Thread: Cant Hone!

Im embrassed to say that even though I have 100's of dollars invested in hones, razors, brushes and my strop; that I have yet to shave with a real straight. I have two razors that I got honed and they just didnt go through my stubble. Ive got stuck using my DE's still. Had enough! I want to learn to hone and strop properly. Honestly, I think my stropping is dulling my razors. Tonight I honed up my latest; Kobar Full Hollow. Didnt pass the HHT; but I did a TPT before and after stropping. Yep, much less sharp after. ugh!!

While I cannot help you with your honing per say, I can offer some good advice about stropping.

Step 1: Attach the strop to something strong.
Step 2: Pull the strop tight.
Step 3: Go slow until you get the proper technique down. Don't push down on the blade, just let it glide over the leather, but don't let is skate over the leather either. Eventually you'll get a feel for how much pressure is correct.

Cannot stress step three enough. Go very very slow. The razor should feel like the blade is sticking to the strop.

If you still do not feel the sticking sensation AND your razor is properly honed take emergency step #4.

Throw your strop out and go to Tony Miller's website and buy the first strop that becomes available.

As for honing....

If you want, send it to me and I'll hone it for you. Just include the cost for me to ship it back. Can't have you shaving with a DE......

I like to strop my razors on a bench strop. I have also taken a hanging strop and laid it on a counter and did my stropping that way. My thinking is it took one variable out of the stropping to try and get it right. I too was having a hard time and felt like I was dulling my razors. The bench idea put all that to rest.
Good luck and hang in there.
Remember, there is always more than one way to skin a cat.

Thats a good idea.

Originally Posted by Leighton

While I cannot help you with your honing per say, I can offer some good advice about stropping.

Step 1: Attach the strop to something strong.
Step 2: Pull the strop extremely tight. As tight as you can, heck, if you think you can lean on it without pulling it out, try that. That said, your arms can pull the leather taught enough, think of it like a micro workout. :biggrin:
Step 3: GO SLOWLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cannot stress step three enough. Go very very slow. The razor should feel like the blade is sticking to the strop.

I'm sure this will likely start a debate, but I disagree with steps 2 and 3. First, I don't think the strop has to be pulled as tightly as you imply. You want to prevent the leather from rolling the blade but the strop does not have to be pulled absolutely perfectly straight with great force to accomplish this. Second, I've experimented with stropping speed and I find that I get a much better stropping from a fairly rapid (not ridiculously so) stropping motion and the edge improvement is severely diminished if I go very slowly.

No doubt multiple opinions will follow.

+1 Utopian when my grandfather taught me to strop, he always had slack, but he used no pressure, and while i keep the stop tight I am not trying to pull it out of the wall and while speed will vastly improve your edge over slow strokes, it will take time to develop muscle memory to do it properly, there is a great stropping advice post here

also I would add that draw is relative, my tony miller has good draw, my red russian has so much it feels like there are magnets in the leather, and my vintage cordovan has absolutely none!

until you can master shaving and stropping, and maybe a touch up on a barber hone, I would not worry about honing, take things one step at a time, and it will be much more pleasurable for you.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I'm sure this will likely start a debate, but I disagree with steps 2 and 3. First, I don't think the strop has to be pulled as tightly as you imply. You want to prevent the leather from rolling the blade but the strop does not have to be pulled absolutely perfectly straight with great force to accomplish this. Second, I've experimented with stropping speed and I find that I get a much better stropping from a fairly rapid (not ridiculously so) stropping motion and the edge improvement is severely diminished if I go very slowly.

No doubt multiple opinions will follow.

Your right, I went overboard.

Edited it to clarify.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I'm sure this will likely start a debate, but I disagree with steps 2 and 3. First, I don't think the strop has to be pulled as tightly as you imply. You want to prevent the leather from rolling the blade but the strop does not have to be pulled absolutely perfectly straight with great force to accomplish this. Second, I've experimented with stropping speed and I find that I get a much better stropping from a fairly rapid (not ridiculously so) stropping motion and the edge improvement is severely diminished if I go very slowly.

No doubt multiple opinions will follow.

I really think that a smooth rhythmic stroke is all that is needed. The more you strop correctly, the more that rhythm develops and becomes comfy. I have never found any gain in excessive speed.

I'd be interested in what stones you have and what you have tried regarding honing so far.

Lynn

Maintaining and using a straight razor takes time and practise. For many, the fact that it is a skill that needs to be mastered is the reason they do it. Unfortunately we live in a world where instant success has become the expectation. It's not possible to become an expert with a straight overnight, it does take a fair amount of trial and error, but get it right and it's very satisfying. (or so I'm told, I'm still learning)

Originally Posted by Lynn

I really think that a smooth rhythmic stroke is all that is needed. The more you strop correctly, the more that rhythm develops and becomes comfy. I have never found any gain in excessive speed.

I completely agree. I didn't write that as clearly as I should have. I was trying to counter the point made that going extremely slowly was the best way to strop. He said slow so I said faster. Smooth and rhythmic sounds like a better way to describe something in the middle.