Thread: Is honing really that difficult?

Depends how handy you are

But it takes some time to develop the right muscle memory on different type of hones to keep the razor flat on the hone and avoiding too much pressure. (I know I still have to be very aware of the pressure used)
It takes time to develop the stroke that gives you good results, we all have our specific way, the main motion is the same, how we apply it is a subjective thing.

Did and do I consider myself handy and quickly acquainted with new skills? yes

Was only refreshing a razor that difficult to master? Nope

Do you know how to really hone a razor? Nah

Things start to become difficult and challenging when honing different and troublesome razors, they're still a huge PITA and I don't like it when I can't get them 100% right, it takes time and trial and error to figure them out.
I can't be the only one to have ruined a few razors in the process.

During that period we look for and create a specific way of honing, different types of strokes, using tape or no tape, different hones, edge tests, honing gymnastics, etc.

Learning to hone my own razors was never a question, I had to be able to do it, I can imagine many guys sharing this sentiment.


What I have noticed is that I always keep learning more things about honing razors. You always stumble upon new challenges when buying old blades.

That said, as with anything, get the right tools, get the right philosophy combine it with a good dexterity and you're off; then experience and honing a lot of razors is the only thing that will make you good at honing.

The fun part is that you can choose what edge you put on your tools. If I didn't start honing my own razors I probably would've quitted SR shaving a long time ago because of unsatisfying edges / shaves.

(It took a LONG time to learn how to actually shave well with an SR and shaving with somewhat subpar edges made my technique better because I had to be really careful and figure out the most skin friendly way to shave whilst giving a close shave)


OTOH, it's not rocket science, I would encourage everyone to give it a go. There's enough great guys and knowledge floating around on here you can easily be prepared and get going.
I know I wouldn't have figured it out all by myself, I didn't get the knowledge about straight razors passed down to me by my father or grandfather, so thank you cyberspace!

Why not start to learn on a barbers hone with a razor that just needs a touch up. Just a few strokes and done. If you screw it up just a few more strokes. The only thing you will learn honing Gold dollars is either they or you will never be worth crap. Go to a meet, take a razor or two or more with you, let someone show you how they do it, go to the next guy with another razor and do the same thing and so on until you are out of guys to hone them. Save the last razor for yourself and with adult supervision put the things you have learned into practice, await correction and modify your technique.

To the OP, first bit of advice, do not go grinding the spine of a razor down to "correct" honing issues. Learn the proper strokes to correct honing issues. Be wary of the videos on YouTube, while there is good info there is equally as much bad info.
Is honing difficult? That's dependant on many things. Honestly I believe Chris answered this best, it's not until it is. If you get a trouble blade then yes it's difficult. It takes patience, understanding and patience.
My final advice, learning to maintain a razor then progressing backward is advice I like and looking back I should have followed. Get an 8k or 12k and learn to keep the edge in shape. Then you can buy the lower grit stones in the future. Learn what stones you buy. Learn how to maximize each grit. If you don't understand each stone, adding more does no good.

How difficult is honing?
How sharp and smooth do you want your edges.

Getting edges sharp enough and smooth enough to shave ATG leaving you baby smooth with no weepers and no sting.
That takes time, effort and knowledge, according to me

A smooth and easy one handed fools pass is the standard I aim for with each blade.

Originally Posted by JOB15

A smooth and easy one handed fools pass is the standard I aim for with each blade.

I always do the one-handed fool's pass -- I have a heavy beard and I'm disappointed if I suck in my lips and can feel any growth before 2:30 p.m. or so (I shave in the morning). That's my measure of a sharp blade. I usually strop again before the ATG pass, unless I'm using an exceptional blade in terms of edge-holding. (Like the Henckels Friodur that I got from Gabrielcr78.)

Until today I didn't know there was a way to use a straight razor with two hands but there it is in the Wiki!

Learning to hone is like learning to ride a bicycle or learning to shave with a straight. Almost no one would maintain that riding a bike is hard, yet almost everyone fell off a time or three learning to ride and skinned their elbows and knees. It’s all about muscle memory (which is actually a brain thing).

I think honing is a lot of fun. The first time my dad showed me an Arkansas stone, I was about 5 or 6 and was amazed that a rock that was dug out of the ground could sharpen a knife or hone a razor. I still feel a bit of that every time I pick up a natural razor finisher though many people unfortunately do not.

The first thing you have to learn is that a straight razor is unlike anything else you sharpen, and no matter how much you’re told that it isn’t a knife, most beginners pretty much wreck one razor from knife pressure and put too much wear on a few others before they develop the lighter touch needed to hone a straight razor. So don’t start out with an expensive or historic razor.

Honing a razor is all about pressure management. You’ll first learn that you don’t need much pressure compared to other things that get sharpened, especially with thin hollowground razors where anything approaching knife pressure will flex the thin edge and round the bevels (bad) - and even scratch the side of the blade. Then you’ll learn how to get the edge to evenly hit the hones all along the length of the edge. This is most of what you’re trying to learn. It isn’t always a cinch because as others have mentioned, straights are handmade and they’re not all the same shape. You’ll need a loupe of 5-10x to see that the scratch patterns on the bevel are uniformly removed along the bevel, toe to heel (Spoiler: they won’t be while you’re learning).

Best wishes on your journey should you decide to head down the rabbit hole!

Cheers, Steve

In my view, it isn't that difficult if you have the right tools and really focus on technique. I was committed to learning and bought a Naniwa 1k, 5k, 8k, 12k and a proper lapping plate as recommended by Straight Razor Designs.

I then watched Lynn Abram's video on sharpening with the Naniwa's. I started, stopped and backed-up the video many, many times. In the video, he gives many tests or ways to let you know how you are progressing.

The skill that has to be mastered is keeping the razor flat on the stone with even pressure across the edge, which is harder for me when using only the weight of the blade.

I think you also need a properly sharpened razor as a comparison point. Rather than having a blade professionally sharpened, I purchased the shavette most highly recommended by Straight Razor Designs at the time, which is the Dovo with Personna blades.

I don't mean to say that is has been easy, though it hasn't been that hard either.

Originally Posted by Phrank

Personally, Dr. Matt's video's are not the way to learn how to manage the large variance of razors you'll come across, but whatever floats your boat...just my opinion.

For an alternate view, I think Dr. Matt’s videos are just the way to go for the reasons he explains. I’ve learned much from him.

Interestingly, I recently bought four new Gold Dollars (some of their new models) just to practice honing and setting the bevel. Had to; all my other razors are in fine shape and I had to hone something.

I wish I had a picture of a smiling wedge I tried to hone a few years ago when I first started next to a smiling wedge Glen (gssixgun) honed.
Mine - bevel completely butchered ()
Glen - smooth even bevel across the entire edge //

I recently started honing again and have improved, but I still have a long way to go. During one of my last sessions I learned how much reducing pressure on a 1k can improve the edge before moving to the next grit. I'm getting pretty confident with straight edges, but I'm still hesitant to hone another smiling blade.

Originally Posted by JP5

I wish I had a picture of a smiling wedge I tried to hone a few years ago when I first started next to a smiling wedge Glen (gssixgun) honed.
Mine - bevel completely butchered ()
Glen - smooth even bevel across the entire edge //

I recently started honing again and have improved, but I still have a long way to go. During one of my last sessions I learned how much reducing pressure on a 1k can improve the edge before moving to the next grit. I'm getting pretty confident with straight edges, but I'm still hesitant to hone another smiling blade.

Those smiling blades take a bit of skill and took me about ten blades to get it down. Doing an exaggerated rolling x-stroke takes some practice