Pyramid or Circle method for newbie?

**10Pups** · 10-26-2014, 09:26 PM

Less is more with touch ups. If your blade is dull in only 30 shaves then it probably just needs a great stropping session :<0)

**JimmyHAD** · 10-26-2014, 09:37 PM

Originally Posted by Straightandproud

It is my first razor. I have been shaving with it exclusively since I started on this addictive journey. I recently purchased a vintage 11/16 Robeson Shuredge. it is in good shape but not shave ready. I need to touch up my old standby and then move on to the minor restoration. Just thought it might be smart to try the light duty work before I jump into the deep end. If I know me, I will have ten of these things in no time. I have in the last few weeks finally achieved a very good shave on a regular basis. That is why I have moved on to this stage in the game.

Robeson made a darn good razor. Get some form of magnification, eye loupe 20 or 30x works, a microscope @ 40x is real good too. Check for the evenness of the bevel, any micro chips. Use a sharpie or magic marker and paint the bevel. Do a few X strokes on the 4k and see if your stroke is making contact all the way from point to heel. If it is, wipe residue of the marker off and set the bevel. Once the bevel is set with a positive TNT do another 10 X strokes and then start the pyramid.

Do the pyramid over again if the razor ain't up to snuff when you're done. Circles are fine if you've already learned to hone, but I think they have the potential to remove too much too soon if you're not experienced. Oh, and use one layer of electrical tape on the spine when you are starting out honing. Once you feel confident in your honing either continue to use tape, or let it go by the wayside. Until then your spines will thank you for using tape. Just IMHO.

**eddy79** · 10-26-2014, 10:22 PM

If only touching up a shave ready razor I would only be doing 6 - 10 light strokes on the 8k followed by a good stropping. Good luck

**Euclid440** · 10-27-2014, 12:30 AM

Spot on advice by Jim and Jerry.

1. Strop, first
2. Look at the edge with magnification
3. Touch up on high grit stone.

Before you put your once shave ready razor on a stone, strop that puppy 100 laps then shave it, if still lacking try a 100 more. Keep the spine on the strop.

Do not hone a razor, if you do not have magnification…

Look at the edge, with magnification you may have other issues and a 2-3 dollar loupe will tell you and determine the course of action.

Before you put the Pro honed razor on a stone, if the stropping does not bring the edge back and a magnified examination does not show any major chipping, pick up a flat Barber Hone, for touchups, 5-10 dollars. A touch up is a very light high grit, finish honing, just a few laps lite laps on a very high grit stone to bring back, just the edge.

Once a razor has been Bevel Set, fully honed and shaving well, you should be able to easily able to revive the edge, without a full Bevel Set Re-hone. I fear you may do more damage than good, and it really should not need much.

**shallard** · 10-27-2014, 11:35 PM

Mr Lynn Abrams explains how to use various methods to refresh a razor in this video, which I found to be very useful myself. He talks about using a small pyramid to refresh around minute 16:00. His demo is with the Naniwa 8k & 5k, but the same could easily be done with a Norton 4/8 combo.

Straight Razor Honing-Refreshing Straight Razors:

**Utopian** · 11-01-2014, 06:40 AM

Apples and oranges.
They are not the same thing.

Pyramids and circles are as comparable as green and 12.

Pyramids are a sequence of strokes on alternating hones while circles are a particular type of stroke. Sorry, but they are not comparable.

If the razor was pro-honed and shaved well but no longer does, then start with a minimal effort first, as the odds are good that that is all that is necessary to bring the razor back. Try 5 to 10 strokes on the Norton 8k, then strop and shave. If that brings it back, then you are good to go. If not, then try it again. Only if it fails again should you consider dropping down to a 4k, which really should not be necessary for a touch-up. 10 to 20 strokes on a 4k followed by 10 to 15 strokes on an 8k should be all you need. I don't think you need to bother with either pyramids or circles, or apples or oranges.

**Maladroit** · 11-01-2014, 09:21 AM

Utopian's advice is solid. This is more or less the method I use for refreshing; sometimes I start at a 12k hone but the Norton 8k is capable of producing a first rate shaving edge - with appropriate stropping of course.

**Straightandproud** · 11-02-2014, 04:22 PM

I stropped it 100 laps and no real difference on last night's shave. Acceptable but not great. Just gave it 10 passes on the Norton 8k and it popped the hairs on my arm like when it was new from the honemaster. I will give it a good stropping and try it out on my next shave.

**gssixgun** · 11-02-2014, 06:02 PM

Going to try and help another Idahoan out here

We have two meets in the area each year I promise they are worth the time and effort to make it to at least one you will learn more about SR's in one day then months of asking questions on here

send a PM to Sean tell him Glen sent ya

http://straightrazorpalace.com/members/seanreum1.html

Sean is a bit ahead of you with honing maybe you and he could sit down and work though some razors together

If you are coming up to the Northwoods anytime soon fire me a PM and I would be happy to sit down over a cup of coffee or a cold beer and teach you about honing, in fact maybe you and Sean could head this way together

**AFDavis11** · 11-02-2014, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Straightandproud

I stropped it 100 laps and no real difference on last night's shave. Acceptable but not great. Just gave it 10 passes on the Norton 8k and it popped the hairs on my arm like when it was new from the honemaster. I will give it a good stropping and try it out on my next shave.

Bingo! Don't miss an op to sit at a meet-up. Pyramids are used by beginners, the Circle method by intermediate users, and a simple sequential method is used by experienced practitioners. Once a razor is appropriately honed, it does not need to be "honed" ever again. It is only "updated" by light strokes on a high grit stone.
Purchase of a professional honing of a razor can be money well spent. It takes more knowledge than most people possess, but a honed razor, barber hone, and strop, should keep you shaving for a life time. There is no need for further honing until you chip it.

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