Thread: A Good One

Howdy,

Today I was perusing the forums and read a post that said basically that people who hone razors for others are honing defensively, i.e., producing the sharpest possible blade so that a newbie can't say the blade wasn't sharp enough. But, these super-sharp blades are counter-productive in the long run because they are so labor-intensive to maintain.

One of the things I am always concerned about is new guys reading this kind of dribble.

As a shaver who hones my own razors too, I am and have always been in search of the perfect edge and the perfect shave. I do have a personal mission here which has not changed since I started the first straight razor forum on the web. That mission is to provide every new guy who enters our doors with the tools to be able to enjoy straight razor shaving and be able to learn the skills to maintain their own straight razors and get the absolute best shave that their razors can possibly give.

Forgive me, but there is nothing defensive about honing a razor. I hone every razor with the intent to give that razor a shaving edge that I will enjoy shaving with. I have never found maintenance of a well honed razor any more labor intensive than a mostly well honed razor or an acceptable edge on a razor. Strop them and shave every day until they pull a little and then touch them up and shave some more.

The things that destroy edges, destroy them whether they are perfect, almost perfect or not so perfect. Granted, everyone has their own skill set and level of acceptability, but why would you settle for a mediocre edge when honing when you can produce a superior one? Everyone who has done any significant honing has preferences in hones, pastes and strops and end up using what works best for them. This a good thing and has helped all of us continue to learn new techniques and about new equipment out there. I digress.......

Any way, for my 2 cents, give me the very best edge and the very smoothest and most comfortable shave I can get.

I would love to hear the opinions of others who hone razors for people.

Thanks,

Lynn