Thread: Quick finish honing method

MrSell, Thank You. When I naively asked about sprays & pastes, the majority responded as though I ripped a big fart in church.
I was grateful the the honorable Sixgunner for some balance in that perspective. The nutshell version was that there was a bit of an anti-spray/paste bias amongst us - but it was not shared by some of the most Sr. guys. One of the more memorable lines was that there was no edge from any stone that could not be improved by *proper* use of a spray or paste.
I personally want any & all methods - including their strengths and weaknesses. I adopted one that I still share about stropping on newsprint backed by a hard smooth surface, which helps the guys not able to afford finishers above their 8k stones. The technique wouldn't do a thing for guys w/ skills and nice finisher, but was very good for guys limited to the lower grit stones. 'Kept one w/ a beard of steel from having to send his blades out every month for touch up. It wasn't stropping - I let him use a personal blade and it came back looking like a cross-cut sawblade. . I remember hearing about Ron's work there, and my results from newsprint made me think there's no reason to suspect his results weren't valid.
My own bias is that newer guys at honing seem to view the spray/paste as a substitute for sound stone work. That makes me emphasize that the comfy shave from an 8k finish is the gateway to both higher grit stones and any other techniques that take an edge beyond that. I have the CrOx and can get the cerial box (which I recalled Ron used). I will try this just to see what its like.
Thanks again for putting this out there. Pls. don't stop posting any method that gives a great shave. Petrofiles aren't going to change, but a good part of the health/growth of this hobby rides on our being friendly to noobs - especially w/ methods that are not as costly as the gucci rocks.

Well, I like to think that trying different things is about half the fun of this sport and I thoroughly enjoy both halves of the fun. Lynn uses the phrase, "have fun" . So I do.

As far as the G20k goes, 20k = .5 microns give or take. Iron oxide version I use is .1 micron. Tell me I can't improve a .5 micron edge with .1 micron. This final polish gives me roughly the same sharpness and smoothness I get from the Nakayama Maruichi Asagi that I bought from old_school over 5 years ago. This stone was tested by two honemeisters . No compaints from either of them. This stone was rated after the tests between 30k and 40k.

I have purchased about 140 new and mostly used razors on three different forums over the years, most all of them were touted as being shave ready. I can think of only about six of those blades that satisfied my standard of shave ready. As I stated earlier, I am getting some of the very best shaves of my life using this procedure.

As far as using various pasted strops is concerned, several topnotch sharpeners have posted that they achieve success with them. Maxmilian in Vegas recently posted that he uses CrOx on balsa. Just one example. Member PeteS is a proponent of FeOx. I have shaved with his sharp edges.

Some of us elect to be purists as far as stones go and that's great as well as being a testament to their honing ability. My honing ability is just as good, I just desire to be more flexible in my thinking so I don't miss something valid.

My next experiment just might be to combine the best of both worlds and sprinkle some mystical red dust on my light green Escher. I will report back asap.

Originally Posted by pinklather

My own bias is that newer guys at honing seem to view the spray/paste as a substitute for sound stone work. That makes me emphasize that the comfy shave from an 8k finish is the gateway to both higher grit stones and any other techniques that take an edge beyond that.

As my good friend pinklather has pointed out, if you aren’t getting a close and comfortable shave off of an 8K hone, something’s not right. In my opinion you would just be wasting time, money, hone and steel by going to a finer grit hone or a pasted strop.

I find that many attempt to use pasted strops as a ‘Magic Wand’ to make problems with an edge ‘Vanish’!!

I’m very sure that pastes and such have a place, the ‘Poor Man’s Pasted Strop’ (newspaper on a hard surface) that pinklather has mentioned does work and I’ve tried it and recommend it to those who don’t have the means or the skills to hone.

With all of this said, I personally don’t use any pasted strops, however I have tried a couple. I just ‘prefer’ the feel off on the Naniwa 12K.

When I had Glen (GSSIXGUN) make custom scales for my son’s Friodur, I asked that he finish the honing on the Naniwa 12K with NO PASTED STROP. I wanted to compare how I was doing here at home against Glen’s wonderful honing. I found that I was holding my own.

Originally Posted by mrsell63

I have purchased about 140 new and mostly used razors on three different forums over the years, most all of them were touted as being shave ready. I can think of only about six of those blades that satisfied my standard of shave ready. As I stated earlier, I am getting some of the very best shaves of my life using this procedure.

Well all I can say is a I hope the couple you got from me satisfied your shave ready standards ......... and if you can't say anything nice ...... don't say anything at all .....

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Well all I can say is a I hope the couple you got from me satisfied your shave ready standards ......... and if you can't say anything nice ...... don't say anything at all .....

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I can bump that SIX up to sixteen if it will take some of the heat off me. It's 97 degrees here in Reading PA today...........

Originally Posted by Kees

I like the "conditioning stone" that comes with it.

But it's not perfectly flat!

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Well all I can say is a I hope the couple you got from me satisfied your shave ready standards ......... and if you can't say anything nice ...... don't say anything at all .....

You know, this is a rather interesting topic.

I'm sure many of us do hone all razors we receive, regardless of hone-ready status.
From the guys I know and respect, a test run of their edges is mandatory.
But either way, a new razor will hit the hones sooner rather than later.
Getting to know a razor is not only shaving with it, it is also very much getting the feel for it on the hones.

Sitting down with a new razor, finding a workable progression of stones, and getting my preferred finish on it, is possibly my favorite part of this hobby

Originally Posted by Birnando

Sitting down with a new razor, finding a workable progression of stones, and getting my preferred finish on it, is possibly my favorite part of this hobby

+1. for those of us with the two afflictions, HAD, and RAD, that is what makes it even more rewarding.

I don't think I have to say this again however I will:

All roads lead to Rome. Some are shorter and some are longer. Some are boring and some fraught with adventure. Some are easy and some harder. Some are less expensive and some more expensive and some teach us things along the way and some are like doing it by wrought.

Originally Posted by mrsell63

I have purchased about 140 new and mostly used razors on three different forums over the years, most all of them were touted as being shave ready.

I can honestly say that i had the pleasure to shave with one of Jerry edges, we did an exchange, i hone his he hones mine, the razor he did been part of my modest rotation for a very long time and i didnt do nothing to it yet and its just as smooth and sharp like it was when he sent it back to me.