Thread: Opening Pandora's Box

Save a few more bucks, and get the Norton 4/8 combo. You'll be glad you did. Coticules are great, but vary greatly from stone to stone. If you wind up with a hard, hard finisher, we'll, you going to have a tough time doing anything else. Save some money, and get one down the road, after you've learned how to hone. They can be challenging, but very rewarding too..It used to be cheaper to buy a seperate bbw and Coticule, rather than a combo stone. Prices have skyrocketed, so I don't know anymore...

Yeah I may have to dump my cheap skate ways & grab the 4/8 combo. I checked the sites that sell Coticules & they said the prices jumped 30-45%!

I think to be fair to yourself, you should pick up a not so fancy vintage hollow at least 5/8 blade that is a proven shaver with a shave ready edge. I have many straights and the Gold Dollar razor is not a great candidate for getting a good edge on from the one I tried. The one I have is definitely sub par. Then at least you will know it is your honing and not the razor FME regardless of which hone you decide on.

Originally Posted by Kingfish

I think to be fair to yourself, you should pick up a not so fancy vintage hollow at least 5/8 blade that is a proven shaver with a shave ready edge. I have many straights and the Gold Dollar razor is not a great candidate for getting a good edge on from the one I tried. The one I have is definitely sub par. Then at least you will know it is your honing and not the razor FME regardless of which hone you decide on.

I agree. Th SR came from Rup & after getting my chops down with it, I can feel it going dull. More of a scrape it seems instead of cutting, so I thought it a good time to pick up a hone & get to work. I have a freshly honed Wade & Butcher & WOW! What a difference. Now I know how a shave ready SR feels.

you have a good razor to use, so you're not in immediate need for a hone. it's probably best to just wait a bit, save a little more, and get a hone that will be appropriate for the job.

i don't think the edges off belgian blue on sheffield steel are bad - i definitely can get very good shaves with that.
however that stone is a bit of an odd thing, the only thing that i can get good shave off it is sheffield steel.

it's trickier than the coticule to sharpen a razor on it too. i consider it just something quirky to have as a variety, but wouldn't want to have it as a sole hone, even though i would manage with it if i have no alternative options. (though keep in mind that i have plenty of honing experience that i've developed with other standard hones.)

if you will just maintain your razor, the inexpensive hone i'd experiment with would probably be the chinese hone. it's a slow hone, as with all natural hones there are variations in performance, but they seem to be in the ballpark of what a hone for maintaining an already honed razor should be. i think the smaller version is in the $25 range.

but, the norton would be the better option both for versatility and consistency.

UPDATE:
Well I went with the Norton 4/8 & have been watching the vids & practicing
on the Gold Dollar & after almost 3 months GOT IT DOWN COLD. That GD
went from gliding over arm hair to popping them like mad. It actually
shaved pretty well, not as good as my Morley or my W&B, but it worked.
Yesterday I touched up the W&B & it shaved like new.
Thanks for all the tips!

Originally Posted by Kilgore

As far as my untrained eye can tell it's straight, but I don't have the experience to say other wise. Maybe I'll pick up a different model.

You'll only know if it's warped after you start honing it. When it "pushes water" unevenly, or there's one section of the edge that never touches the hone, the little "Warped!" light goes on above your head.

Charles

PS -- I think I just did a decent job sharpening a warped blade; the test shave is tomorrow.