Thread: Razor honing videos

As most of us do, I flick through a lot of the YouTube honing videos, especially naturals. What irritates me, and I'd be interested if others felt this way is the atypical video showing amazing natural stones worth thousands, with people honing gold dollars, or cheap junk razors. I'm not looking to trash any makes of razor, I simply think it would a whole lot more meaningful to hobbyists to see the honemeisters hone a razor, that is a nice brand new, say, Thiers Issard c135 7/8, hone it from the box to the bathroom. I would take more interest if there were consequences to the honing video. I hear pro's saying the process is the same. Sure it is, but if you're just an average bloke with a dozen razors, and a progression of hones, and your wife gives you a new razor for your birthday worth $400 bucks and you go to your hones to get it ready, there are very real consequences to what you do to this terrific new razor. Your hand might tremble as your getting ready. Not all of us hone for a living, and there are real and horrible consequences of wrecking the razor. Show us some videos of honing razors, that are not throw aways. I love looking at lovely jnats, but I'd like to see people hone a razor that you must take care with, that is important not to screw up. No one stone hone rubbish, just do a honing that is related to reality. I don't care so much about how much the stone costs, but I am interested in seeing how it hones a razor that isn't junk.

Send that $400 TI to me, problem solved! Glad to be of help sir.

Cheers, Steve

I'm a bit of a razor honing video snob. If I see a Gold Dollar pop up I stop watching the video, likely never watching that particular channel again.

My skeptical nature makes me mistrust a Youtuber shaving with or honing a Gold Dollar. Are they selling something?

Which one Steve, the Bijou De France, the polished Ram's horn, or the two Spartacus! Over the last three years I've gravitated towards new razors. I had some bad experiences with vintage or used razors, and so In my box of razors in my rotation, of the 15 razors, I just counted and 12 of them were bought brand new. That's why I get irritated by the constant streams of videos honing rubbish razors. Not everyone is a pro, and it's great fun un-boxing a new razor, and whether or not people wish to concede it, it is important not to do it badly. There are consequences for normal guys, so show me the videos! I hear those saying, they are expensive. Well, how much cash have we splashed on jnats? Bet it's more than your razors....lol

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Seriously, I understand your sentiment, but I don't hone a high dollar razor differently from a cheaper one other than an hour's work to even get to the bevel setter with factory Gold Dollars. But the apex of a Gold Dollar doesn't know it's a $6 razor, it has to be finished the same way.

And we all have our 'oops' now and then, I tap the edge of nice razors against the hone once in a while (rarely but it happens) just like the beaters. With a minimum of caution there isn't likely to be damage that can't be removed with the bevel setter. It just happens.

So maybe a better response is how to reduce the chances of borking your edge and starting over?

First and foremost, don't hone when you're tired or just don't feel like honing. This is when I make most of my mistakes and just don't get the edge I'm used to.

2. Don't sling water or slurry off the razor (or hone, or the nagura). Once in a while you'll sling the razor or the hone. Wipe 'em off.

3. Keep your honing space uncluttered. Stuff close together occasionally collide and a razor edge should not be one of them. Keep the naguras, diamond plates, magnifyers, rolls of tape, etc stowed when not actually being used, or at least far away.

4. Give yourself enough undistracted time. Don't hone in a hurry, it's almost as bad as honing tired, and I don't enjoy honing in a hurry.

Well those are a few tips that might help, or not!

Cheers, Steve

I'm not saying I'm hung up on honing new or expensive razors, or have a new disorder developing, I just don't like videos of honing poor razors. What is trying to be achieved by the video? Is it a tutorial or is it an ad? I reckon I would enjoy a video much more if it had some sense of reality to it. First and foremost I don't watch YouTube videos when tired....lol

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Most YouTube honing videos make me tired...

Cheers, Steve

Most Vids made nowdays are by FB stars, there are many many of them

Most of the Instructional vids were done years ago, not much has changed really Bevel, Sharpen, Finish, the newer vids are by people trying to make a name and one way to do that on FB is to talk about how great GDGD's are...

Controversy sells clicks

I have to agree. Now I don't watch a ton of honing videos but when I do, if I see a GD or someone taking the spine down to get it to lay flat I stop that video. Just not fun to watch a $7 razor be honed and without care.

I don't know-it takes some know-how to get some of those wonky GD's to where they will hone up at all-one more tool to have when you need it. There's a whole lot of interest and expertise on that on the other forum-mods and custom contests that they obviously have a lot of fun with; many say they shave just as well as the vintages once you get the geometry issues worked out. I've never bought one myself, so just going by what I see and read-I've gone mostly down the beater vintage path myself to save money and learn how to restore them. Plus I just like the history and vintage vibe.

If I watch and learn from a good honing video, I don't know that I've ever thought much about what type of razor they are honing. Myself, and I think most feel this way-I take maximum care to take it through the progression and max out my results with any blade, be it a $10 Ebay beater or a fine Solingen or Sheffield. But then I'm not expert enough to make honing videos (and then get picked apart mercilessly in the comments sections).

Now if you want to watch good JNAT videos, the best I've seen are Kieth aka TomoNagura (I love his no BS banter as he hones-"This ain't rocket science"), MainaMan aka Stefan, and Robert Ortiz. All seem to know what they're about regardless of what they're honing. The beauty of YouTube is you can watch what you like, stop it, skip it, get what you need on almost any subject.