Thread: What Do You Think About The Shapton 30K

Well this is a fascinating thread. The hunt for the perfect edge. But bear in mind, that honing a razor isn't rocket science.

40 years ago every barber in the world knew how to hone any kind of razor perfectly.

They didn't have fortunes to buy exotic hones. They simply used the tools at hand. Mostly coticules and thüringian hones as finishers. Most barbers only had two hones, the first a bevelsetter in the 1k range.

What they did have, was time and practice. And that's the key to the perfect edge. Practice over and over again.

Athletes in the Olympic practice up to 10.000 hours to master their sport. Any good craftsman must do the same. I'm a electrian and my apprenticeship was 4,5 years. It took further 2 years for me to become master. And Denmark, where I went to school, has some of the worlds best educations system.

I been honing knifes and razors since I was a boy, nearly 35 years now. I was taught the craft from my father and my two grandfathers one a smith and the other a wood carver.

Today I can hone almost any razor out there, but once in a while I come across a razor that is degraded to much, or one where the steel is to bad a quality.

I got MANY hones, because I collect them like many on this great forum, but I usually finish on my grandfathers old coticule. When honing a new razor, or when I do a restore, as I mustly do, I use the Naniwa SS 1k, 3k and 8k first.

When the steel is very hard, as on Swedish razors or newer Germans it's possibly to go higher in the grid. Using complete control a Sharpton 30k can polish an edge further, but it is very easy to overhone the edge or making it to brittle.

And thou I tried to go down that road I find that my coticule leaves a smoother edge that is more comfortable shaving with. Some razors I only finish on my favourite Ecsher, a heirloom from my woodcarving grandfather.

Therefore I sold my Sharpton 30k. It is possible to use it on the right razor. It all comes down to the steel and the craftsmanship of the honer.