Thread: First straight razor hone. Which one?

I want to purchase a hone to touch up my Dovo SR that came shave ready from SRD. I just can't decide which option to go with. I don't plan on restoring old razors. Just touching up my razor when needed.

Here are my options:
1) Norton 4/8k then follow up with paddle strop loaded with Hand America 0.5 micon Chromium paste, followed by stropping on leather strop.
2) Naniwa 12k follow by paddle strop loaded with Hand America 0.5 micon Chromium paste, followed by stropping on leather strop.
3) Just use my pasted paddle strop to keep my razor sharp. I should never need a hone if I just am maintaininig my edge???


I feel the Norton would be more versatile but can I get a shave ready edge using the 8k then my loaded strop being a noob?
Would getting the Naniwa 12k make it easier to get a shave ready edge?

I would just recommend getting the Naniwa 12k at first, then getting the other stones later. You can get used to honing with a Naniwa 12 before moving to the coarser stones. You can also finish off with the Chromium paste (Crox) or not. I like using the Hand America crox paste. If you want it wicked sharp you can try their .25 diamond spray. You can buy some Crox before the stone for weekly maintenance. You will eventually need to move to a stone like a Nani 12k.

I actually use a Chinese Natural stone followed by Crox but I have used a Nani 12k before. I have been experimenting this year with paste/sprays (1-.25 micron) and stones to see which I like best. To be honest, I was getting crappy results with stones. I think I have worked the kinks out and I am getting better results on stones now. So I use the Chinese stone and Crox (for a final touch). In the end, you have lots of ways to get and keep a sharp edge. Just my two cents. Good Luck.

joepa150,

Mephisto makes an excellent recommendation. I have a set of Naniwas myself.

If all you plan to do is touch up the sharpness of your razor, however, I would recommend a barber's hone. They are available on ebay.

YouTube has videos on how to use them.

Norton 4/8's are great hones. I have 2. They get the job done, are very easy to use and are great for beginners. Eventually as you progress though you will want to try more. So, in some ways the Norton would be a small step and the Naniwa 12K would be a big step. In hindsight, if I were in your position, I would go for the Naniwa. Then later get an 8K then 5K then Chosera 1K bevel setter.

I like pastes for quick touch ups and sometimes as final finishers but not for making a substantive honing progress. It would just take too long.

Disclaimer: I only just started honing myself so am certainly not an expert although I've been shaving with straights for a long time (shipped them out for honing) and read a ton of stuff on this site.

Theoretically your plan to get the Naniwa 12k only sounds good but I'd go for the Norton 4/8k. Why? Because stuff happens and sometimes just maintaining the edge is not enough. For instance if you're stropping up and make a wrong move, rolling the edge. Or if you bump into something with the razor. Not saying it's not possible to fix these things on a 12k stone but I think it might take you a very long time. With the 4/8k you can set a bevel in a reasonable amount of time if necessary and then refine it to an ok edge on the 8k side. Follow that up with a (pasted) strop and you're good to go.

Or at least, that's the extent of my theoretical knowledge after spending far too many hours here and on other sites reading stuff.

I was intimidated by the entire honing thing -read enough and it starts looking like some kind of black art- and only recently decided to give it a try. Not with the straights I normally use but with 2 el cheapo ebay razors. Once I feel I have my technique to a good level I'll try it out on one of my regulars but it'll be a long time before I take my favourite iwasaki to the stone myself.

As for the stones: I use a Naniwa chosera waterstone in 2000 grit and then a Belgian Blue + a nice coticule (actually a 4 by 10 in coticule slab which I found in good condition on a flea market in my former hometown in Belgium). The only reason I didn't go for the 4k/8k combo is because I'm from Belgium and can get both the BBW and coticule at dirt cheap prices compared to web pricing. The coticule for instance, cost me all of 8 USD on a local flea market.

To my astonishment I was able to get one of the ebay razors from dull to acceptable shave quality -still a VERY long shot from what my local honemeister achieves of course- on the first try. The key so far seems to be to go slow and spend enough time on the initial bevel setting phase. I think this might turn out to be an interesting and fun hobby.

If your plan is to touch up alone, you don't need a 4k stone. And you probably don't need an 8k either. For maintenance alone 12k is probably fine. If you want to lean to hone from ground up, you'll want that 4/8 combo.

Originally Posted by jhenry

joepa150,

Mephisto makes an excellent recommendation. I have a set of Naniwas myself.

If all you plan to do is touch up the sharpness of your razor, however, I would recommend a barber's hone. They are available on ebay.

YouTube has videos on how to use them.

Any recommendations on what barber hone I should look for on ebay?

Originally Posted by joepa150

Any recommendations on what barber hone I should look for on ebay?

________________________________

A three line Swaty, Norton barber hone or a Frictionite 00 . Any of these three will serve you well.

Jerry

Originally Posted by mrsell63

________________________________

A three line Swaty, Norton barber hone or a Frictionite 00 . Any of these three will serve you well.

Jerry

I see some Franz Swatys for sale on the bay. What is a three line Swaty exactly?

Originally Posted by joepa150

I see some Franz Swatys for sale on the bay. What is a three line Swaty exactly?

Joe, I really suggest that you get one of the hones that these guys have been talking about as it will serve your purposes much deeper in the future, and you will be able to perform a lot more functions on a hone then you will be on a barbers hone. However, if you have your mind set on the barbers stone, contact me I have one that I do not use and will gladly give it up to support a new guy. Again, I suggest taking their advice and getting either a 4k/8k norton or a 3k/8k naniwa or even a 12k naniwa stone- I have the naniwa 12k and love it! If not, contact me.
Regards,
Tony