EDGE MAINT. FORMULA

I would just like to share my edge maintenance formula with anyone who would be interested. This method seems to work on most if not all my razors (I have 65 razors).

If a blade is pulling on my whiskers, I go to the 8k with about 8-10 laps, then to the Nani 12k for 4-6 laps, then the 16k for 3-4 laps, then 50-100 laps on the Nakayama Maruichi, then 6-8 laps on the denim flatbed with "Super" Cerium Oxide paste, then 50-100 laps on a flatbed plain bridle leather strop with no paste.

If you want to just tune an edge that is not yet pulling, skip the 8k.

I am sure there are other methods that might work as well or be simpler. This is for the newer guys who might be interested in maintaining an edge that was honed by a pro. A professionally honed edge can last a long time with a bit of periodic maintenance.

I hope others will chime in for the benefit of the newer guys.

As always, start where you need to start and end where you need to end. Honing is a step by step process. Don't burden yourself with too many steps.

Interesting setup. I presume the intital investment for the hones alone would be more than USD 400, right? Just out of curiosity, I have been maintaining 3 razors that were honed by Lynn, Max, and Bart (Dovo 'Bismarck', Hess '99' and a Rodgers wedge) on an SRD felt strop with .5 diamond spray, SRD webbing with Cerium oxide (thanks, Ben), and a CrO balsa hone respectively.

Unsurprisingly, all three work well enough for me. Now, they have all seen less than 20 shaves each, so that is neither an exhaustive, nor a definitive test. Yet still, I think that a setup like this should work just fine for anyone planning to not go into honing.

We should also, I think, keep in mind that beginners typically have less problems with the shave readiness of their razors (provided they bought from reputable vendors and did not mess up the edges afterwards), than with stropping, but also with their pre shave preparation.

Regards,
Robin

While I do not doubt that your method works, I have to say I think it is... serious overkill. A little pulling can usually be sorted with 10-15 strokes on any finisher, including passes on a pasted strop. If it doesn't get there the first time, do it again.

Think of it this way - when honing a razor, it will at some point get to where it will shave but will pull a little. This is maybe just before or just after it's seen the 8k (depending on how you define "pull a little"). I cannot imagine myself or anyone else going through that entire progression to get the blade from there to shave ready.

Not to mention, as Robin has said, the cost of what you propose. Any one of the three hones you mention is a pretty significant investment. I don't think all of the hones I use to take a dull, ebay razor to shave ready equal the cost of the three finishers you mention. Given that you are suggesting that method to new guys makes it all the more confusing to me...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

While I do not doubt that your method works, I have to say I think it is... serious overkill.

---

Let me put it this way... I have seen two guys bring a razor from completely dull to shaving sharp with just one hone. So it can be done. Yes, a progression on synthetic hones is more reliable, and results are easier to reproduce. But it can be done, and like many other things we discuss here, most if not all boils down to personal preference. However, upon re-reading your suggested setup, I have to fully agree with holli that this is complete overkill, especially for a beginner.

I came across this whole "tuning an edge" business (also referred to as "dialling in that little sucker" by their head leg shaver) over on another forum, and it always struck me as odd why you would have to do that. I have shaved with a number of razors honed by "honemeisters" (Lynn, but also people less known, but apparently not half bad either, among them two Germans), and there was never any need to tune something. They just worked, plain and simple.

Just thought I should mention this in case any beginner should develop the urgent need to spend serious money on an army of expensive hones (one of which can, conveniently, be found in the classifieds) when something like a balsa strop or a barber's hone will do fine.

Regards,
Robin

I'm with Dylan and Robin here. I've got hones that I use to go from bevel setting to shave readiness, but I dont use them to touch an edge up. Thats not to say that you cant, but it turns a touch up into a bit of a mission, not to mention an expensive proposition..!

I pasted my old strop with CrOx to use for touch ups and 10 strokes on this has me shaving again. If that doesnt work, I got a Raven barber hone from eBay a couple of months ago for about $25 and I do half a dozen passes on that to bring the edge back.

New guys certainly dont need all, or any, of the hones you mention to maintain a razor. A pasted strop or barber hone will keep a razor in shave ready condition for quite some time, and for a very minimal outlay.

