Thread: Where to start?

Hello all... I have a few questions about honing a few razors I just bought off E-Bay. First a little background info. I'm fairly new to SR shaving (about 2 years) but a real novice honing razors as I got my first Norton 4000/8000 about 2 months ago and just received a Naniwa 12000 a few days ago. I get passable shaves off the Norton and the few times finishing with the Naniwa they seem a little sharper. So to my question. I'm sitting home late one night about a week ago and go to E-Bay straight razors and keep telling myself don't buy anything because you have plenty of them... Well wouldn't you know I see a 2 for 1 buy now Red Point and a Black Demon added in for good measure at $59.99.. Next thing I know I receive a confirmation and for 3 days all I can do is shake my head.. The sellers description is they are Estate collected and don't look like they have ever been used (heard that before).. Package comes and open up to 2 razors that look as if they have never been used!!! Beautiful shape! The thing is they are quite dull and need honing pretty bad to get shave ready. Since I'm a novice at this I'm nervous about F-ing these up. Do I start at 4000 and do a Lynn style bevel to regular hone, then to 8000 to 12000 for finish? Do I have to start lower than the 4000 and work from there? I actually have more expensive and probably better quality blades in my rotation that I already use the stones on but for some reason the surprise of getting NOS when I didn't expect is making me nervous to sharpen these.. I could always just keep them in their boxes for a while longer into I get really comfortable honing too.. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.. Thnx, Scott Btw, sorry about this lengthy post, holy smokes I rambled on didn't I?

I would recommend reading this thread and watch the video http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...on-2012-a.htmleos.

Good question. I started all this SR shaving because I got my grandad's ivory handled Kropp razor. I removed the scales and worked the rust off of it. Its a bit thin bladed, so I figure Ive got 1 shot at bevel setting. So, I'm learning to hone on other razors. Same with re-pinning.

I dont know if I'll be able to shave with it. But it will be restored for posterity.

All that to say that you might wait and develop skills on lesser blades. I wouldn't expect it to take long.

Thankfully I have picked up a few value priced blades that I've been learning on.. I think I will just put these on hold, watch the video Boz suggested and get more stone time in. Thank you guys for the responses. I also have a few questions about pinning, pins, tightening, removing,etc. What thread should I post question in?

That is a good thread. The secret to getting a really great edge is all about the perfect apex created on the low grit hones. I use a loupe. http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...ggestions.html Is a good thread with a lot of pictures about what you should see as your bevel develops, both at the bevels set looking almost straight down on the bevel, and then progressing and looking at the bevel from the side. There is also the option of sending them out to get honed. The bevel is easiest to get to the perfect apex using a 1K hone, nut if you are not going to hone many razors from scratch it is kind of an expensive route. If you read the previously posted thread and then the one I just linked that should give you an idea what you are up against. Also it is quite important for new people to honing to use electricians tape one the spine. It saves the razor from poor technique.

I would suggest, as Rez said, use tape. On a dull eBay razor you NEVER KNOW how much it will really take to get a good bevel set and if you are skiddish you may tend to move on without a good bevel. The tape will protect the spine and give you more confidence with less fear while honing these. IMO.

If they were my razors especially being NOS and I was not very confident in my honing skills I would;

1.) Send them out to a pro, someone like Lynn or Glen (gssixgun) for honing so you know they are honed correctly as you don't want to take a chance screwing them up. It won't cost you that much and it will be money well spent. or
2.) Put them up until I became proficient honing. I have honed my own NOS razors before but I also had honed nearly a hundred razors by that time so I was pretty confident in my honing skills.

Best of luck in whatever you decide, should make some very fine shaving razors...........