Honing, The Journey

You know I was thinking about this today while I was getting ready, going through my prep, making my "Mama Bear's Uber Lather. I used a Fily 13 btw, BBS guys, it's a great shaver....I thought about why we do this.
It is the Journey, not really the destination. If we wanted to be done 1,2,3, We'd get a Mach 4 or Fusion. It is about the Journey. I think the same holds true with honing. So many people ask me for a "Fast Hone", not the best hone, but a fast hone, Why? Me, I enjoy the hell out of sharpening stuff, I have knives, swords, Str8's, etc...and I think it has a zen like quality to it. I love taking something dull and making it razor sharp. I also feel that a slower cutter sometimes provides a superior cutting edge than something you did in 15 lapps. Maybe it's just sweeter when it takes you a long time to do it. Also, there are so many variations in steel, that no two blades are alike. So, again, it's hard to pinpoint how a hone performs for every blade. You can get pretty close, but to me, it's semantics. Especially with Coticules, by nature, they are slow. You have to make a slurry, and water it down, and there's a whole procedure to sharpening with with one. It is an art form, once mastered, very enjoyable, as I said, it has a zen like quality to it. For touch up's you can use one like a Barber's hone, but for sharpening, they take some practice.

Naniwa's are a fast hone.

Coticules are natural, unique, and each is beautiful in it's own way. I have many, and I love each and every one of them. It's the Journey guys, not a race to the finish.......

I have to agree. It's great to sit down at the table here with a drink and work on a razor or one of my knives...very much zen :)

To me each one is potentially a challenge. Some are easier to get 'there' than others but they are all a question mark until I shave test. I also enjoy the honing. If I just wanted a good wet shave I could pop a Feather into my Merkur slant and I would enjoy the shave and it would be bbs. With the straight my getting it up to speed and sometimes having to go back to the hones to improve it offers so much more involvement with my razor. That is one of my favorite things about the hobby.

To me it's our Philosophy around here. Taking the time to enjoy what you do. No need to rush anything. I enjoy every aspect of this hobby, especially the rocks. I definitely have HAD.

I like honing and I love shave testing and having a wicked edge, but I disagree that it's all about the journey. If I really loved honing, I'd sit down with a C12k, set a bevel and work a razor up to shave ready. And that razor would be a wedge that some ebay nut had breadknifed.

Yes, that is an extreme statement, but my point is that there is a balance for everyone between how much time you want to spend honing and how much you enjoy it.

Personally, I'm at the point where I'd like a fast honing setup. It's not because I hate honing, but because I'd rather hone lots of razors to get that experience then sit and hone the same one all day. I'd like time to play with buffing (my next project) or experiment with lathers and shave techniques, or to swap out one hone in my rotation for another to see what that does, or to get a bunch of razors all to the 8k level and then see what different finishers do to different blades and how the shaves are. And I'd like time for non-razor stuff too... now and then.

In essence, the honing procedure is fun, but for the most part, I don't think you feel the bevel setting (assuming you set a good bevel) or mid level stuff (assuming you do it well) stuff when you're actually shaving AND there is more to straights than honing and shaving, so if I can get through honing faster, I certainly would.

Maybe I'm just enjoying different journeys at the moment...

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Maybe I'm just enjoying different journeys at the moment...

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Yep... :)

Mac

QUOTE>>>>I enjoy the hell out of sharpening stuff, I have knives, swords, Str8's, etc...and I think it has a zen like quality to it. I love taking something dull and making it razor sharp.
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Zib

You mention Zen regarding razor honing. There is a book called "The Zen of Archery" and it expresses the same idea about archery that you are conveying about sharpening. I feel pretty much the same way.
I guess we could apply the Zen philosophy to many endeavors.

Thanks

Jerry
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Guys, the zen philosphy applies to many different areas. For me now, it's honing. Holli's into buffing right now which is cool, I'm into that too. I just think, for what we do, There's no need to rush. I enjoy what I do, and how I do it. 50 lapps vs 15, no biggie.
I just enjoy honing. I've honed razors for members for free..I don't do it for a living, so to me it's still enjoyable, it's not a job and there's a certain satisfaction I receive when it's done correctly. It's not for you to agree or disagree. It's how I feel. Some will feel the same, some will not...it's all good. Some folks just want to get done, that's fine. Some enjoy what they do it a different way. That's what I'm trying to convey, instead of hurrying up and just getting it done, slow down, and enjoy it. Try looking at it from a new point of view. It acutally helps your process.
BTW, A Chinese 12k is a good hone, yes, it's slow, but if used correctly it produces a very smooth edge on your blade. No, I would not try to set a bevel on it. I have a new toy for bevel...See post....