I am merely offering one method out of a possible 1000.
I have 27 hones and about twenty hanging and/or flatbed strops.
The combination I suggested works well and I am sure it can be improved upon.
It was aimed at anyone who might like to try it.

Thanks for your concern........

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mrsell63

The combination I suggested works well and I am sure it can be improved upon.

---

I seriously wonder, though, how a natural hone with a reputation for significant variances fits into this equation. The good people over at coticule.be have been spending quite some time establishing the qualities of a number of Coticule hones, and they vary considerably. Is that not the case with eg the Nakayama Maruichi?

I even think 50-100 passes on a strop is overkill but I'm of the less is more school :)

Hi mrsell63
Beginner here!- although i don't have any thing like your range of hones it's nice to see someone putting forward this kind of formula.it's the kind of thing i'd like to find -something that works for me on a regular basis.
Being new to this art i am always being surprised at results that can be acheived.
For instance - i'd caught the edge of my stainless steel razor in the mouth of my hot tap and put a ding in the edge by the toe.I used circular motions on a 3k naniwa both sides to bring out the ding- which worked, but then after giving several laps about 20 on my 3k hone and 20 on the 10k naniwa ,the shave test proved that it wasnt sharp.However just 5 more laps on the 3k and 5 laps more on the 10k did the trick -shaved last night and its back to its former glory!
What i am saying is for us beginners ,we dont really have any reference points to start with cos everything we do is new,despite watching various videos on the wiki- sometimes you need 100 laps ,sometimes just 5!! Go figure!!
Kind regards
Noggs;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I even think 50-100 passes on a strop is overkill but I'm of the less is more school :)

---

At the risk of hijacking this thread, I would like to quote from the FAQ: "We believe that some people on this site have gone way overboard on the technical issues of shaving! Straight razor shaving is not rocket science!While you may even encounter the occasional discussion about the micron size on newspaper, this is nothing that will likely affect your shaving experience at all." I think there is a lot of truth to this statement. Not so long ago, an 8k Norton and a strop pasted with CrO were believed to deliver edges that were totally serviceable. Interestingly, there are some people around who still have the sufficient skills and experience to achieve that result with this setup.

If there is one thing I have learnt from the two people who were kind enough to spend some quality time with me, some hones and some razors, it is that more hones do not make you better at honing. The exact opposite is true. Take something like the pyramid vs a progression. The pyramid is a nice way to achieve good results. It is, however, tedious and not really necessary. All you need to do is switch hones at the right moment. Which is where the problems usually begin, because it requires a certain amount of experience and knowledge to find that right moment.

You know, there is a reason why we have honemeisters in our midst. And until they tell me that there is in fact one idiot proof way of honing, I stick with what I have got, ie learn to use the hones I have. An interesting challenge, and so far the least enjoyable part of straight shaving for me, by the way.

Regards,
Robin

Jerry,

Thanks for the useful post.

Overkill ... not in the least. It gives some direction and that's always a good thing. No doubt, the procedure you noted will refresh a razor for quite some time going back to an 8K. Much longer than a quickie 5 pass touch up on a baber hone!

Marc

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Doop

Jerry,

Thanks for the useful post.

Overkill ... not in the least. It gives some direction and that's always a good thing. No doubt, the procedure you noted will refresh a razor for quite some time going back to an 8K. Much longer than a quickie 5 pass touch up on a baber hone!

Marc

---

In what way is it not overkill?

Dropping down to an 8k as compared to just refinishing on a barber hone will have no effect at all on how long the edge lasts.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

Just thought I should mention this in case any beginner should develop the urgent need to spend serious money on an army of expensive hones (one of which can, conveniently, be found in the classifieds) when something like a balsa strop or a barber's hone will do fine.

Regards,
Robin

---

I like that phrase: "the urgent need to spend serious money..." It describes my various ADs to a tee.

thanks, Bruce

:beer2:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

While I do not doubt that your method works, I have to say I think it is... serious overkill. A little pulling can usually be sorted with 10-15 strokes on any finisher, including passes on a pasted strop. If it doesn't get there the first time, do it again....

