Thread: If I can sharpen/hone a knife....

....Can a hone a straight?

Being a chef, I own, sharpen, hone, and maintain a decent size set of knifes. If they aren't sharp, I can't do my work. I'm fairly talented on a whetstone, and I've been wondering....should honing be fairly natural to me? and in that vein, can i use my 1000/6000 stone on a straight, or is the 1000 too coarse?

knife sharpening and razor honing are two different animals.
Razor honing requires a lot lighter touch,that being said there is no reason for you not to learn razor honing properly. you need to have at least a minimal set of stones such as 1k, 3 or 5k ,8k ,12k , CrO strop hanging strop and practice.

Your 1k will work as a bevel setter (if the razor in question needs its bevel set), and you may be able to jump right to the 6k. I'd bet you could shave off the 6k quite comfortably, and I certainly don't think you *need* a 12k or CrO, but I guess that's personal preference. I would, however, recommend getting at least something in the 8-10k range and you'll also need a leather strop of some sort.

I do agree that there is no direct corrolation between knife and razor honing, though. I can't sharpen a knife to save my life, and I have met some knife guys that are equally bad with a razor.

The fact that you wanted to ask this question shows promise! A lot of knife guys just assume "Of course I can!" and then get mad at us when we tell them the reason it isn't working is that they're doing it wrong.

Long story short, you WILL have some useful skills already-- motor coordination for a good smooth stroke, etc. You will also find some things nice-- the razor sets its own angle. You may find some of it fun-- it's a GREAT excuse to buy lots of new hones! And some of it will seem totally like honing on Mars-- almost no pressure, and 1000 grit is where most of us start on a razor, to set the bevel.

It's a fun sport though... jump in, ask questions, check out old threads and how-to videos here on SRP.

Thanks guys! now i just need to get payed, and buy a razor....and everything else! lol

Even though yer a Bruins fan, I'll still be nice and give ya some advice

For your first razor you really, really should get a "Shave Ready" first razor so you have an benchmark shave, and a benchmark edge to shoot for....

The biggest differences in the honing styles = No Burr, Way way way less pressure, Sharp is not the only goal, smooth is just as important....

Originally Posted by mainaman

knife sharpening and razor honing are two different animals.
Razor honing requires a lot lighter touch,that being said there is no reason for you not to learn razor honing properly. you need to have at least a minimal set of stones such as 1k, 3 or 5k ,8k ,12k , CrO strop hanging strop and practice.

Seriously, what are you drinking?
If a razor is in good condition, the minimum you need is a 4000/8000 combo stone and a strop. You can substitute the norton with equivalent stones or a coticule, or add a pasted strop to increase time between hones.

There is NO need whatsoever to stock up on stones if all you want to do is to maintain your own razor.
Even if you want to restore razors, you can get by with less than what you are suggesting here. You don't need to go higher than 8000 to get a good shave, and if you need to restore a damaged edge, a 1000K or 1000 grit sandpaper will suffice. And I've never owned a pasted strop either.

You come across like an audiophile trying to help a newbie buy his first car radio.
I appreciate good tools like anyone else, but there you really don't need to own all this just to hone a razor.

Originally Posted by mt4080

....Can a hone a straight?

Being a chef, I own, sharpen, hone, and maintain a decent size set of knifes. If they aren't sharp, I can't do my work. I'm fairly talented on a whetstone, and I've been wondering....should honing be fairly natural to me? and in that vein, can i use my 1000/6000 stone on a straight, or is the 1000 too coarse?

Yes honing a razor should be easier for you to learn since you already understand the concept of creating an edge. I was the same way with sharpening knives and tools. Razors are different. "SHAVE" ready razors are even more different. I use a 1000/6000 King Icebear combo stone for bevel setting and Str8 edge progression. I take my shaving edge much higher as Stefan alluded to which is personal preference. As your honing abilities evolve, you may want to experiment with different higher grit hones as well. That's the fun part.

Mike

Originally Posted by Bruno

Seriously, what are you drinking?
If a razor is in good condition, the minimum you need is a 4000/8000 combo stone and a strop. You can substitute the norton with equivalent stones or a coticule, or add a pasted strop to increase time between hones.

When the Norton was the hone Du Jour, the 4/8 was recommended constantly. Now that the Naniwa Superstones have become so popular, and since they come in a wider variety of grits, the recommendations for beginners have too often shifted to them and their diversity. The Norton combo is still a great option for a beginner AND for someone who just wants a basic kit without going wild.

Glen sharpened a razor for me & my sharpening ability took a quantum leap forward just from seeing what a sharp razor is supposed to be like. It was like a lightsaber. I never even knew anything could BE that sharp.

Once a razor's been sharpened, you can keep it going forever using a $15 Swaty hone from eBay. That's about the bare minimum. Although you can't get a razor as sharp as Glen does using a Swaty. He has all kinds of cool stuff. But you CAN get it sharp enough to shave. Many men did, for many decades. I use a Swaty now.