Thread: Who hones and who just doesn't want to?

I like them as I restore or clean them up. I totally enjoy shaving with them. With rare exceptions, I see honing as a chore. I do it, and do it well. Mostly so it will be DONE!
Stropping seems to keep them going indefinitely, so it pays off. Honing is work, period.
On occasion I look forward to honing them. Depends on the razor and it's condition!
Either way, gotta hone! Let's face it.....It's the crowning glory of the razor, work or not!

I use a barber's hone and pasted balsa strops to maintain my edges, but I haven't taken the step into full-on honing yet. I've been reluctant to do it because I've never been particularly good at sharpening a knife or any other edged tool on a stone; unless I've got an electric sharpener, forget it. But a couple of my newly found straight razor buddies here do hone, so with expert help nearby I'm thinking of taking the plunge.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

We'll call it the "Roseville Slugger".

would need to be corked to meet specs tho

I seem to have found my niche here on SRP. After lurking here for a month or so reading everything under the sun, I ran out and proceeded to do just about every no no listed for newbies. I bought not 1 but 2 hunks of Pakistanian junk. I have several diamond stones, Arkansas stones and a Welsh purple finishing stone,so I spent large amounts of time grinding the substandard metal on those razor shaped devices. Then being the thrifty<cheap> man that I am I scored a inexpensive Surpee that had a huge ding in the toe. I hand filed that off and made basically a nice rounded tip though slightly shorter blade. Rumbling and fumbling around got me a wicked bevel that I managed to shave fairly well with several times. I then scored a fairly decent Wilbert on the bay that had a few rust issues that a bit of Nevr Dull and some quad aught (0000) steel wool took care of. I honed that bad boy up and added that to the cabinet. I managed to hack not only the hair that grows out my mug with those two but also a bit of flesh but hey I have plenty to spare. Last weekend I picked up a green cromium oxide crayon and after turning one side of my canvas on my cheapo strop into a green monster. I went hog wild with those two blades on that and then after sanding a few nicks out of the leather on my strop, I stropped the snot out of those 2 blades. HHT? Trimming the Tops? yep. not only that managed to pull of the ol Saturday morning cartoon hold up a single strand of hair and split it lengthwise on the blades. Have managed to pull off 3 bbs shaves even with the funky swirls and whorls that live on my neck. Yep I guess honing will be part of my routine for a time to come and now Nortons,Nani's,and a slew of strops along with the tons of beautiful blades I've been seeing here and the various sites mentioned I have a humongeous case of MAD going. I love it. My wife...not so much. She seems to like the shaves and smells though . <grin>

Honing for me is a connection with my Grand Father and Great-Great Grand Father. I remember as a little kid watching my Grand Father shave with a DE and my Great-Grand Father shaving with a straight and honing his own blades. As I became older they patiently helped and explain the proper way to wet shave. They have been gone almost thirty years, I feel even more of an obligation to keep the art alive. This has been a great bonding experience with my sixteen year old son. Passing down an art that was almost forgotten. He never new his Great-Great Grand Father or Great Grand Father but for a little while through me they are there with us. What a great feeling.

I hone my razors because I wanted to be self sufficient and there is no-one in the state I am in that I could send my razors to (as far as I know). Also, as someone who is REALLY bad at handyman type things, I wanted to learn at least ONE 'manly skill'...
I also find it quite relaxing, although at times it can also be frustrating...

I hone my own razors, found it very easy from the start, thought it was beginners luck, but a couple of years on, I've yet to have any problems. On the other hand all of my razors were purchased new and are nice and straight with no wear etc.

I think I will have to get my hands on a razor that has seen better days and see if the same luck continues.

It is great fun and I would not want to have to depend on others.

I am trying to learn. Got myself a Norton 4/8 hoping to be able to atleast maintain, maybe start refreshing ebay blades someday.

I enjoy honing for both myself and others...nothing better than trying out different edges and seeing how far I can push an edge to draw the best shave from it.
It's also fun to try out different hones and see how they affect different steel, grinds etc. I wouldn't call it relaxing but it sure is fun