Thread: A Good One

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

I have something close to US$500 worth of hones in front of me. But the razors that someone honed for me are the missing link. If you've never seen/used an edge honed by a "pro", you'll never know where you're going. And I'm with Lynn, Glen, and the others on this topic. I don't get the smoothness/sharpness issue.

I do agree with you, and like I said before I don't get all the fuss. I also think that there's nothing wrong with asking your honemeister of choice what their progression was for your particular razor (in other words, how they "got it there") in order to strive for that type of honing.

But the fact remains, you don't need thousands of dollars worth of hones to get that edge you want..... and I do know you guys are out there . Those are the hobbiests I was referring to; some people collect cars, some collect razors/hones.

Ryan don't forget the shave brushes, soaps, strops etc.---LOL! Oh and least I forget the microscope.
I'm guilty barely but I plan on being all the way guilty of being the hobby guy:-) Heck I enjoy it so why not.

Here's another inexperienced opinion on the matter. I've used razors from several of the well known honers. In fact, the inconsistency from one to the other is what made me pull the trigger on my own set of hones. I recently just got in two of the best edges that I've ever used. One was from a razor over at SRD and the other from a custom maker that doesn't really frequent SRP. These two edges were so sharp and smooth that I knew that I had to learn to do this myself.

For me, it's worth whatever it costs in terms of both time and money to get the equipment and ability to do this myself. Could I shave with a razor that didn't have that kind of an edge? Yes, and I did it for months. However, now that I know that kind of edge is out there, I have no intention of using anything shy of that. With all due respect, saying a person doesn't need a razor that sharp is kinda like saying you don't need to have kids to be happy. It's true that you can be happy without children, but I wouldn't trade all of the ups and downs of raising kids and the happiness that it brings for anything in the world.

The best thing about these discussions is it gives a frame of reference by which all future advice can be judged. Thanks for the effort here guys!

Well said I like that.

Well, a very sharp edge is definitely preferrable over a sub-par one, I can tell you that.

Originally Posted by treydampier

As the chief idiot of the SRP village

hey hey back away from the title bub !

Originally Posted by Lynn

In the ever meaningful words of Lou "Whatever".

dammit I am officially claiming ".......whatever" as my intellectual property
(email approval from Lou pending)

he would want me to have it (I think)

Originally Posted by Lynn

I always think of it as new people who learn to hone hitting plateaus. As their skill increases, so does their results.

absolutely

that is probably where this debate comes from
all those who have not managed the ultimate level of sharpness and don't realize that there is only one definition of sharp



seriously
once upon a time my "shave ready" standard was low ... very very low

now people write me back to say how sharp something was (once in a while)

the difference?

2 years of honing and all new hones (nothing major)

hopefully my skill will increase and in two more years I will be embarrassed by the edges I honed today

How do you get an edge too sharp? What is so bad about wiping away a beard as easily as wiping a spot of mustard from your face, without any pulling, tugging, scraping? Without even feeling the blade cut the whisker?Im lost!

I've found that sharper edges tend to last the longest. The reason: I'm not compensating for sub-par sharpness by using too much pressure/angle--those combined w/ my barbed-wire beard will eat an edge fast! We're talking 3-4 shaves max. (Real waste of steel, that.)

By having the edge sharp enough that I barely need any pressure, I'm putting much less stress on that edge by not having to grind away to make it cut something. The result--much longer lasting edges and less maintenance required. Much more comfortable shave, too. I've personally never cut myself on a really sharp edge--it was always a dull edge I was forcing (and some pretty nice cuts, too!).

Yes, our ancestors made do with less elaborate setups (no Shaptons, diamond sprays, etc.), but now that we have them, why not use them, even if only to see if we like the results? (We can always go back to what we were using before if we don't.)
If someone is happy with his existing setup & sees no reason to upgrade for its own sake, perfectly fine, I respect that totally. But to say it's unnecessary for everyone? That goes back to personal preferences again. I see a very real, tangible benefit to using the new stuff. I'm getting better, smoother, closer shaves than I ever got off a coticule (good though it was). My edges last much longer as well, contradicting the whole: "sharp edges dull faster" argument. Just my $0.02

Am I missing something here about sharpness vs. smoothness.

I thought once you established the bevel (both sides meeting at a fine point) that is the level of sharpness ie. edge cannot get any finer.

From this point it becomes an issue of how smooth you want that edge at its peak / point. This is a matter of opinion as to what finishing stone / hone and technique to use to achieve your own personal level of smoothness.

Am I being to simple minded with this view or is it correct?

Originally Posted by kilowattkid

Am I missing something here about sharpness vs. smoothness.

I thought once you established the bevel (both sides meeting at a fine point) that is the level of sharpness ie. edge cannot get any finer.

From this point it becomes an issue of how smooth you want that edge at its peak / point. This is a matter of opinion as to what finishing stone / hone and technique to use to achieve your own personal level of smoothness.

Am I being to simple minded with this view or is it correct?

Looks like it took 39 posts for this to finnaly get put very simply. THANK YOU