Thread: Advice for honing an old razor to shave ready condition

I'm trying to make an antigue Wade and Butcher razor shave ready. I've got a strop and an small Arkansas razor hone, any advice to sharpen it up just right so I can shave with it?

How about reading the help files, browsing the archives and not cross-posting in a whole bunch of topics?

Check out the help files and look at the pyramid technique. The tools and techniques will be spelled out for you there.

Good luck.

-Rob

I don't know how successful you'll be with an Arkansas stone, maybe some of the more experienced folks will weigh in. Since you're new, my advice is send it to one of the honemeisters like Lynn and have them hone it properly for you. That way you'll know what a properly honed razors shaves like. If you want to learn to hone, buy a couple of eBay razors and practice on them until you get the technique down (assuming you have the right equipment). Welcome to SRP and best of luck to you.

I have a related question:

I have an old razor with a curved spine and blade...all of the info I have read deals with a straight spine and blade...what is the correct way to hone and strop a curved blade?

Originally Posted by Tobico4

...what is the correct way to hone and strop a curved blade?

Use something we call the "rock & roll" method. As you begin the honing stroke, have the heel in good contact with the hone and as you progress along the hone, move the point of contact along the blade through the belly to the tip at the end. Keep the pressure even and light throughout. Don't overshoot the tip! you'll hone it back to a stubbed toe if you do.

X

you will probably need another set of stones. search through the threads in this forum and you'll find lots of answers to similar questions.

i'm not sure what the grit is of your stone but most people recommend the 3" norton 4k/8k to hone a straight razor.

Originally Posted by filmecyan

I'm trying to make an antigue Wade and Butcher razor shave ready. I've got a strop and an small Arkansas razor hone, any advice to sharpen it up just right so I can shave with it?

Generally speaking the Arkansas stones are not suitable for straight razors. They simply are not fine enough. The Washita may work to remove nicks and an old oxidised edge but I am not sure on that point. I know that the black and translucent stones are not good for that type of work and they are very slow cutting. Send a PM to "Papabull" and ask him about the Arkansas stones.

Also,try reading thru the posts in this forum. That will give you some useful info. Then come back and post again.

Hope this helps,