consistent results on most razor blades and the local slate is hit or miss... it works better with old silver steel, India steel or old tools. The local slate slurry excels at removing rust, so I am using it a lot on my hand tools or as a first stone on rusty razors. It also successfully put a bevel on a razor that had been baffling me for years.

Tech you just started ,, please learn to shave first and strop well, it takes many shaves to become good at it , this way you will know if your edge is right , then take up maintaining a blade ,, pastes or the 12 k will do it and also a barbers hone is even less money, As rezdog said you can get quite a few pro honing so done for what a set of stones cost and if your not restoring razors ,well after you learn to shave and strop , honings are few and far between ,, I,m doing this for over a year now , and I still don't hone , and I shave with the finest edges around, have sent my razors off twice , the first time out it was my stropping ,, So just a few words of wisdom , here , Tc

Wow, lots of "don't do it yet" posts. Personally I have no issue learning more that one thing at a time, actually I believe that I thrive when doing so. And yes, I understand that I should concentrate on the shaving rather than the honing.

Wasn't planning on honing my Razor, at all. Actually I bought the one I shave with on the Classifieds here and I believe the seller stated one free honing came with it. I also already dealt with another member here who I trust, and will gladly have him hone for me again.

I have been watching the video's and reading the posts on maintaining your razor, and one such that I found stated to strop till it doesn't shave well anymore, then touch up with the 12k, and move to a pasted strop and back to normal strop. I've been shaving now for close a month and haven't done anything other than strop and shave. Still doing well.

I do have the interest in learning to hone, so when I order the 12k stone, and crox paste. I might as well go ahead and buy a hone set or the stones to make one up. I also love to go to flea markets, antique stores, "picking" so I sure will be keeping an eye out for Razors to practice with, also read that one way to learn is to buy 3 Gold Dollar razors or similar and practice on the first two, then when ready attempt the third and give it a try.

There are two types of people in my opinion, those who pay $20 for someone to do it for them when necessary, and those who spend $400 on the tools necessary and put forth hours and hours of time learning to do it for themselves. I am the second one.

The Gold Dollars are reputed to have geometry issues. If you want to learn on crooked razors then those are the ones to get. I think you should get an inexpensive vintage or two in nice shape. The come up in the classified here often for 30 to 50 and I think they are prime candidates. Basically you are going to waste a little extra steel getting the hand motions figured out. I don't think they will get ruined and there is no reason not to start with a razor that you should be able to get a great edge on with no geometry issues. Start from a known good spot and you will know what is happening. Start from a sketchy spot and...

Originally Posted by technoid

There are two types of people in my opinion, those who pay $20 for someone to do it for them when necessary, and those who spend $400 on the tools necessary and put forth hours and hours of time learning to do it for themselves. I am the second one.

Tech
I lean toward the latter one myself, this is why I bought some crap razors to learn, I already have 220/1k and 4k/8k stones, I use them for my knifes, I like really sharp knifes. I am new to this whole SR thing myself, but I want to learn every aspect of it just because I like to learn. Till i can bring a "crap razor" to a shave-able edge I will be sending my 2 razors out to hone as needed. I would recomend looking on you tube for Lynn Abrams videos on the subject, not that my opinion holds any weight as I am a newb, but Lynn from what I understand is a God at honing razors. Lots of luck with your endeavors.

Are we talking honing or shaving here!

Oh, and I'm western PA so if there is anyone in the area that would like to share their knowledge, I'm Game.

I kinda thought that was the point of honing, to take a razor that has issues (will not shave properly), and make it a usable razor.
Apart from a razor that is improperly ground, nearly any razor should be able to be honed. Even junk steel razors should be able to be honed, although the finished product may not hold an edge.

If a vintage razor is available cheaply then yes, and as I stated I will be watching for them.

For the shaving, I will only be buying razors that are worth while, and I do now know several people on this forum that I trust enough to bounce a potential purchase from.

FYI. Gold Dollar post was from http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...0-12000-a.html by member iceni

I know a to of guys say to learn to hone on a razor shaped object. In my mind the end game is to get an edge to a point where you can achieve a comfortable shave, and then repeat it. If you are using a razor that you don't expect to ever be able to shave with exactly what are trying to achieve. In learning to hone I shaved with my razors to judge how good the edge is or in some cases how bad is was. I'm not saying don't do it, simply that I don't understand the point to it. I practiced on razor i wanted to shave with and did. Are you going to shave with an RSO, if the shave is bad how will you know what was good and bad about the honing. Will the RSO have grind, geometry issues. That was all I was saying. It sounds like you have a network you can go to to avoid pitfalls. Happy shaves.