To hone myself or send out?

[Face]

I shave with SR daily, and am in an internal debate of buying stones(no clue to which) or sending razors out to be honed. I guess my question to all is if you had to do it again which way would you go, and why?

[JBHoren]

I would send it out. And, for my part, I would learn what I need to maintain its edge, and how to do so.

Specifics? A nice, used, Russian shell strop, and an 8" x 12" piece of "hard felt" with some CrOx. The videos are online.

[Gasman]

send it out. You really need a perfect edge for the first 6 or 8 months so you know what is right. Now if it's been that long or more, and you have done 200+ shaves, then you could do as suggested above. Maintaining is a big part in keeping your razor keen. You could go as far as picking up a Barber hone and doing just 4 or 5 laps too. But one wrong move on a stone can set you back and your sending it off.

[Christian1]

I also suggest just sending out and getting honed. See what type of edge you are getting as well. If it is finished on a 12k stone then you can buy a stone at 12k for around 80$ and another stone to keep it flat for about 40$. Then you could use the 12k (after it has been flattened) to touch up your razor whenever it is starting to pull. 12k stone will make edge go long time and when the 12k doesn't work anymore you can send it out to be rehoned.

[Speedster]

I've honed my own razors since shortly after diving into the sport, and I've enjoyed the skill necessary to create a smooth, sharp edge myself nearly as much as I enjoy shaving with the finished product. So, yes, I would always take the very same path given a do-over.

However, I had the benefit of some very expert one-on-one training with a gentleman who hones razors professionally. Without someone pointing out what I needed to correct and why, I may have developed bad/poor habits, HAD, and/or who knows what, ultimately creating a potentially costly, frustrating, and lengthy learning curve.

I still do not own the first hone I had my eyes on thanks to a mentor's valuable experiences with all manner of razor steel across numerous types of hones.

You need to decide if honing razors for yourself is something that you will enjoy doing or not. For me, this was never a question.

[RezDog]

Hmmm. I think if I were to do it all over, knowing what I know now.
I think I would not join this giant group of enablers.
I would not have bought and sold many many razors.
I would have still honed my own. Mail service here is crazy slow. Oh wait, that’s how I got here and got tangleed up with this bunch. I came here to learn how to hone. I did that. Initially it was the forum and some of Glen’s videos. Then I went to a meet. That’s when the game changed. Hands on learning made leaps and bounds for me. I would also stick with the Naniwa/Chosera line. 1K, 3K, 8K and 12K. After I learned to hone and restore I became an enabler.
Seriously though. You can send a lot of razors out for the cost of hones. You could buy one good barbers hone or a Naniwa 12K for touch ups or maintenance and be good forever. However, if we all just did what was needed then two razors, one brush, one soap and a barbers hone. Minimalist or collector or hobbyist, we are all here. You just need to decide on your approach.

[Hacker7]

How long have you been using a straight razor? How many razors do you own? Are you going to be acquiring more straights (see RAD)? How involved in this can you see yourself getting? Nothing wrong with having two razors and sending them out a couple of times a year for honing. To really answer your question we need more information. I have learned to hone my own. I have over 200 razors(RAD) 50 or so hones, a dozen strops and countless dollars spent on this hobby. I would absolutely do it again. Good luck.

[beluga]

I shave with SR daily, and am in an internal debate of buying stones(no clue to which) or sending razors out to be honed. I guess my question to all is if you had to do it again which way would you go, and why?

If your goal is to shave with straight razors regularly (at least twice a week), you may eventually want to learn to hone.
Keep in mind though that like many things in straight shaving (stropping, and the shave itself), small mistakes in honing may too ruin an otherwise perfect shave.

IMO, honing is thus one of the three disciplines that a straight shaver has to come to grips with.

To maintain an existing edge, a Naniwa 12,000 grit synthetic stone should serve you well for a long time.
Should the razor pick up some nicks that affect the shave, or if in the beginning your budding honing skills should let you down and you want to get your razor back to top condition, you can still send it out to have it professionally honed.

Ideally, you should also have a second razor (not too expensive - in case you should make mistakes) in your rotation. This will allow you to compare your honing against the other razor and you will still have one razor left to shave with if you should send the other one out to have it honed professionally. There are some very capable razors out there (preowned and new) that can be had for around $110 new (e.g. an Aust ⅝ with acrylic scales), or considerably less pre-owned.

I have about 60 straight razors in my rotation now and have maybe sent razors twice in the beginning to have them professionally honed. After that I learnt by trial and error.

To me it’s all about the journey and the things that we may learn along the way.
Enjoy yours...


B.

[CastleShave]

if I had to do it all over again I would buy a decent koppa (jnat) some nagura(botan, tenyjou, Meijro) and a matching tomo. 10 mins on the stone and im done I would go straight to stropping. I made the mistake of buying a shapton glass set and now i rarely use them.

[OCDshaver]

I can’t imagine not honing my own at this point. The main reason is that I touch up early. The moment I detect any degradation I give it a couple passes on a stone and were right where we were.