Thread: My Journey in Learning to Hone

I’ve been shaving, and thus honing, for less than six months. I’m a beginner and wouldn’t expect my honing to match the professionals. I consider a razor honed when, after stropping, I can pass the razor at half hair height and most of the hairs pop off. Also, when shaving, there should be no tugging or pulling.

Learning to hone razors that don't have problems has been fairly easy so I though I would share how I learned.

My job has led me to learn how to find experts that know what they are doing and don’t give input unless it is correct. I pegged Lynn Abrams as this kind of person.

I did some research and called Straight Razor Designs. I asked what they would recommend. Their recommendation cost more, though has paid off in spades.

I bought:

$ 53.99 DMT 325 Flattening hone
$188.00 Naniwa Value pack, 5,k, 8,k, 12,k
$ 37.00 Naniwa 1,k stone
$ 18.00 Stone holder. There is one specifically for Naniwa stones if you get these.

$296.99 Total (plus shipping)

Now I had the tools and it was time to learn. Lynn has a video on how to hone with the Naniwa stones. Here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

I got to work, trying to mimic everything he did. One thing that is very helpful is that he gives you tests to use at each stage to know you have achieved what was needed. When I sit down to hone, I go through this video, including stopping it a million times while I catch up.

The two lessons that made the most difference:

• Keep your elbow up.
• As with most things straight razor related. A light touch is key. When he says to do circles with only the weight of the blade, that is what he means. If you apply pressure, you won’t move up to the next level. It takes a while to learn how to do circles with no pressure.

At this point, I have to spend more time and circles at each stage than he does.

Was it worth it? It was to me. I enjoy learning new skills. Learning has required patience and some frustration, though the closer I follow what Lynn does, the less trouble and frustration I have.

We share some ideas I see. I learned in a similar fashion. I used Glens videos. I used the best razors I could. Most were new or close to new, from well known top shelf makers. I taped my spines, and continued to tape my spines until I could hone without killing the tape quickly with too much pressure on the spine. I learned a great deal more at my first meet. There is a ton of subtle things about honing and some techniques that you will never pick up in a video. By the time I had finished my second meet and honed about 50 razors after that meet, I got to a point where I could get very, very consistent results, and professional level edges. Also very early in my honing a very kind member here gifted me a very good and inexpensive loupe. I learned how to use that properly at my first meet.

Well done grasshopper. Soon, you too will be a master. I did much the same thing. Learning to shave with, and hone, a straight razor isn't steeped in mystical black arts, is it?

I would also add, keep HAD at bay until you get very competent with the hones you have. Adding new hones to the mix can get confusing until you get a system down and it's very repeatable.

Originally Posted by Longhaultanker

Well done grasshopper. Soon, you too will be a master. I did much the same thing. Learning to shave with, and hone, a straight razor isn't steeped in mystical black arts, is it?

I think a lot of learning to hone has a ton of variables. One of the variables is the person. Some people are very good with their hands and pick up doing almost anything with there hands quite easily. We all know someone that is the least handy person we know. Those people are the other end of the scale. Most people are somewhere in the middle. A lot of people take a little more practice and instruction to learn learn to hone. It is not the black arts, more is it rocket science. :-)

I'm not going to dwell on this. I know I'm not going to change anyone's mind. But this general wisdom of waiting to start learning to hone is simply ridiculous for any reason. If the beginner wants to take honing up simultaneously to straight shaving, more power to him. The sooner he takes up honing, the sooner he'll start learning. I did it, others did it, and maybe before even learning there was even a SRP. YouTube videos are a great resource. I was into all this about three months before I ventured to SRP. SRP is a fine resource, but it's not the only resource. This is all I'm going to say on this in this thread. I'm going to make a similar remark in another thread, and that's it.

Originally Posted by RezDog

I think a lot of learning to hone has a ton of variables. One of the variables is the person. Some people are very good with their hands and pick up doing almost anything with there hands quite easily. We all know someone that is the least handy person we know. Those people are the other end of the scale. Most people are somewhere in the middle. A lot of people take a little more practice and instruction to learn learn to hone. It is not the black arts, more is it rocket science. :-)

I forgot to mention. I'm not handy naturally. Between my hobbies of guns and wet shaving, my skill has improved, though no one should hold back for that reason.

Good for you Pete. As far as holding off, i feel its good to wait. My opinion is if your learning to shave with razors you have honed you might not be shaving with a properly honed razor. In turn may keep you from continuing to SR shave because of tugging or irritation. This is the only reason i say this. Now as far as me personnally, i jumped in with both feet and started honing pretty quickly. But i had razors i hadnt personnally honed to learn to shave with. I still tried mine but learned fast that my work wasnt as good as the other razors. Im still learning and enjoy this honing but dont get much time to practice so its taking longer to learn.

JMHO.

Originally Posted by Longhaultanker

I'm not going to dwell on this. I know I'm not going to change anyone's mind. But this general wisdom of waiting to start learning to hone is simply ridiculous for any reason. If the beginner wants to take honing up simultaneously to straight shaving, more power to him. The sooner he takes up honing, the sooner he'll start learning. I did it, others did it, and maybe before even learning there was even a SRP. YouTube videos are a great resource. I was into all this about three months before I ventured to SRP. SRP is a fine resource, but it's not the only resource. This is all I'm going to say on this in this thread. I'm going to make a similar remark in another thread, and that's it.

Indeed, as others have said " honings easy, until it ain't "
I thought I was a honmeister after my first couple of bevel sets, then came some that required a bit more skill. It was a smack in the face and brought me down a peg or too.

The mantra that is passed on so much that we should learn to shave first then refresh a pro honed razor...etc etc is done so because for the masses it works. Everyone is different, yes some can pick it up, like yourself, very easily, but others it can take time, even with one to one teaching.
I myself can pick up most hands on stuff pretty quickly but anything academic Im hopeless. At the age of 37 I still dont know my times table and have difficulty reading an analogue watch and dont get me started on how long it takes me to write a post or bloody email!
So yes, its not a dark art but it is a skill that plenty wont pick up without difficulty.

I think life is way too short to not do things that you want to do. If you are up for the challenge of fitting grapple grommets to filbert flanges, and you know it is going to be a challenge, you should go for it. I would not ever want to sound discouraging. I do however want everyone to move forward with open eyes. Research is always ever helpful. I have recently started drawing. Same as honing, it is a challenge and not only did I start drawing but I started doing scrimshaw at the same time. A big challenge for sure, and they can all be done. My point was we all learn at different rates. What some may walk into as an easy challenge, others may find difficult. Some are handy with their hands other have other areas of knowledge. Given enough time and instruction every will reach the goal. Some need longer than others. That's ok too.