Thread: A Honing Lesson

This week I started a work related course; a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. I've been involved with training since my army days as a Recruit Instructor but I need to upgrade my qualifications. The course is largely teaching me to suck eggs (even the instructor said she didn't really know what she could teach me that I didn't already know - I audit training in my government department) but I'm trying to be 'engaged'.

A requirement of the course is to do some teaching, and today we had to choose three activities to teach. They were supposed to be work related; but I'm hardly going to teach someone to audit an education center in a prison (which is my job) so I decided to teach some practical tasks. Looking around home I was stumped about what to teach. In the end I chose loading film into a vintage box camera, loading a movie on to a 8mm movie projector, and (you guessed it) honing a straight razor.

It was interesting to do this as an actual formal lesson. I think all in my group were really interested in the whole 'vintage' feel of my lessons, and we had good discussions on what we've 'lost' in adopting new technologies.

Just wanted to share this.

You got my attention with "film" and "camera". What kind of film and what box camera?

Originally Posted by guitstik

You got my attention with "film" and "camera". What kind of film and what box camera?

He had me at 'honing'!

So, would you accredit your course, and would they let razor honing be taught in prison
I speak in jest, if you are going to train people, you need to be passionate about the subject matter, and it sounds like you engaged your students, therefore they will remember something, even if it is, a well dressed, short, craggy backed man said that if i keep the spine of a straight razor on the hone my film wont get damaged

Originally Posted by guitstik

You got my attention with "film" and "camera". What kind of film and what box camera?

Hi there. It was a Zeiss Ikon 54/2 box camera ('34 - '38) using medium format 120 film. The film was an exposed film used just for practice; normally I use Ilford HP5 400 film (B&W ISO 400) or Fuji Velvia 50 slide film. I use a Rolleicord III MF camera with the Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar lens, or a Gevaert Gevabox, Agfa Click, Agfas Clack, 'basic' Agfa box camera or Holga 120 GFN, but mainly I use the Rolleicord.

In the last two weeks I was given a Zenit 12XP 35MM camera; I had one before but never used it. I loaded this one with Ilford 100 ISO B&W film, but on second thoughts should have used ISO 400 due to the slowest shutter speed being 1/30. I quite like the Zenit but my favorite is the Rolleicord, and after that the Zeiss Ikon. Here are some photos, the first from the Rolleicord and the second from the Zeiss.

(Sorry I'm off the topic of honing)

Rolleicord III



Zeiss Ikon Box Tengor

Originally Posted by edhewitt

So, would you accredit your course, and would they let razor honing be taught in prison
I speak in jest, if you are going to train people, you need to be passionate about the subject matter, and it sounds like you engaged your students, therefore they will remember something, even if it is, a well dressed, short, craggy backed man said that if i keep the spine of a straight razor on the hone my film wont get damaged

Ed, you summed it all up in a great manner. My wife the other day said she doesn't 'get' me. She said I dress like a homeless bum around the house (I was was wearing baggy tracksuit pants, five t shirts and a cardigan) but when I go to work I dress WAY over the top like I'm going to have cucumber sandwiches on the lawn at the palace. The 'craggy back' is a given...As are the astonishing biceps...

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

Ed, you summed it all up in a great manner. My wife the other day said she doesn't 'get' me. She said I dress like a homeless bum around the house (I was was wearing baggy tracksuit pants, five t shirts and a cardigan) but when I go to work I dress WAY over the top like I'm going to have cucumber sandwiches on the lawn at the palace. The 'craggy back' is a given...As are the astonishing biceps...

I like cardigans and also corduroy. As for the biceps, if my arms were 3" long my biceps would look that big too

Thx for posting, Carl. 'Love the images, choice of gear, and particularly the passion on the topic. Its an old love for me.

I've been returning to it lately. The artistic and creative worlds for me are like visiting Alpha Centauri. Male pragmatism would naturally lead me to obsess about the gear (worthless) the way the new guy pants after the latest pet rock for his razors. Its very much a more personal struggle to face one's self to change our level of skill on something. So if photography bears any parallels to honing - I may have some basic skills after 50-100k images seriously shot. I went both digital and med. format - costing about what a full compliment of natural finishers would run. Now the hard work of developing skill.

If any guys reading are delving into honing - favorite lines about the learning process are from a couple members.

"Go hone a couple hundred blades and most of these questions will go away." - Holli4pirating

"At 100 blades honed, you think you know some things about honing. At 500 blades, you realize you don't know what you thought you knew" - Glen (sixgunner)

Originally Posted by Frankenstein

He had me at 'honing'!

That, pretty much, is a given. Had he not gotten my attention with honing I would not have been here to see the camera stuff.

Originally Posted by pinklather

Thx for posting, Carl. 'Love the images, choice of gear, and particularly the passion on the topic. Its an old love for me.

I've been returning to it lately. The artistic and creative worlds for me are like visiting Alpha Centauri. Male pragmatism would naturally lead me to obsess about the gear (worthless) the way the new guy pants after the latest pet rock for his razors. Its very much a more personal struggle to face one's self to change our level of skill on something. So if photography bears any parallels to honing - I may have some basic skills after 50-100k images seriously shot. I went both digital and med. format - costing about what a full compliment of natural finishers would run. Now the hard work of developing skill.

If any guys reading are delving into honing - favorite lines about the learning process are from a couple members.

"Go hone a couple hundred blades and most of these questions will go away." - Holli4pirating

"At 100 blades honed, you think you know some things about honing. At 500 blades, you realize you don't know what you thought you knew" - Glen (sixgunner)

You can draw a parallel between photography and honing. Henri Cartier-Bresson said of photography, "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst". All it takes is the perseverance to keep at it, a practiced eye.

Carl, that is some gorgeous gear makes me want to get my Yashica-24 out.