Printable View
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 ?
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 ?
If the edge is already shave ready, you are wasting not only your time but metal.
+1 to ace's advice. There's no need to go to any hone until you feel the edge has degraded. I.e. it is pulling, tugging, feels harsh, or just plain doesn't work well any more. Day to day just strop and shave
You could strop on crox or some other paste like 1x a week to keep it fresh. You have to be honest with yourself as pastes can damage an edge if used improperly. Leather can wreck an edge also, but abrasives more so.
Once shave ready, keep it that way as long as possible using only stropping on linen/unpasted leather. Remove no more steel than the minimum necessary.
When stropping effectiveness starts dropping off, touch up using a few strokes on a finishing hone (12K, etc.) Or a pasted paddle strop, restrop on linen/unpasted leather.
When touching up starts losing effectiveness, its time to rehone.
As shaving and stropping skill increases, the number of shaves one gets before needing touchups and rehoning often increases.
HTH
No you are not..
Barber hones were specifically made for this exact use..
If you figure out a maintenance routine, say once a week, once every 2 weeks, or maybe every other shave, You have to figure out what works for you and your razors, but you could keep your razor good to go for years and years using a Chinese PHIG
IME Every shave might be a bit much, but it is possible I guess
Good questions spivey!Quote:
Originally Posted by gssixgun
How many laps(?) would you do with a barber's dry hone? After how many shaves?
gssixgun Barber Hone.wmv - YouTube
There are some ways to use a Barber's hone, how often however is going to be on you :)
this
To the op this is a vid on using a Chinese PHIG the very end finishing stage might give up some ideas about using one for touch ups
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju4oR50Miww
Would doing this cause undue wear on the razor? Or is the amount of material removed too neglegable to worry about?
For every shave over the course of a liftetime, yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by edhewitt
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!
Quote:
Originally Posted by spivey
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