---

+1.... Sorta...

I wouldn't just jump down to an 8K right away. Once I feel a razor could be better, I'll hit a pasted strop (~5 laps). A few shaves later, the paste might not work so I'll jump down to a finishing stone (same 10-20 lap deal as said before), then back up to an unpasted strop.

I got a good 40 shaves outta my professionally-honed Dovo before needing the finishing stone though.

Thanks for sharing your formula. It sounds as if you can apply
your formula to consistently get the razor's edge back every
time, whereas what some of the guys here are referring to is
a more `conservative' approach, where the minimal amount of
metal is removed. This requires another shave test, and
possibly going back to the pasted strop or a finishing hone for
a few more strokes if the initial amount didn't cut it.

Different strokes for different folks, and I would count myself
into the conservative crowd because I only have 1 razor and
I'd like to make it last.

Regards,

- Scott

Agreed. Some quick things work for me, but not every time. Whereas, the OP method sounds like we're whipping the damn thing into submission. Be sharp now, or else!

Well, it is important to make sure your razors are shave sharp. And from a certain point of view whatever it takes for you is certainly the thing to do.

But I have noticed honing is a journey, and at least in my experience the journey has not ended, nor do I see an end in sight. There have been times when I thought I had it licked, only to stumble across another method, or a razor that did not respond, or whatever. Not to mention learning my hones and how to get the most out of them with the least amount of effort. That certainly takes a lot of time, particularly if you are like me and have a lot of stones. I'm always learning something new about them, just as I am always learning something new about my razors, brushes, soaps, creams and so on.

So I guess I am saying that if your formula works for you, that is great! But do not be surprised if that formulae changes as time progresses.

James.

Aha!! So many of you boys seem to have fallen for my "reverse psychology" ploy. I did this thread on purpose because I wanted to flush some edge touch-up ideas and opinions out of the woodwork. And it worked.

Your many ideas and opinions are just what the new guys need to help them over some of the honing rough spots. And it sounds like some of you more experienced guys appreciate a different honing strategy.

I have very few problems concerning honing an edge to shave ready.
I do, however, need a very polished sharp razor for my "barbed wire beard". An ulta tough beard is a problem we of Bulgarian ancestry have struggled with for eons.

There is no way I can get a smooth shave off the 8k like most of you.
I need to take it a step or two further. And thank you all for coming out of the woodwork.................:D

I have a few razors with over 30 shaves on them. I also have a very tough beard. What works for me is 10 laps on a balsa strop with crox. If that doesn't work. I do 10 strokes on a escher then back to 10 laps on the balsa again with crox. I have never needed to go to a lower grit than my escher. Also please note that all my razors have been honed professionally. I believe good stropping technique along with proper razor care can keep a good edge for a very long time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mrsell63

Aha!! So many of you boys seem to have fallen for my "reverse psychology" ploy.

---

How droll. Well, rest assured it will not happen again. "Reverse psychology is often used on children due to their lack of psychological understanding and higher rate of reactance. Reverse psychology can also prey on a person's ego, as when it is used, it can make the target feel incompetent; effectively persuading the person to perform the desired action."

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mrsell63

Aha!!

---

:aargh:..............

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mrsell63

Aha!! So many of you boys seem to have fallen for my "reverse psychology" ploy. I did this thread on purpose because I wanted to flush some edge touch-up ideas and opinions out of the woodwork. And it worked.

Your many ideas and opinions are just what the new guys need to help them over some of the honing rough spots. And it sounds like some of you more experienced guys appreciate a different honing strategy.

I have very few problems concerning honing an edge to shave ready.
I do, however, need a very polished sharp razor for my "barbed wire beard". An ulta tough beard is a problem we of Bulgarian ancestry have struggled with for eons.

There is no way I can get a smooth shave off the 8k like most of you.
I need to take it a step or two further. And thank you all for coming out of the woodwork.................:D

---

I think you will find that most folks here are willing to add to a discussion without the need for some type of manipulation or "reverse psychology."

Use of such a tactic is tantamount to trolling and is not in the spirit of this site and will not be tolerated.

