Thread: Honing now vs long ago

I was thinking. Even though we search for old hones. Im thinking the shaver of long ago didn't do what we are doing. For them it was just a shave. I'm sure they wanted it comfortable. For us now its more for the enjoyment of the shave. Pampering ourselves. Exploring all the different aspects of the shave.
Does anyone have evidence that they were as crazy as we are today.

this from the arkansas website.
however i personally believe that the use of pasted strops was more common than today.thinking logically about it(and being a bit of a tramper)it would be nearly impossible to carry along an array of hones back in the old days(think horseback) etc a bevel setter and a pasted strop would be more nearly likely. Just my opinion from my own personal traveling about in the woods/trails.cheers.[emoji4]

Based on my flea market finds, I'd agree that pasted paddle/loom strops were more common than high grit stones. To date, I have only picked 3 sets with stones but I have a drawer full of old paddle strops.

I have heard that some of the old loggers "discovered" that they could strop their razors on wooden posts that were painted green and it would sharpen them up good. No doubt the green paint was a chromium oxide based pigment.

The difference between Then and Now was really in the razor edge as it came from the factory..

They really only had to maintain the edge, razor came with actual bragging rights about the edges, many were Hair Tested (Sound Familiar) they also had an entire workforce out there called Cutlers that sharpened and repaired tools & knives which back then included SR's unlike today.

But yes many here have taken the edge to an entirely different level then just "Shaving", many here are in it for the Sport of chasing the best edges, it has nothing to do with just everyday shaving for some of us...

I am also of the opinion that pasted strops were the norm back in the days. The evidence is certainly in old wedges with lots of irregular 'hone wear'. JMO

Lesser known is the use of lead like a paste. I guess it all depends on how far back your talking about. Some of the older hones I have can do it all. 1 experiment I tried was using a #20 Frictionite to set bevel and finish. It worked fine and with only a linen and leather stropping I had a nice shaving edge. Royalcake ( a very nice guy by the way) gifted me a 00 Frictionite which I have had no time to play with really. I did refresh a Satinedge with it and having done so I can can tell you that I believe back in the day they were more practical when it came to honing a blade. If 1 stone could do it why would they need more ?

Not much to add, but wow! I wish someone would gift me a Frictionite 00!

I think probably back in the day there were much better knife sharpeners around (like the mentioned cutlers) whereas today our breed gets a funny look if we bring up sharpening knives in public, heh.

It is not that far past in history that people lived in one of two groups, the very wealthy and the very poor. For most of the very poor there was likely one razor per house. The very wealthy unlikely would have done their own sharpening. Sharpening was a profession and that is likely who would set a bevel or refined an edge. Except barbers I cannot see anyone else having their own hone. Middle class is a very new concept, and so is disposable income, except for the very elite.

No question that back in the day, things were delivered to the user in ready to use condition, compare Vintage TI’s to today’s offerings.

I have a Pre-war Belgium Browning High Power that the slide feels like it’s on ball bearings and will shoot circles around my 70’s Gold Cup and old 5 screw S&W revolvers with actions smooth as glass, from the factory.

When I started in the 70’s a Washita was used to bevel set for repairs, chip removal and maintained on a 4 or 6 in hard Translucent Ark, linen and leather.

The difference is time, we do all the over the top stuff, because no-one wants to put in the time. Before, TV, Cellphones, and computers, we had time.

Probably the edges were about the same, there is nothing wrong with what we do, like using a synthetic lube on the Browning.

The other day I was talking with a guy who was fixing a steel gate and could not adjust the hinge because the adjustment bolt was lightly tacked to the nut. He said he would get it next week when he could get an angle grinder. I told him how about a file? He looked at me like I was crazy.