Levels of Honing Proficiency
This is just foolin' about, having some fun.
I've been pondering what to call folks at various levels of honing proficiency. We all know honemeister, a master of honing, someone who can take almost any edge and make it shave-ready, whose work is a standard by which to judge other razors and honings, someone who rightly gets paid for their work, isn't flustered or thrown off his game by some oddity of the blade's shape or consistency.
What to call the newbie? What to call someone who has learned pretty well how to hone, but who wouldn't risk doing it with other people's razors for money? Who still isn't sure of himself on lots of points.
I thought of these two terms:
The newbie working seriously at learning the task of honing, but still not there yet, I will call the honester. Just a hint of the idea of an imposter, or someone sincerely acting out a role, but not there yet. The honester is the apprentice, the person who has the hones, hangs out with honemeisters, can talk a good talk about honing, but actually still isn't shaving daily and happily with razors he has honed himself. Memorizing the wiki, he's done...actually putting shaving edges on razors...that's coming.
Once someone has got the basics down and actually has a handful of razors he has honed himself, who generally knows how to solve the main problems honing presents, who can buy a generally sound eBay razor, clean it up, hone it, and add it to his rotation, and maybe even hone a razor for free for a friend...this person I christen the honist. A honist has the skills, but maybe not the consistency nor the versatility of the honemeister. Rounding off a spike point for someone and restoring the edge would be something they could try and succeed at. Honists often will be carrying on exchanges via PMs with honemeisters, and will know enough to know how to use the advice they are being given. They'll be worrying about things like "what's the best situation for taping a spine?" "How do I use a slurry well?" "What do I do when a bevel just won't get right?" "Should I just hone a couple 32nds off this edge to get a clean surface and try again?"
So...the honester, the honist, and the honemeister. There you have a comprehensible set of degrees of compentency in this delightful craft.
And...clearly...I have way too much free time on my hands!