Thread: problems with honing

Hi everybody, I am new to straight razors and brand new here at straight razor place. Last month I am trying to search some info online about straight razor shaving honing stropping etc and anywhere I search or whatever I search it takes me to this website. Great site. I read tons of good information here but there is one thing that I am looking for specificly. Don't ask me how but I have ohishi stone 6000/10000 stone from epicurean edge. I also have couple of razors one is dovo that I got for birthday and it feels sharp. I also purchased another T/I FRANCH razor from art of shaving and I was trying to hone it cause it definetly nowhere near shave ready. did anyone hear about these stones and can I get any results cause whatever I try there is just no luck. I tried pyramid no luck. x patern no luck. everything. anyone please help and tell me can I get any help from this stone and if I could what do I need to do. Thank you so much for your help

Hi Sasal, and welcome to SRP.

I don't have any experience with those hones and so cannot comment on them directly. I will however offer one piece of advice and one suggestion.

The suggestion is that as 6000 is quite a high grit, it may just take a LOT of laps to fix a problem edge. If you need to reset the bevel, that typically is done on something in the range of 1000 grit. So if you do want to fix that edge, you *may* have to go down to something nearer 1000.

My advice is not to do this at this stage. Have you used a truly shave-ready razor? (i.e. honed by a pro) Feeling sharp and being truly shave-ready are not the same thing, and Dovos from the factory are not shave-ready. If you have not, how will you know when you get there? So my advice is to send these two razors to a pro to get them truly shave-ready. And from now until the time when they need to be touched up/re-honed, you will be able to read and learn a heck of a lot that will help you on your way. Just as importantly, having had these honed by a pro, you'll know what you're aiming for when you get into honing yourself.

Good luck!

EDIT: where are you located? There may be someone nearby who would be happy to mentor you on the honing front

Sasal, I would be impossible for me to agree w/ cangooner more. I ignored the counsel of experienced guys telling me to first - learn the shave w/ pro quality edges. I tried to learn the shave and honing. I'm called pinklather for a reason. I bled alot. I destroyed 5 strops. If funds are an issue w/ getting a pro edge - I'll do for free - just pick up return shipping. Otherwise, I'd suggest paying a known pro. Why? so you KNOW the issues aren't the edge - its technique - either shave technique or stropping technique which degraded the edge. (I clobbered my share of fine edges). It'll come. It'll come easier and faster if you learn the shave w/ a great edge. Faster still, if you can find members in your area that you can connect w/ and get some face to face tutorial time. Bring beard, blade, and your listening ears. If your travels take you near the Portland, OR area, let me know. 'Come try some gear. Watch/try honing, watch/try shaving w/ different sizes/grinds/steels. If your area has a regional meet up. its not an exaggeration to say you can learn more in a day than your could in 6mo. of reading and practice.

Keep your sense of humor with you, and as the Godfather says: have fun.

What they said.

If you are near me, please contact me & we will get you on the right track...

Originally Posted by pinklather

I'm called pinklather for a reason. I bled alot. I destroyed 5 strops.

LOL pinklather! I get it now.
I did this/am still doing this also, I have a permanent scar on my chin now from this spot that I always use to cut while shaving. It's much better to listen to these guys and take things nice n slow. I haven't got a strop yet I only have a piece of leather with a hole in it that I use as a strop and I have absolutely destroyed the thing, it only has a small portion that is still useable, when I'm confident that I won't nick the strop any more I'll get myself a proper strop.

Thank you so much about all your advises. I am in Seattle area. I have one razor that is honed by pro and no problems with that one at all. However I purchased new razor from art of shaving that I tried to shave with and it is nowhere near even close to be ready. That is why I though that since most of the work is done by factory I just need to touch it up and get it to be "shave ready' that is reason for going straight to 6000/10000. do you still think I should go down to 1000 grit stone even on brand new razor? once again I am from Seattle area I would love to meet someone locally to help me with this issue. I can always send it to be pro honed but I am really really into this "straight shaving" thing now and I really want to learn how to get it honed properly. I know it may cost me a razor or two but I dont really care Please help. Thank you for all your replies and advices

I'm hardly an expert on honing...the complete opposite in fact (I've touched up the edge on my Norton a few times but that's my lot), but have you tried the marker/felt tip pen option (I believe it's mainly referred to as a "sharpie" on SRP) on the edge to make sure that the edge is actually on the hone? With that & a jewellers loupe or similar you should be able to get an idea if you need to be working on the bevel or just carry on doing edge touch up.

Please join us

http://straightrazorpalace.com/get-t...et-yakima.html


I will hone your razor at the meet, and show you exactly how to hone it at the same time, besides all the other great stuff that will be going on..

These meet ups will teach you more in 1-2 days then months of reading and watching will


edit: Bring the Hones you have with you, and let's see what ya got working and what isn't working too

Originally Posted by sasal

Thank you so much about all your advises. I am in Seattle area. I have one razor that is honed by pro and no problems with that one at all. However I purchased new razor from art of shaving that I tried to shave with and it is nowhere near even close to be ready. That is why I though that since most of the work is done by factory I just need to touch it up and get it to be "shave ready' that is reason for going straight to 6000/10000. do you still think I should go down to 1000 grit stone even on brand new razor? once again I am from Seattle area I would love to meet someone locally to help me with this issue. I can always send it to be pro honed but I am really really into this "straight shaving" thing now and I really want to learn how to get it honed properly. I know it may cost me a razor or two but I dont really care Please help. Thank you for all your replies and advices

Try to make that meet, you will learn more in that day than you will in months doing it yourself.

If your razor won't shave well after trying to touch up on your 6/10K, it needs the bevel set. Many if not most new razors straight from the factory need a proper honing. Once they are right, your stone will keep them going no problem. If you are persistent on doingit yourself, please use a layer of tape on the spine of the razor.

Awww I'm gonna be in the states (LA) but still too far =[