Giving your formula for edge maintenance and then asking others what their formula is would have been sufficient.

-Rob

I just got my hands on a set of Norton combos and Lynn's modular strop. For maintenance, and refreshing at that, cromium oxide on the rough leather gives me really sharp, comfortable edges. For duller blades, and because I don't have anything higher than an 8K, I'll do some laps on the 8k, then about 40-50 on both 1 and .5 micron diamond spay on the hard felt. For my face, I'll Usually still need about 15-25 on the chromium oxide to smooth it out.

For the rest of you beginners or guys looking to buy equipment, my setup is very flexible and will provide me with good value in the long run - even as I "acquire" hones, strops, etc. The beauty of that modular paddle is that beginners can find out which sprays, pastes, and stropping mediums they prefer. It gives us the flexibility to experiment at a good value. If you mess up, replacement pads are affordable.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bbuehler10

For duller blades, and because I don't have anything higher than an 8K, I'll do some laps on the 8k, then about 40-50 on both 1 and .5 micron diamond spay on the hard felt. For my face, I'll Usually still need about 15-25 on the chromium oxide to smooth it out.

---

Welcome to SRP. That modular paddle sure is the cat's whiskers. IME 40-50 passes on both 1 and .5 diamond spray is too much of a good thing. :shrug: OTOH, if it is working for you ..... I guess it's working. :)

BeBerlin and Sicboater; Come on guys, whats the big deal to have all this ruckus? It didn't hurt any thing, let's kiss and make up :beer1:

My warning stands.

Please think about that over the next three days.

-Rob

There are so many ways people could maintain their razors, and this is part of the beauty of this "art."

Don't like following the "mainstream"? That's cool, find the way YOU enjoy and gives you the results you want/need. :)

There are many good suggestions by experienced members on this site, and it's great that we can throw them all out for people to try for themselves.

Anyway, for my razors, if they need a "touchup" I try the least abrasive methods first, i.e. leather or canvas stropping.

If that doesn't do the trick, I'll hit the CrOx pasted balsa strop I made, then hit canvas and leather.

If THAT doesn't work, I will hit my smoothest finishing Coticule with water for 50-60 passes, then canvas and leather it. Occasionally I'll do 10-20 passes on CrOx balsa before the canvas and leather, but not always.

Generally I will do 50 on the canvas, and then 50-100 on the leather.

This is only my most recent routine...I have had several others I used in the past, but in my experimenting, this new one has been giving me some really excellent edges.

Some razors I have require no taping to get them incredibly sharp, but there are a couple that I just couldn't get up to par until I tried Bart's Unicot method on them.

I think of my razors as people. They all have different personalities, and are unique in their own way. Some "obey" me and take very little work, and others are INCREDIBLY annoying, and need to be beaten into submission :rofl2:

im just throwing this out there...after stroping is no longer enough something such as a barbers hone used to touch up the edge then strop again before use would be enough to keep a razor shave ready forever long as your didnt do something bone headed and completly kill the edge??

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BAMARACING8

im just throwing this out there...after stroping is no longer enough something such as a barbers hone used to touch up the edge then strop again before use would be enough to keep a razor shave ready forever long as your didnt do something bone headed and completly kill the edge??

---

According to one of my teachers at Barber school, yes, with a Barber hone and strop, you could keep your razors sharp forever, barring an accident where you damage the edge as you stated.

But then again, according to the same guy, you could go get a razor at a flea market or antique shop and get it shave ready with just a barber hone as well. :p

I've never tried to maintain my razors with just a barber hone, but I would bet it could be done. Would love to hear from someone that has used a barber hone and strop exclusively for a long time to hear how it worked.

i did buy a barber hone...when it gets here im going to try touching up a razor(wish me luck i dont ruin it) i have that pulls some then strop it and see if it will back to normal sorry it wont be long term but atleast it can be a short term look into the possibilites of it being a reality.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by avatar1999

...
Would love to hear from someone that has used a barber hone and strop exclusively for a long time to hear how it worked.

---

Works well; and I use just leather, no fabric. My Grandfather used the same maintenance formula for over 3 decades with success.