Thread: not rocket science

Wondering why some "honemister's" talk about sharpening a staight razor to perfection like you need a phd degree?
when your razor starts to pull and tug...just touch up on a 12k or better hone and your back in buisness...jeeze!!!

I can't recall any honemeisters making honing a razor seem like rocket science. The fact is that while it is not by any means a difficult task it does take some practice before you get good smooth sharp edges consistently. I have found the honemeisters here to be nothing but helpful.

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Originally Posted by terryearp

Wondering why some "honemister's" talk about sharpening a staight razor to perfection like you need a phd degree?
when your razor starts to pull and tug...just touch up on a 12k or better hone and your back in buisness...jeeze!!!

You have to count the grey whiskers.

Prior to the modern crop of Japanese water hones
like the 12K Naniwa Superstone it did take a well
schooled touch and a collection of rare natural hones
that takes years to find.

If you follow the discussion on the Chinese 12K natural
hones you may begin to appreciate how rare the very
best natural hones are.

Welcome to the future...
and BTW it makes sense to me recomment
that you audition a good razor or two honed by
the hand of a good honemaster I doubt you know what
you are missing.

But hey...there are days when I like and recommend
the BiC Yellow handled razors for sensitive skin.

Even though I strongly disagree with the way the original poster started the topic,
it yields the potential for a small discussion.

All the high quality discussions about properties of certain stones and techniques,
make it difficult for a newby to find the simplest of advice to get started.
New, how do you own disorder?

There should be more stickies (at least one) with the real basics of what really is necessary.
It should contain things like:
Options for the beginner in the art of honing
Options for the interested buyer for the touch up of your razor

and a couple of links to the Wiki


Because he is right after all. Honing is no rocket sience.
But it certainly can be complicated if you want to get know it all

Originally Posted by Lesslemming

Even though I strongly disagree with the way the original poster started the topic,
it yields the potential for a small discussion.

All the high quality discussions about properties of certain stones and techniques,
make it difficult for a newby to find the simplest of advice to get started.
New, how do you own disorder?

There should be more stickies (at least one) with the real basics of what really is necessary.
It should contain things like:
Options for the beginner in the art of honing
Options for the interested buyer for the touch up of your razor

and a couple of links to the Wiki


Because he is right after all. Honing is no rocket sience.
But it certainly can be complicated if you want to get know it all

If I remember right, than this has been written down in the SRP wiki very well, newbies shouldn't need more. If they need, they can ask here, but a few stickies won't hurt, because people are lazy to read the wiki first and than ask

In so much of my work lately a lexicon has been critical among parties. The description in the original post does not follow my definition of honing. It would be more described as a touch up. I do agree, in some ways. Many of the beginners I have been teaching lately were surprised to discover the simplicity of touching up a shaving razor. Much of the activity we do is better described using even more serious words than honing, which gives no insight into the amount of work to be done. A very well known straight razor forum owner once described what we do with hones, against eBay razors, as "restoration"

Dear terryearp,
while honing might not be the world's most difficult task, do remember this can also be a daunting task to a beginner. For someone who know their hones well and which are best for different jobs, that know what a sharp razor is supposed to feel like, and have been honing lots of different razors it may not be that hard to get consistently sharp blades, but it does take practice.
No need to knock neither the skilled nor the beginners here.

You know,

It doesn't matter if it's easy or difficult. I like honing. I like being able to solve the puzzle; the pressure, the stroke, the steel. It's all fun.

Say what you like.

I worked with a unique individual once whose would reply to people's odd comments "Meh, it doesn't affect the temperature of my beer."

Honing reminded me of arc welding in the sense that it is really quite easy .... once you know how to do it ..... getting to that point was the extremely difficult part for me, in both pursuits. Being a professional tattooer I'm sometimes asked, "How do you learn to tattoo ?" Here again we have an analogy to honing IMO. It is very easy to apply a tattoo. Buy a kit and you can be marking up yourself or your friends within an hour. It is very difficult to tattoo well and takes years of practical application.