Thread: Daily Honing?

I just wanted to know how many out there touch their razor up daily with a coticule or other high grit honing item? I have heard that honing only needs to be done once every few months or so, but I find that shaves right off the hone (and stropped of course) are much better than those when I just strop an unhoned blade (even if it is the second shave after honing). Does a few laps on a dry coticule before each shave constitute overhoning? Will it damage the blade or cause a NOTICEABLE decrease in the life of the blade?

I wouldn't say that the blade is dulling too quickly, I still get a good shave even after a week of daily shaves without honing, but I really like that sharp sharp edge - however I don't want to do something that will wear the razor out prematurely or damage the blade/bevel/etc.

Ray Zorr,

You won't harm the blade with daily honing if your technique is good; you will, however, prematurely wear the blade. If the daily hone is what it takes for you to get the best shave, you may just have to accept replacing the razor somewhere down the road. "A cost of doing business."

Daily stropping aslo wears the blade, but I doubt that wear is measurable by any normal means.

It's an interesting question.
On the days that I am eagerly waiting for the whiskers to grow, so I can start shaving again, I'm in the habit of staring at my razors edges through a stereo microscope. I guess that's the grown man's equivalent of a little boy staring out the class room window, yearning to go to play...
Anyway, observing at 40x magnification it's easy to observe how my barbwire beard wears down the edge, shave after shave. About 4 or 5 shaves will turn the smooth edge of a freshly hone razor into a microscopical minefield. Some of those "misdemeanors" straighten back out after some stropping on canvas and leather, but some residual damage always remains.
A pasted paddle strop has stronger fix-up abilities, but I 'm not sure if I like the resulting edge that much. I'm still figuring out that one. Maybe I like a few laps on a coticule more.
Till now, I haven't gone to a hone before a razor really starts to pull, being afraid of eating to much steel.
I'm curious what the old-timers 'll have to add to this thread.
At least now you know your not alone with your question

Good luck,
Bart

I'll just say that I quite easily, at minimum, go two months without touching up my Razors! just canvas and leather! Also, when I first started out it was not uncommon that I visited my hone and pasted strop more than twice a week, but once my stropping got proficient and my honing ability got better I found that my frequency of honing diminished considerably! I also found that my edge improved considerably from day to day stropping, up to a point, as opposed to diminishing slowly but surely!

Originally Posted by JMS

I'll just say that I quite easily, at minimum, go two months without touching up my Razors! just canvas and leather! Also, when I first started out it was not uncommon that I visited my hone and pasted strop more than twice a week, but once my stropping got proficient and my honing ability got better I found that my frequency of honing diminished considerably! I also found that my edge improved considerably from day to day stropping, up to a point, as opposed to diminishing slowly but surely!

That's an encouraging reply. Speaking with a fair amount of woodworking experience, I can testify that an ultra sharp and polished plane blade will last considerably longer than one that starts out less keen. I guess that rule might apply to razors too. If the steel glides effortlessly through whatever it is cutting (wood or whiskers), it 'll be less exposed to stress than what the heavy cutting action of a duller edge might cause. So there's hope things will improve with honing skills improving, and perhaps even with shaving technique improving over the many months yet to come.
JMS and Ray Zorr (among others), may I ask if you rate your beards as easy-going, rather tough, or plain steel wire? I know that 's an highly subjective qualification, but I still think it could add significant difference to how long an edge will stay sharp.
Maybe I'd better start a new thread about beard hardness.
I'm already Ray Zorr's thread more than politeness allows for.

Originally Posted by Bruce

Ray Zorr,

You won't harm the blade with daily honing if your technique is good; you will, however, prematurely wear the blade. If the daily hone is what it takes for you to get the best shave, you may just have to accept replacing the razor somewhere down the road. "A cost of doing business."

Daily stropping aslo wears the blade, but I doubt that wear is measurable by any normal means.

Good points...I am inclined to agree with this.

Originally Posted by JMS

I'll just say that I quite easily, at minimum, go two months without touching up my Razors! just canvas and leather! Also, when I first started out it was not uncommon that I visited my hone and pasted strop more than twice a week, but once my stropping got proficient and my honing ability got better I found that my frequency of honing diminished considerably! I also found that my edge improved considerably from day to day stropping, up to a point, as opposed to diminishing slowly but surely!

Yeah twice a week honing sounds about the same with me, maybe I will just have to practice my honing techniques to get the best and longest lasting edge.

Originally Posted by Bart

That's an encouraging reply. Speaking with a fair amount of woodworking experience, I can testify that an ultra sharp and polished plane blade will last considerably longer than one that starts out less keen. I guess that rule might apply to razors too. If the steel glides effortlessly through whatever it is cutting (wood or whiskers), it 'll be less exposed to stress than what the heavy cutting action of a duller edge might cause. So there's hope things will improve with honing skills improving, and perhaps even with shaving technique improving over the many months yet to come.
JMS and Ray Zorr (among others), may I ask if you rate your beards as easy-going, rather tough, or plain steel wire? I know that 's an highly subjective qualification, but I still think it could add significant difference to how long an edge will stay sharp.
Maybe I'd better start a new thread about beard hardness.
I'm already Ray Zorr's thread more than politeness allows for.

Also a good point...a blade that works harder probably does wear out faster (although I have no experience to support this). My beard is fairly heavy, but I have seen much thicker.


The main reason I ask is that it seems from forum contributors that if you hone more than once every 3 months you suck at honing. I was just curious if variables (such as whisker thickness, type of steel, number of passes per shave, etc) may cause even the 'best' honers out there to touch their blade up daily (or at least more frequently than every 3 months) for the most comfortable shave. I mean honestly, how can you drag that piece of steel over your face 60 times and not notice it getting duller...I guess it's like the wife that only gains 1 pound a year...

OK
Now you guys have me thinking (and yes it hurts )
Maybe this is why so many recommend a heavier grind for a heavier beard
Maybe a super fine blade does break down faster under such punishment
and a wedge or 1/4 wedge might be a better choice...
I don't know just musing here

Originally Posted by Ray Zorr

Good points...I am inclined to agree with this.



Yeah twice a week honing sounds about the same with me, maybe I will just have to practice my honing techniques to get the best and longest lasting edge.



Also a good point...a blade that works harder probably does wear out faster (although I have no experience to support this). My beard is fairly heavy, but I have seen much thicker.


The main reason I ask is that it seems from forum contributors that if you hone more than once every 3 months you suck at honing. I was just curious if variables (such as whisker thickness, type of steel, number of passes per shave, etc) may cause even the 'best' honers out there to touch their blade up daily (or at least more frequently than every 3 months) for the most comfortable shave. I mean honestly, how can you drag that piece of steel over your face 60 times and not notice it getting duller...I guess it's like the wife that only gains 1 pound a year...

I would suggest getting your stropping in order first!
If you use too much pressure you will tend to dull a blade but if you touch is too light your stropping will be ineffective and your edge will tend to have noticeable problems ,say by the third to sixth day of use! You use the pressure that is needed, which is sometimes more and sometimes less and you can only discover the proper pressure for a given situation through experience!

By the way...I just looked at my blade at I can see a number of small chips (some even visible without a microscope) even though I haven't dropped or hit the blade in any way. Am I overhoning? Is this why the blade dulls (or appears to dull) faster?

That is possible.