Thread: Learning Curve

Originally Posted by RezDog

Many pick it fairly easily. It’s not rocket science.
However if we all stated that honing is super easy and every idiot can hone, what are we then saying to and about those struggling? It remains that some pick it up easily and others require more time and help. There are a ton of things like that in life. If everyone found honing to be super easy we would not have a string of threads all about I’m having trouble honing and need some help. It would also never be the main topic at most meets. The fact remains, people all are different. Don’t shut out those that may be struggling with a smug attitude because you can do it and did not need help.

I'm not shutting anyone out nor am I talking about myself. Quite the contrary. I'm letting those know, who are asking, that it isn't hard to pick up. If someone posts that they have been having trouble you will not see me respond that it's easy and that they must be an idiot.

You seem to have issues with there being more than one viewpoint on this subject. You also seem to feel the need to imply that I am demonstrating personal characteristics that are clearly coming from you.

It took me a long while to get passable at honing. I taught myself how to hone and was happy with my results, until I met Randy Tuttle he helped me achieve a better edge. I have made many small incremental steps in my honing ability, some through trail and error, but most from learning from somebody in person. Randy, Lynn, Ron, have all spent time with me and taught me.

I have also learned a lot from watching others hone. Glenn's tape, no tape demonstration at a meet was eye opening for me. Watching Sham and Modine hone also taught me a bit. Watching Scott hone on his shaptons was also a learning opportunity.

If you think you have it all figured out then you are not learning any more.

My learning curve and skills have improved by learning from other people, be it one on one, or just watching the way they work.

If you're interested in honing, you should give it a try. It's fun or can be fun, and you don't need any other reason than that.

Videos can be useful but they're usually bad at several things that are critical to honing, like how to know when when the bevel is set. Usually I do this at the earliest stages by inspection with a good 5-7x loupe. But you also need to be able to determine an unset bevel from a wire edge, how to hone off that wire edge, etc.

Videos are also not good at teaching you the proper amount of pressure and how to bias that pressure from heel to toe during the stroke, a critical skill since most straight razors are not straight. I like to call this 'pressure management'. When I mentor someone about pressure, I have them hold a barber-size stone on their hand and then I hone a few strokes on it. They can feel the amount of pressure and feel the stone move as the pressure moves from heel to toe during the stroke. The light goes on and they can usually come pretty close pretty quickly. This is actually pretty clumsy but you only need a few seconds to communicate the idea.

You can learn to sucessfully hone without a mentor, I did about 10 years ago, but your razors will suffer much less with a mentor! If you can't get face-to-face with one, arrange to send some edges for critique as you go through the process - it's the next best thing. Mentor-by-mail lol. I'm glad to help if I can.

Good luck on your quest and welcome to the honing world!

Cheers, Steve

Going to a meet is good for beginners

BUT

Those of us that teach at them usually learn way more

We learn that there is a huge difference in perception between what we Type on here and FB, and what we show on YouTube when it comes down to putting steel to stone..

When I started out with a straight this site didn't exist and neither did face book or you tube or me tube or whatever you call them.

The only resource was the old Yahoo Groups Site (SRP) and advice was dispensed via disjoint posts and friendly advice. It wasn't easy and it took much practice and I probably ruined some eboy specials but in the end I learned to maintain my own razors and bring some others back from the dead.

So, sure anyone who has the desire can learn. Some find it easier than others and other simply have no interest in it.

These days it's much easier with all the resources we have.

Just a parting thought here, remember this site is a place for GENTLEMEN to come together and discuss aspects of this skill-hobby. All opinions are welcome and they all deserve respect.

CHOD !!!!! Tc

CHOD?!

For the OP, do you think honing is something that you will take up in support of your shaving hobby?

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

CHOD !!!!! Tc

How are you defining Chod? My dictionary says it's from Czech and has the following meanings:
course
run
going
gait
motion
action
dish
passing

To the OP, The learning curve is different for all of us.
TBH, some mechanical prowess is beneficial to begin. If none exists, it will have to be developed. Learning from videos done by good teachers of conventional methods is good as you must see how things are accomplished so you can emulate them. Also, different razors require different techniques. Knowing when to employ them is where experience comes-in.
As has been said, hands-on from someone more experienced is best. Sadly, it is not always possible to find a willing tutor nearby or a local meet to make.
Then there is the issue (blatant in this thread?) of those who try to help in a way a new guy can understand versus others who know 'everything' (nobody does!) to come along and undermine this showing off their 'vast' knowledge and nay-saying BEGINNERS advise given.
This is why I seldom participate in honing discussions. Things can get argumentative as this happens. I am self-taught by learning who is knowledgeable and who is not and being attentive to the more senior members and studying their posts.
Lots of trial and error is, of course, involved. It is quite rewarding as you learn what is written about subjects such as pressure and types of strokes.

After being in the game for 20-odd years, I have yet to actually sit and learn from another who has learned more than I, yet would be happy to.
After all, we are all learning every day!

If you wish to PM me, I would share some things I have used and watched as well as some to pay particular attention to as you progress.

If I typed my journey here, It would be long and guaranteed to draw rebukes and criticisms from those who have few post counts and know it all.
Yet it would genuinely be all I know!

Best I can do to help....

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

How are you defining Chod?

Let's just leave it simple and call it a derogatory term.