Thread: Honing on the cheap, is it possible?

Hi all,

I am curious. Is there is a way to put a decent edge on a straight for cheap?

I am thinking of trying my hand at refurbishing, but don't have the money to buy hones to put an edge on razors.

Any advice is gladly accepted!

Thanks

Do a search for "lapping film". You will be able to get an array of grits for low, low $$$

my grandfather put a shave ready edge on a razor yesterday with a 9 dollar swaty

Here is an excellent, recent thread on the subject of honing with lapping film.

Wet/dry sandpaper on a hard surface ( like corian or polished marble or granite) is the least expensive way to remove old rusted/nicked edge's and start to form a bevel. The highest grit sandpaper is about 2000-2500 grit which is roughly equivalent to 4000 grit japanese/Norton. But there is a trick to using it. It must not be allowed to bunch up in front of the edge.

For an inexpensive 8000 grit look for a slip stone of that grit.

0.5 micron chrome oxide pasted paddle strop would finish it all off just fine.

Razor restoration tools and supplies can get expensive. Check it out first.

Just my two cents,

Thanks for the replies! High Grit Sandpaper or Lapping Film both seem to be more reasonably priced than hones.

I guess I thought that I could use some of the random stuff I have around the house for restoration (I have a dremel, and various grits of sandpaper, no polishing compound though). Maybe I will have to put this project off for a while though.

Thanks again!

A cheap but excellent edge can be had by using a "bout" which is an odd shaped piece of belgian coticule. At $65 you know you're going to get a great edge and not have to fool around buying all kinds of other stones.

Sometimes you can get barber hones inexpensively at Antique stores or flea-markets, etc...

It's very hit-or-miss and they come in very different grits though.

If you want a no nonsense sharpening solution in minimum number of pieces with no lapping required: A DMT D8EE 3 micron (3" x 8") and a leather paddle pasted with 0.5 chrome oxide. Add a barber hone when a decent one pops up (eBoy or otherwise). It costs more than the sandpaper method, but it should last many decades. Price for the DMT is nearly the same as a coticule.

Edit: I've had good results flattening several barber hones and one waterstone on a concrete block. I don't know if my particular block is typical of the breed. Use this tip with caution.

Newspaper laying around can be used (strop it 50 to 150 laps) as a finishing touch.

Originally Posted by Howard

A cheap but excellent edge can be had by using a "bout" which is an odd shaped piece of belgian coticule. At $65 you know you're going to get a great edge and not have to fool around buying all kinds of other stones.

This is a great option.

For that relatively small investment, you could sharpen a whole stable of straight razors and maintain an absolutely wonderful shaving edge for your entire lifetime. In that time span, you will definitely spend more on various abrasive films/sandpapers and random accessories required to obtain a similar edge, not to mention the possible complications and headaches involved.

And if it turns out that you get tired of straight razors, these stones don't really depreciate in value, so you could easily get a large portion (if not all) of your investment back.

just another 2 cents, many options will get you where you want to go.

It seems there are a number of options. Many thanks to all for your opinions.

Is there any easy test you can perform to estimate the grit of a barber hone, something I can do if I am out at an antique store?

Also, is there any advantage to going with a natural stone vs a DMT?

Randy or others: Could you post a link to a slip stone?

Thanks!