Thread: Question from a new guy about hones and which to buy ?

I basically followed the advice of the members here.

While there is no rule that you can't learn to hone and shave at the same time, it is recommended you learn how to shave proficiently with a straight razor first. Learn what a shave ready edge feels like, and learn through experience the ability to tell when it's beginning to need refreshing. Along with learning to shave first, is the fundamental requirement to learn proper stropping skills - without that - it's all moot.

For me, after learning that I could "refresh" my razor using some crox, I did that.

Then I knew that I could purchase a finishing stone, like the Naniwa 12k, and with that alone, I could basically keep my razors shaving forever, as long as the bevels were intact. Many stop at that point, unless you plan on honing lots of razors, from setting the bevel up to finishing, it's a big investment. For me, it was part of the hobby so I wanted to learn, but only for that reason.

So I'd recommend learning to shave with a straight first, establish good stropping skills, learn to bring back the edge with paste, and then invest in a finishing stone to refresh your razors. At that point, you can decide if you want to take the plunge.

Hope this helps.