Thread: The intimidation of Newbie Honing

Hello all,

I wanted to forward a post I made in the newbie forum about some of my concerns about honing in general. As a new guy (less than a month into shaving), I have a bit of questions about it. Here is my post from the Newbie section:

I am a very new straight razor shaver. I have received three razors thus far, that I like, and I am happy with them all. One was from OLD_SCHOOL on this site, another from Ken at RupRazor, and my Henckels from a member on B&B. All give me good shaves, but all feel different.

I am now thinking about stones because I know the day will come when I will need to use one. I also have a strop with Cr0 from Ken. One thing I can say, as a new guy, is that every time I read threads on honing I become incredibly confused. There is just so much information on honing that your mind becomes clogged with everyone's different methods and opinions. I read you can set a bevel on a coticule, then I read you need a 1200K and up to set a bevel and sharpen, then I read all you need is a barber's hone and that's it unless you're setting bevels on old blades. To get right to the point, it's very confusing and I have no idea what to take to heart as a method for me. The only thing is that I know I don't want to spend 1,000$ on stones, that's for sure.

I plan on using my .5 Cr0 strop when my razors start to pull. Maybe I will get a Baber's hone to keep the edges also. Isn't that enough for me if I am not going to chip my razors or set bevels on Ebay razors? I plan on buying blades shave ready since they're always on here anyway and I trust the guys that sell on here. I also see that a yellow Coticule is 8k but is not the same as the norton 8k side. The coticule is a finishing/polishing stone. Is this true? They're both 8k.

I really liked the idea of just getting a Swaty barber's hone off ebay and being set for.....a long time with my shave ready razors. Am I now wrong/incorrect for thinking that I can get away with this? If I can not find a barber's hone can I use something that is 12K or 16K for the same purpose? Is it true that you can polish and touch up a razor that just needs a little touch up after a month on a norton 4k/8k too? Would you do a pyramid with both sides to do this? 8k seems rough to me to finishing a touch up on.

As you can see this is how it feels when you're a week or two into SR shaving and you see all these things about stones. It makes your head spin.

My main questions are:
1) Should I just get a barber's hone for polishing my shave ready straights?
2) Would I be better off getting a 12-16K stone for polishing. I have a heavy beard and sometimes sharp razors that come shave ready CAN be sharper for my taste. Sometimes they pull under my chin.
3) Will I ever need a North 4k/8k if I continue to buy shave ready razors from you guys.
4) Is a Coticule the same as a Norton since the grits are the same (from what I see yellow is 8k, etc.)?
5) If I do buy a stone like a 12k I would need to lap it right? How would I do this if I own no other stones?

Thanks a lot guys!

Hey Nick,

1) Should I just get a barber's hone for polishing my shave ready straights?

Either that or a coticule would do you just fine I think.

2) Would I be better off getting a 12-16K stone for polishing. I have a heavy beard and sometimes sharp razors that come shave ready CAN be sharper for my taste. Sometimes they pull under my chin.

Stones at that grit level are sometimes too fine even
to touch up a razor. An exception might be the Shapton
16k since it cuts so fast.

3) Will I ever need a North 4k/8k if I continue to buy shave ready razors from you guys.

Probably not.

4) Is a Coticule the same as a Norton since the grits are the same (from what I see yellow is 8k, etc.)?

A coticule is very different than the Norton 8k. The
abrasive garnets in the stone leave a smoother edge,
and when you use a slurry it can be a very fast hone.

5) If I do buy a stone like a 12k I would need to lap it right? How would I do this if I own no other stones?

Use sandpaper and a flat surface.

To be honest, if I ever had to own 1 stone, it would
probably be a coticule. It tends to leave a great edge
for shaving when used with water (or lather), and
can do some serious sharpening when used with a
slurry.


Good luck!

- Scott

You can get by using a finishing stone for touch ups for a long time. It's your choice really whether it's a barber hone, chinese, shapton etc. Barber hone grits can vary though, so go with a tried & tested brand if that's what you decide.
A Norton 4/8 is useful, but if you receive a razor shave ready, then keep it going with a finisher it probably won't get much use. You could consider sending them out when the touch up's are no longer effective.
Coticule's are not the same as Norton's. They are a natural, & therefore it's hard to give them a grit rating. The garnets that do the sharpening are kind've football (soccer ball) shaped, so they give a less agressive scratch pattern. BBW are far cheaper, & can be hugely effective. The garnet content is both slightly lower & slightly larger. The increased size has been suggested to actually give an even shallower scratch pattern, as they give a less pronounced cut. These two naturals are fantastic to use & it's unwise to try to categorise them into grit's.
12k's need to be lapped & can be done on glass with wet & dry paper.

Very good information with your answers. I am grateful!

I see the coticule is available in many sizes. What would be best? I am guessing one that is 2" wide.

Also I would need to round the edges, correct? Do I rub them with sandpaper?

Interesting formatting aside, Scott has summed it up nicely. The rest can be read here: What hone(s) do I need? - Straight Razor Place Wiki

I am perfectly happy with my Belgian blue/yellow combo:

I find that 2" is a good width. Mine's just over 7" long, but the longer the better, as it means fewer strokes. This is a serious honing related answer, but i can't help but snigger like a schoolboy!

Originally Posted by sebell

To be honest, if I ever had to own 1 stone, it would
probably be a coticule. It tends to leave a great edge
for shaving when used with water (or lather), and
can do some serious sharpening when used with a
slurry.


Good luck!

- Scott

Huge +1 from a Shapton guy if I was just a shaver and limited myself to 1 hone, the Yellow Coticule would be the "One"...

You guys are really helping me out here. thanks so much. I think I will be looking for a yellow coticule soon, or maybe a combination of blue/yellow coticule. Now I just need to see how to lap properly with sandpaper. I will do a search.

Check this out: Hone Lapping 101 - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Disb,

Were I not a shaver with serious Hone Acquisition Disorder (HAD) I'd likely have started and stopped with a 6" x 2" coticule, possibly the natural combination variety with the obverse yellow coticule and the reverse blue belgian.

Take a look at both Jim Ayars' Vintage Blades hone section and Howard Schechter's The Perfect Edge for these stones. Howard will lap the stone for you for a nominal fee. Once done, for one shaver's touch-up use, it may never need to be lapped again. That stone, backed up with a CrOx charged paddle strop for a final polish, may be all one would ever need to maintain one's razors.

Straight Double Edge Razor : Shaving Products Supplies : Dovo Safety Razor : Badger Shaving Brush : Men's Grooming Products : VintageBladesllc.com
The Perfect Edge

good luck, good shaving