Thread: Quick Hone Pre shave ??

Originally Posted by edhewitt

Would doing this cause undue wear on the razor?

For every shave over the course of a liftetime, yes.

For the OP, you can probably get away with this for now just to keep your razor going and your shaves smooth. But you'll find with experience and improved shaving and stropping technique that your edges will start to last longer and longer.

Just as an example, nowadays I can count on one hand how many times I have to pull out a hone or pasted strop in a year.

gssixgun is always impressive with his technique . Think ill bring out the Chinese again for the Gold Dollar this morning!

Originally Posted by spivey

So I hone my own. getting better. New to straight razor.

I strop on linen and cowhide before my shave,. Edge seems sharp.

Just wondering if a few passes on a Chinese 12k before strop is of any benefit or should i reserve this for when I hone only?

My thought is even though the razor seems sharp a few strokes on a 12K will keep it nice and fresh.

Am I wasting my time doing this ?

The C12k hone is very slow. Your not really removing much metal with 3 passes, it's negligible. However, I wouldn't do it before each shave, Maybe every 5-7 shaves, something like that. Maybe 3 no pressure strokes and a mist of water, No slurry, like a Barber's hone. If done correctly, I can't possibly see how you'd hurt anything. You have to be proactive with it. If you wait until the blade starts tugging and pulling, it may be too late for the C12k. You want to maintain it, not let it degrade. That's been my experience.

I have a very tough beard. I kept a blade shave ready over a year using just a Barber's hone (3-5 passes) very much like your Chinese 12k with no ill effects to the blade. Glen (Gssixgun) has one he keeps up in a similar fashion going on 5 years I believe. If used correctly, it's all you'd ever need.

You have to find the in between point.

Dual threads merged