Thread: Learning Curve

Originally Posted by sharptonn

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....

No one in this thread has boasted of their superior knowledge (no matter how many times this is repeated). You are self-taught, why do you not consider this to be boasting of your superior knowledge or a "blatant" disruption of the thread?

The only name calling and pilling on has come from the other side of this issue. Not from me. One sided discussions aren't helpful to anyone. They can become one sided when this kind of behavior is encouraged however.

Being self-taught does not correlate with boasting nor with superior knowledge.

Name calling... mature stuff.

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

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

You’re looking at the wrong dictionary. Check urban dictionary.

Honing can be learned. Is it hard to learn? That depends on the person and his equipment. Stones, good blades and an ability to be good with your hands make a big difference.

For me, i get the chance to hone about two evenings every two weeks. So the learning took me longer as i couldnt do it every day or every couple days, as that is the best way to learn. Every day! Im not going to go into details on honing as that has been said many times now but i will say its taken me a year to get to where i am in honing and i feel good NOW with the edges i get. In the first month i thought "I got this. It isnt hard", but then picked up a blade that needed extra work and it kicked me to the curb. Some are easyier than others. Thats when you find out that honing can be hard! Can be, but not always!

I learn more and more and enjoy the ability to hone my razors, as i enjoy restoring, and sending them out for honing would get spendy. Basicly i will give this recommendation. Figure out if you want to learn to hone, or if you want to learn to touch up an edge. Get one or two razors pro honed and dont use them often. Keep them as something to compare your edges against to know how your doing. Buy well known good synthetic hones as they are easier to learn on. If you want to learn natural stones you can but it takes more time. Usually. Not always. Mentors will help the learning curve. Face to face is the best way to learn but its not something that you have to do. You will learn faster that way and mistakes can be corrected faster.

So figure out what you what to do when it comes to honing. Ask direct questions about the process and keep in mind that it will take some time. It can be done, and you will get a shavable edge. But if you keep at it, your edges will get better and better and you will learn to want more from your edges the longer you continue to hone and learn.

Originally Posted by gcbryan

No one in this thread has boasted of their superior knowledge (no matter how many times this is repeated). You are self-taught, why do you not consider this to be boasting of your superior knowledge or a "blatant" disruption of the thread?

Gee, Bryan.....IF you read through, I did acknowledge I was helped by reading and videos. The guys put that up to help others. It certainly helped me in the absence of hands-on by someone more experienced.

As to the disruption of this thread, You are the responsible party for repeatedly derailing it.
I suspect you have just about worn your welcome out, at least where I am concerned.
Ever heard of an ignore list?

We have one and you shall be on mine the next minute.
I can recommend all here do same
I would wish you luck, but alas, it has nothing to do with it.

About the learning curve.
It took me @7 years and i'm still learning...I had to learn by myself so I read all I could here and watched youtube videos at the begining...it was hard to select info from ppl that realy knew what they were dooing.

I started off with a few sinthetics and the nani 12k SS as a finisher...then the HAD kicked in and cash was flying.
Over the years went to naturals...had @ 60-70 coticules around a dozen Eschers...and enough jnats to make a small fire place...not to mention tested all natural razor finishers I could get my hands on from forum friends.

In the end all my best finishers can fit in a shoe box size case.

It was a fine journey and I kind of stopped bying compulsively mainly for 2'reasons.
1.I considered I finaly learned how to hone...in the sense that I maxed out my skills to the degree progress is not something i'm after anymore.

2.I got to pick my hones and keep those that best fit my skill....yes you might argue here....but some people have an afinity for a certain type of hones...for me...I like versatile hones that can slurry and also be used with plain or running water....others get their kicks on arkansas...or sinthetics...or add a compound strop...it's all about taste and refining it.

Fun part was that I could teach a few beginers about honing and they made progress much faster with tutelage then I did ... also costs were lower.

At the end of the day if you can look in the mirror feel good and smile after the shave that's all that matters.

Your beard does not know the diffrence between a 1000$ shave or a 100$shave as long as you know what you are dooing.

Have fun gentlemen.
That's what this is all about.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Gee, Bryan.....IF you read through, I did acknowledge I was helped by reading and videos. The guys put that up to help others. It certainly helped me in the absence of hands-on by someone more experienced.

As to the disruption of this thread, You are the responsible party for repeatedly derailing it.
I suspect you have just about worn your welcome out, at least where I am concerned.
Ever heard of an ignore list?

We have one and you shall be on mine the next minute.
I can recommend all here do same
I would wish you luck, but alas, it has nothing to do with it.

How do you derail a thread about honing by talking about honing? We all used videos to help us. Saying most anyone can do it is not bragging nor is it saying don't use videos.

I'm sure the OP will do fine, as most people here have done.

As a time served Carpenter Joiner I learned from sharpening my chisels plane irons, the first Japanese wet stone I ever purchased was around 40 years ago, most of the time we never went above a fine Indian oil stone as a finisher, in fact, I think I still have it, so for myself sharpening a razor was not a major learning curve because I knew exactly what sharp was about, the smaller technicalities such as taping the spine smiling blades honeware understanding your progression + understanding what you are really doing and where you are going comes with experience.

Alschepis,
Do you have any hones? If so, please let us know what they are. I'd like to stay on topic and see about helping you if you want that help.