Thread: 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...

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........

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

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