Thread: StraightRazorDesigns honing process and materials?

I'm also just getting started in the honing end of straight razor shaving. So far, about 6 months of shaving daily with the straight, I have been able to get the edge back to shave ready using CROX. When that is no longer sufficient, I will start to use a finishing stone, followed by the CROX, and the strop. My choice for the finishing stone was the Chinese 12K -- primarily because Woodcraft has them on sale for $20 this month. If I get to the point that the 12K doesn't get the job done I will get either the Norton 4/8K or a DMT 8K extra extra fine. That decision is down the road and will be influenced by my readings between now and then as well as the prices of each at the time.

Originally Posted by MNDZA

Thanks for all the great advice. I'm kinda lost now that I think of the reality of how hard it will be to do this kind of work. So if I just want to keep resharpening to maintain the great edge that my razor now has, should I just stick with the Shrapton 16,000 and CrOx on felt afterward? Should I just skip the 220/1000/4000/8000 for now if I only need to resharpen or will I need the 4000/8000 anyway?

If you're just touching up our SRD razor then yes, the Shap16 & crox (if you want) should be all you'll need; the 4/8 & below are for actual honing. What you'd be doing is just touchups. If you do decide to get into actual honing, don't practice on your new razor.

Originally Posted by MNDZA

Thanks for all the great advice. I'm kinda lost now that I think of the reality of how hard it will be to do this kind of work. So if I just want to keep resharpening to maintain the great edge that my razor now has, should I just stick with the Shrapton 16,000 and CrOx on felt afterward? Should I just skip the 220/1000/4000/8000 for now if I only need to resharpen or will I need the 4000/8000 anyway?

It can feel daunting. The approach that many are trying to help with here is a less is more attitude. If you purchase one stone, then your variable for honing consists of learning how to use that one stone to the maximum. If all of a sudden you have 2 stones, and you're new to this, then your variables have tripled. Two variables for the single stones, and one variable for a combination of the stones.....and that is where the confusion sets in. Stick with a touch up hone OR CrOx....and experiment with them on a second razor until you get the results you want. Then, get those results time after time. After you've got a few things in your bag of tricks, then it's a reasonable time to look for another stone, possibly of a lower grit.

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by Maxi

It can feel daunting. The approach that many are trying to help with here is a less is more attitude. If you purchase one stone, then your variable for honing consists of learning how to use that one stone to the maximum. If all of a sudden you have 2 stones, and you're new to this, then your variables have tripled. Two variables for the single stones, and one variable for a combination of the stones.....and that is where the confusion sets in. Stick with a touch up hone OR CrOx....and experiment with them on a second razor until you get the results you want. Then, get those results time after time. After you've got a few things in your bag of tricks, then it's a reasonable time to look for another stone, possibly of a lower grit.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the tips. I just ordered the modular paddle and some CrOx spray. It also comes with .5 diamond paste which I assume does the same thing? For now I'll just stick to doing touch ups using the spray/paste on the felt pads. When I can't get the edge the way I want it using the strop, I'll send it to Lynn so he can do his amazing sharpening job on it. Someday I'll get brave enough to learn the honing process, but for now I guess I need to learn how to strop!

Good plan for now. Just stick w/ 10 x-strokes on the diamond felt when the edge start to pull a bit, then test shave & see where you are.

Hi MNDZA, and welcome to SRP.

It sounds like you've evolved a good decision. I've got that paddle strop, too; it's a great piece of gear. You might find that a diamond-finished edge feels a little harsh--if that's the case, try the CrOx instead. It's generally smoother.

As a first hone, I'd recommend the Naniwa12k. It's much faster than the Chinese 12k, and works nicely with other honing systems you might acquire in the future. I've heard that the Shaptons are not as flexible as that. I've also heard that the Shapton16k is quite fast, about the same speed as the Naniwa12k. Ten or twenty laps on my Naniwa can bring back an edge, but I've heard the Chinese12k can take many dozens of laps to do the same thing.

When you do get that first hone, get a DMT325 plate at the same time. You'll use that to lap (flatten) your hone before the first use, and at occasional intervals thereafter. Skip Norton's flattening stone. It will also need occasional flattening.

Practice stropping at first with a butter knife. It's a weird motion and it really helps to lay in and refine some muscle memory before putting your shaving edge out there.

Good luck with it all, and best wishes.

Originally Posted by MNDZA

I recently purchased a Dovo from SRD and it shaved really well out of the box. Does anyone here know what they do to sharpen them before sending them out? I am about to purchase a Norton set of 220/1000/4000/8000/flattener and was going to get a paddle strop with felt to use the CrOx spray on it as a finisher after the 4000/8000 pyramid. I want to get it at least as sharp as they sent it to me and what better place to ask this question than here.

