Desert island sharpening tools...

...OK, you're on a desert island and can have only a maximum of 3 straight razor sharpening tools (you can make it less if you want, but a maximum of only three is allowed). What would your tools of choice be?
My point in this exercise is to try and "distill" down to what experienced straight razor users feel are the MOST important straight razor sharpening tools to have. There is a dizzying array of stones, hones, and strops available for use and it's very confusing for beginners like myself to determine what we REALLY need to produce a good sharp shaving edge.
My armamentarium includes a Norton 4000/8000 wetstone/hone, a TI paddle strop with .50 and 1.0 diamond pastes (so far I've only needed the .50 paste), and an Illinois Razor Strops Russian leather hanging strop.
My routine has been, after each shave; 30-50 round trips on the TI paddle strop with .50 paste, and 30-50 round trips on the hanging strop before and after shaving. The razor (TI Blond Horn Silversteel) seems to be getting sharper after each use and there will likely come a point where the paddle strop and paste will no longer be required between each shave. I may even be at that point already. It's just that I've had such a good result with this method so far, I hate to give it up. It easily passes the hanging hair test before each shave. It leaves the hair on my arm in piles and it shaves just fine. So I'm pretty sure it's sharp. But I'm not sure just how long this routine will suffice before honing will be necessary.
Which brings me back to my original question...what would be your desert island straight razor sharpening setup? Remember, a maximum of only 3 (or less) sharpening tools. :thinking:

Tom

That's easy a 35k water stone (desert Island will have plent of time on my hands to sharpen the blade) :D and an xtra wide strop just because I like it.
With nothing to do less is more and you don't know how long you are going to be there so you don't want to hone the blade down to nothing.:D

Norton 4/8K, Yellow belgian, and regular strop. But, you'r gonna work that Norton hard, since only lather you'll find on that island will be bird poo, at the best...

Nenad

LOL, thats funny. I wouldn't count the strop but for the sake of keeping the same argument string: Strop, Carborundum 103 barber hone, and the Col. Conk $15 razor hone. I think the Nortons are too expensive and heavy to carry around a desert island. I think a strop with 1 or .5 micron paste on a paddle strop would be helpful if you don't count the strop.

1. King 1000/6000
2. Blue Belgian hone
3. Plain leather strop

This is the essence of my honing. I sometimes use the King 8000, and on the Belgian hone I hone with lather instead of water, a trick from the German forum (originally an idea from Sicily). But as already mentioned: You have plenty of time on the island, so water should do. I never use pastes.

Best regards
Martin

1. Norton 4/8k
2. Tony Miller's 4 sided strop with 3, 1, .5 micron paste
3. Hanging strop.

Who said anything about no lather, the rules stated 3 sharpening tools nothing about other supplies. I would like my current stock of soaps, creams, pre/post balms and gels with me. They should last for years.

That's easy, because being on a desert island I wouldn't be restoring Ebay razors, so all I would need is a Norton 4/8K, a corticule, and a plain leather strop with linnen. That should be fine for maintaining any razor.

I am with Superfly.

1. 4/8K Norton
1. Yellow Belgium
3. A good hanging stropp

That is my choice, but I could think of better places to be stranded.

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Originally Posted by vladsch

1. Norton 4/8k
2. Tony Miller's 4 sided strop with 3, 1, .5 micron paste
3. Hanging strop.

Who said anything about no lather, the rules stated 3 sharpening tools nothing about other supplies. I would like my current stock of soaps, creams, pre/post balms and gels with me. They should last for years.

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That's some desert island with all those fancy shaving supplies and pastes. Why not include an airplane and fly home?

I'd have chosen the Norton too except we're talking about a desert island and any water I find is gonna get boiled and drunk, not used to sharpen my razor. I'm starting to make progress with the Kimberly barber hone so that plus my Honemaster would get the job done pretty well I think. The pasted strop would be my third choice, just in case (Tony Miller pocket paddle of course).

X

P.S. Why am I shaving on a deserted island?

"P.S. Why am I shaving on a deserted island?"

I forgot to tell you...Mariah Carey is the only other inhabitant ;)

Tom

Quote:

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Originally Posted by straightman

I forgot to tell you...Mariah Carey is the only other inhabitant

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Then why am I diddling around with blades instead of making music?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by straightman

I forgot to tell you...Mariah Carey is the only other inhabitant ;)

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Can it be Alecia Keys? She's dreamy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by straightman

"P.S. Why am I shaving on a deserted island?"

I forgot to tell you...Mariah Carey is the only other inhabitant ;)

Tom

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My Spyderco Sharpmaker. It keeps my razor in condition well enough for me and it pulls double duty sharpening my knives which means it'd be ideal for a desert island situation. Besides...if Cariah Carey is on the island...I'm just gonna use the razor to slit a throat...mine...hers...either way without a mute button I can't stand that woman.

Actually this is kinda a fun topic for me as growing up in Colorado my mother carried emergency packs in the back of our car with space blankets waterproof matches and other supplies in case some disaster struck. Nothing ever happened but it does kinda make sense in the camping/minimalist/something totally unforseen happens and you end up humping it into the woods for an undetermined amount of time to survive...(WOLVERINES!!!)...what do you take with you? Obviously the straight razor is ideal because you never need new blade cartridges.

This is a really good question and one I am also wondering about. From what I have read it seems as if I will need many tools (and associated dollars) to keep a razor sharp. Was it this expensive to sharpen a razor 100 years ago?

Except for possibly an increase in price due to manufactured waterstones (vs natural oil stones) I would assume that the cost of sharpening would have gone down. Am I missing something?

No, they used barber hones...

I'm still trying to figure out this whole "Desert Island" thing...its a desert surrounded by water????

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Originally Posted by emerson

Was it this expensive to sharpen a razor 100 years ago?

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Expensive?? You can maitain (and fix minor mishaps) a razor in perfect condition for life with just one Norton 4/8K stone ( I have a feeling it will last maybe 2-3 generations) , and well treated leather strop (or old belt). Try that with cartridge system.

Nenad

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AFDavis11

No, they used barber hones...

I'm still trying to figure out this whole "Desert Island" thing...its a desert surrounded by water????

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Salt water.