Thread: a good all rounder??

I'm sorry if this has been asked before. I did do a search, but didn't seem to find much.
I just had my razors professionally honed. And they are awesome! But other then stropping (which I do before each shave) how can I maintain my blades?? And how long can I in theory keep them going before I need to do a proper sharpening? I've been looking at getting a lapped barber hone. Would this be the best option for my needs? Or is there a better option? I can't help but think that there must be a better option/product other wise someone would be making and selling new barber hones.
Thanks fellas!

Besides a barbers hone you could use a finishing hone. There are many to choose from and they can be natural or synthetic. You can maintain your razor by lightly touching it up on a high grit hone. Find out if your spine was taped or not when it was last honed since that will play into how you do touch ups.

Check out the threads here about barbers hones and gssixgun has a YouTube video on how to correctly use a barbers hone.

Hope that helps!

I've had good results by using a pasted balsa strop and a barber's hone. I touch my razors up about every 12th shave or so. The first touch-up after a razor's been to a honemeister, I strop on the pasted strop. Mine has CrO on one side and FeO (a finer grit than the CrO) on the other. I do about 20 laps on each side, CrO first. Then 12 shaves later, I do about 10 laps on the barber's hone and finish on the pasted strop as before. And I just keep alternating like that. I haven't had to send a razor off to be honed in quite a while, except when I get a brand-new one or buy one off of eBay that I know isn't shave-ready. Have fun!

I am with Durhampiper - I prefer the pastes. I have however tried them all. The barbers hone being the hardest to master (for me) produced some awesome results but wasn't as consistent as the pastes.

A little coti worked well - but again it worked better on some blades than others... again, not as consistent as pastes.

The CrO was awesome but I needed to tone it down a bit as that first shave afterward was for real!! Ultimately, Dovo pastes have worked the best for me. Though, anything will work once you master it.

Originally Posted by earcutter

The CrO was awesome but I needed to tone it down a bit as that first shave afterward was for real!!

I should have added that after using the pasted strop, I strop on leather about 70-80 laps before that first shave--tames that harsh post-paste edge down.

Barber hone, Naniwa 12, Shapton 16, pastes, and many others. I personally like the Dovo black paste for some razors and use a barber hone for the others. I often strop on newspaper for a final polish.

I've heard that using only pastes, one will eventually have to go to a hone when the paste no longer brings the edge back. Dunno about that last sentence as I've never used pastes exclusively for a long enough time to test it.

Lately just barber hones and newspaper are used because the barber hone cuts fast; 3 to 7 laps is usually plenty.

Originally Posted by Sticky

I've heard that using only pastes, one will eventually have to go to a hone when the paste no longer brings the edge back.

I think that's true, because when you're using a paste, you're still stropping. The pastes take off a little metal, but stropping also rounds the edge over time (according to what I've read here), and that's what a dull edge is. But when you're using a hone, with the edge leading, you're taking metal off and restoring that V shape.

But pasted strops and barber's hones are edge maintenance tools. If your razor gets really dull, you have to do a full honing or have it done.

The best place for pastes and powders is on a firm bench or paddle strop.

That takes out any effect due to 'sag' on a hanging strop - even a strip of trued-up balsa wood will eliminate sag and rounding. It's not much of an issue with plain leather strops because abrasive pastes and powders cut rather than burnish - 5 - 10 laps on green chrome oxide will refresh an edge.

Personally, unless I knew the exact grit rating of a barbers hone I would avoid buying one - some can be quite coarse, some very fine. The last thing you want to do after having your razors professionally honed is use one of the coarser barbers hones on them - an authority on them who used to post here has said that a lot are in the 9 - 10k range, and only a few above 10k. Good green chrome oxide is more like a 30k equivalent.

Regards,
Neil

If you are wanting to avoid an extensive hone collection, lol I would get 2 things. A paddle strop treated with Chromium Oxide and a Norton 4/8K water stone. These with a good leather strop are enough equipment to keep your razors producing BBS shaves indefinitely. Eventually a retouch will need to go the 8,000 or so range stone and the 4,000 would be there when your bevel needs refreshing. Barber hones can be cool but many of us have gone through junky ones until we found a keeper. With the Norton you are getting consistency.

I have used the 4/8 Norton and I am very happy with the shave I get from it. I figured I would learn what I can do and what it feels like to stay with that basic set up. I have resisted the temptation of collecting hones and pastes and films and etc,etc. I use a linen strap from an old hanging strop and a piece of horse hide on a board to maintain my rotation. I have purchased a few barbers hones and there is definitely a difference in each one and I was just thinking about trying one out. I have a NOS DD hone with 2 sides that is going to remain NOS. I can feel a big difference in the texture of the other 2. 1 is more course than my 8k and the other is a lot smoother. I think barbers hones were made back in the day in an attempt to replace stone (for obvious reasons). Today they can manufacture stone type hones easily with control over the grit so why go backwards ? I see paste as a polish after stone before strop and is the step before going back to a hone or to keep from going to a hone. And this may be why you should go this route. If you already know how to strop properly the next step in keeping your blade it's sharpest would be an easy move with pastes. Moving on to a hone would be skipping a step like I may be doing. Then again I may reconsider my move to refine the edge once I try out one of these barbers hones :<0)