Thread: my first hone

Hi guys,

I'm looking at getting my first honeig stone and would like some advice.

The stone I'm looking at is double sided with a grit of 2400 and 4500. What do you guys think of that for a first stone?

Also, has anyone got a good video or link to one on YouTube for how to hone?

Thanks in advance
Tim

Try here:
Category:Straight Razor Maintenance - Honing & Stropping - Straight Razor Place Library
~Richard

Try GSsixgun or Lynn Abrams for videos.

That hone mentioned has mid range grit and would not be good first hone.

Generally, hones 8K or above are chosen for finishing or refreshing straight razor edges. 1K through 6K hones are chosen for honing straight razors in good condition that need a bevel reset before finishing. Hones below 1K are used for restoration of badly chipped or misshaped blades. Course hones can remove a lot of steel quickly and need to be used with great care.

HTH

Not everyone needs to hone. You should be able to maintain your razors with high grit hones or barbers hones. If you are doing restorations or have a lot of razors it makes sense. If you just want to then that too has merit, but buy a good set of hones. There are several proven brands. If you are looking for recommendations on touch up hones then you need to stay in the higher grits. Anything in the 8K+ could work. Just a thought.

I also just bought my first hones and the consensus is to start with a 12k. The naniwa 12k superstone is typically recommended and what I chose. The benefit is that very high grits will not cause considerable damage while still learning proper technique. If our technique is lacking with low or mid level grits, it will take far more time to correct.

If you're set on also getting midrange stones, consider the norton 4k/8k combo stone in addition to the 12k naniwa. That will allow you to set a bevel.

Don't forget to lap them! And a loupe helps me as a beginner. Good luck brother!

Is it not the case that if you start with a truly shave ready razor, a properly used 12K hone or barbers hone should allow you to keep your razor shave ready for a long, long time? And where in the hell do you get a basic barbers hone? Not in the classifieds here, I'm afraid.

Barber hones are a tricky one. They are not all created equal. Some are not so good, some are fantastic and there is a range in between. There re a few spots where they come up every now and again. Quite a few of the guys here have a little collection of them. Perhaps you could try a wanted to purchase ad in the classifieds. Looking to buy a high grit barbers hone for maintenance or finishing. It may surprise you how many responses you get or what comes your way.

tim85a,

The Norton 4/8k or the Naniwa 3/8k are excellent stones to start with.

Later on, you can add a ca. 1k for bevel setting, and a ca. 12k for finishing.

The 4/8 (or 3/8) are the meat and potatoes of a hone set.

GSSixgun's videos are superb

http://www.youtube.com/user/gssixgun/videos

Have fun

Best regards

Russ

But about that: If I am starting with a truly shave ready razor, can I get by with one hone just to touch up, without having to send it in for more thorough honing, and last a long long time? And if so, wouldn't that be a finishing hone I would be using for that purpose, like a 12K? Or does an 8 do that job?