Thread: Is honing really that difficult?

One of the things about straight razors that attracted me was the idea that I could be self-sufficient and maintain my gear myself. You certainly can learn to hone and if you stick with it there is a good chance you can become proficient.

I would suggest you do not use a 220 grit hone on razors and I would also suggest you tape the spine with electrical tape. Also, some means of magnification, there are differing opinions on how strong but generally 30x will do fine, so you can see what is happening on the edge. Start with blades you are willing to possibly mess up.

Keep searching past honing threads and asking questions. Good luck!

The fastest and easiest way to learn how to hone is to get the best razors you can afford and then go to a meet. After the meet order your hones.

Originally Posted by Badgerstate

Thanks. So, is that member now a honemeister?

He's working on it.

I'm sure he'll tell you that getting hands on help was of Great Help.

Originally Posted by Gasman

I don't want to discourage you.
If you feel you have the funds to spend go for it. And yes, It does look pretty damn easy. Stay away for cheap hones and buy the stuff that is recommended here. The part you cant see the learning how to read the blade. Learning to hear the blade. Learning to feel the blade. Then theirs the pressure that you cant see on the vids. I've been honing now for 7-8 months now. Have a collection of over 60 razors so something always seems to need honing sense I buy a new razor to restore every couple weeks. My honing is still hit and miss. Some razors turn out great on the first try. Other razors I have to start over and over and still don't get them right.

I've got one that has never turned out right. BUT, If your interested in honing by all means jump in and join the group. But remember that a single razor after being properly honed can last months before it need to go back on the stone. I've got one with 20 shaves on it and is still sharp enough for me. Another guy on the forum here has one pushing 100 shaves and still sharp.

What Jerry said-It's generally best to start with a straight straight (meaning non-smiling, no wedges with massive spine wear, etc. (though that is what I learned on because I do everything the hard way!)) that has little or no hone wear or geometry issues to work out. Get a Norton 4/8k, or a Naniwa 12k, or even a good vintage barber hone to just practice touching up blades that are just starting to tug a little and no longer respond to good stropping. As Jerry said, it's all about pressure, or more to the point, a LACK of pressure/torque, especially with the higher grit hones or when just touching up. In fact, I would say that for most beginning honers, the eureka moment comes when they learn by feel, sound, visual feedback, and the various edge tests when and how to lighten up on the torque and start really polishing the edge (assuming a truly-set bevel all along the edge, which is probably 95% of getting a great edge, and where most new guys get ahead of themselves).

As I say to my students when demoing a new high-tech app for classroom use, I can do it-how hard can it be? But again, it's a journey best started backward (in other words, that nearly shave-ready edge that just needs a little tweaking), and you will always be learning something new, especially with wonky blades or some new natural stone (best saved for later in the journey, as they are all so quirky and idiosyncratic).

One final thing if I missed someone else saying it: start with at least one known reference edge from a known expert honer that you can compare your progress against. Let us know how it goes! Aaron

Honing is a deceptively simple act. By that I mean it is simple only if you know what you are doing. To get to that point just have to be prepared for some amount of frustration as the learning curve is/can be pretty steep.

Sounds like you have the right idea to start honing on razors that you won't mind messing up as you learn. Save working on expensive new razors till you really know what you are doing.

Personally, I'd stay with synthetic hones over naturals as they are easier to learn on being very consistent as to their grit ratings. I like and use Naniwa hones in a progression of 1K, 3K, 8K and finish on a 12K. A DMT 325 is good for lapping hones. An optical loupe and a strong light source are valuable for checking on the progress you are or are not making. Again it will take a while till you know what you are looking at/for.

Most razors are not absolutely perfect especially well used vintage ones. You will have to learn to see these defects and learn to deal with them. Some are not easy to see at first glance, like uneven grinds, warped/twisted blades, bent tangs and the like. It is all part it being easy till it isn't.

Have fun and enjoy the new experience.

Bob

It is not difficult at all. It is challenging and can be frustrating though so if you love to sharpen things and are up to a challenge jump in and hone them up like you own them. You will “get it” just like everyone else here has.

Well said, Bob. +1 To that.

+1 Steel

Not hard at all. A steady hand, a practice razor you wouldn’t mind damaging, practice, patience. I now have 22 razors. Some are quality new, some NOS, some vintage in good shape; and now 6 Gold Dollar razor I use as practice razors. All have excellent edges that I put on them. I’m now at both sr shaving and honing 2.5 years. Started both at the same time. Don’t wait. Life is too short whether you’re 20 or a 120.

Take a look at this:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ary-diary.html

As long as you start with a good razor it shouldn't be to hard to learn. It gets dicey when there are geometry issues, excessive hone wear, chips etc. If possible try and find someone near who can go show you how to judge an edge, use the correct pressure, how to test etc

Originally Posted by Badgerstate

Thanks. So, is that member now a honemeister?

In my opinion.... nope! Not even close. Ha. Sense Roy wont say it, i will. Hes talking about me.
One of my issues in learning to hone is i get one day a week, if im lucky, when im not in the truck. So its hell on learning. Honing is something you need to do often to learn. If i could do a few hours day after day then what i learn one day wont slip away two weeks later when i get a chance to do it again.

Its only sharppening. Ok Roy. I admit. Your right my friend. Its not sharpenning at all!!! I hate when your right so often.

But as its been said, 8f you want to learn, go for it. Sometimes you het lucky. But frustration is the hardest part. Be sure you have a couple pro honed razors on hand and dont put those on the stone. Keep for referance. Hone others and compare often. Start with refreshing on a 12k or the likes. I also recommend the synthetic stones like Bob.

You can do it. Its just something that will take a long time before it right every time. But it is recommended again by most, to learn to shave, strop and build lather first before thinking about honing.