Thread: Beginner honing confusion

Originally Posted by Gasman

It take time, just keep at it. I bet i put 150 hours into honing before i was getting most all my blades really sharp. Some were easy but other were a bare it get right. I still have issues now and then. Lynns ans gssixguns vids are close to the same process so watch them hone and learn to feel the razor. Good luck and keep it up.

+1. Great advice here! Don't expect miracles your first time out of the gate. Lynn's and Glen's (gssixguns') videos are great resources, especially if you need a visual component to go along with what you read on the threads. From what I've read, the HHT has some nuance and can easily throw off a novice. Actual feel and performance from a shave test is a better place to test the results you're getting from your honing as you practice and improve.

Patience is a must as well. I treat honing like yoga or any other type of meditative / relaxing activity. Honing isn't a task or chore to be accomplished--it's an opportunity to tune out the external world and all the crap and appreciate the intersection of science and art that comes together to make a straight razor keen.

I can tell when the blade is ready by using the test Lynn does. First, pull you thumb with no pressure across the blade, not along the blade, and see if it grabs or sticks. Once you've done it on a well honed edge and one that isn't, you will feel the difference. Second, I run the razor blade against the hair on my arm have way up the hair. If it pops and cuts hair, its ready to go. The fun is in experimenting with different stones, strops and techniques and developing a procedure that gives you the edge you want. It's like the TV show Kung Fu and your the grasshopper. Nothing like shaving with a razor you honed and getting the BBS shave results.