You are asking the right questions....

I might remark that your task is easier to
provision for than the task SRD has already done.

Because they have set the bevel and
polished the edge the task of maintaining
it can be done with hones 8k or finer.

For now strop with care, smooth and deliberately
it is not necessary to strop with speed. This can
keep the razor shaving well for months (+/-).

When the razor starts to tug and the strop does
not refresh it lap the surface of a 12000 or 8000 grit hone
fresh clean and flat leaving some slurry on it. Give
the razor five or so smooth hone strokes with slurry, rinse the hone and
give it five or ten additional smooth hone strokes with
clear water.

It is a toss up which hone to use 12000 or 8000
for many people a Naniwa 12k hone might be the
better choice to refresh an edge that shaved well
recently.

If there is a key use the finest hone you have
and use it lightly with a minimum of effort.

You will not need a 220 or a 1000 grit hone as long
as you do not roll the edge badly. The 4k can
tidy up a lightly rolled edge.

If you want to see what I have in mind
visit YouTube and look for the honing
videos by gssixgun. Pay attention to the very
last ten strokes of the process. That may
be all you need because all the hard stuff was
already done by SRD and the last ten smooth
finishing hone strokes is all many need.

Remember you have sharp razor with a well set bevel now.
Your razor is not some eBay prize that needs
a lot of work.

After honing a lightly pasted CrOx strop
hanging or paddle can help perfect the polish.

Strop on clean canvas, then clean leather
and shave test.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

If you want to see what I have in mind
visit YouTube and look for the honing
videos by gssixgun. Pay attention to the very
last ten strokes of the process. That may
be all you need because all the hard stuff was
already done by SRD and the last ten smooth
finishing hone strokes is all many need.

Thanks! That was an excellent video. I've read a little bit enough to know that taping the spine is a debatable subject, but I notice that in the video the spine is taped. I have to normal spined razors and one on the way that is nicely designed (Dovo Flowing). Do you recommend that I tape this spine or even the others as well? Does SRD tape them when honing? I wouldn't need to tape when stropping correct?

When I buy a razor I always ask if it was honed with tape. If it was, then I will also hone on tape, at least until the time comes to reset the bevel. That is because the shaving edge is angled in a way that if I hone without tape, I'll only polish the metal just shy of the edge.

Times when I do NOT use tape:

1. The blade has some warp or was misground and I can correct it by honing the spine and edge together. This is usually something that requires some heavy work with a 325DMT.

2. The blade doesn't have much hone wear and I'm honing it for the first time. I do it without tape because I want the same level of polish along the spine as I'm working to put on the edge. This is a cosmetic choice.

3. It's one of my own blades and I'm feeling too lazy to change tape at every new grit level. (You have to change tape because it does abrade away. I don't think the problem is angle change as much as it is gummy tape residue messing up your hone.)

4. I'm doing a touch-up on a very fine hone, which will not add detectable wear to the spine.


Times when I DO use tape:

1. I'm doing my final polish on a very slow hone. The tape props up the blade a tiny bit, so this slow hone is creating a microbevel all its own and not abrading the entire edge created so far. I also get to inspect with a magnifier and compare the microbevel polish to the rest of the edge polish, and verify that this final hone is finer than the previous one.

2. I'm working with a wedge grind, where the tape is a great help in keeping a narrow bevel. If it's an old wedge with lots of hone wear, I might use two or three layers.

3. I'm honing someone else's razor and it doesn't need any corrective work. I ask before starting work, to see what they prefer. Default option, though, is tape.

4. I'm working on an old blade that already has significant hone wear. I may polish the existing wear up to my own finishing grit first, but will then backtrack to the actual bevel setting and honing with tape.

5. There's something really pretty about the spine, and I don't want to mar it.


That's the reasoning behind my own taping decision. Hope it isn't too much information.

Best wishes.

Originally Posted by MNDZA

Thanks! That was an excellent video. I've read a little bit enough to know that taping the spine is a debatable subject, but I notice that in the video the spine is taped. I have to normal spined razors and one on the way that is nicely designed (Dovo Flowing). Do you recommend that I tape this spine or even the others as well? Does SRD tape them when honing? I wouldn't need to tape when stropping correct?

Tape is a choice.
I do not use it for the most part. But I do use it
at times.

Since Glen hones other peoples razors some of which already have
a lot of spine wear he has decided that tape is a good thing for
his goals. I am sure he has discussed his logic before.

I have some razors where the spine wear makes tape a good thing.

The only rule on tape is to be consistent for a given razor.

It is a tool like any tool.

My gut feeling is that tape is best for restored razors.
It is mostly not needed for a new razor like a Dovo.

I do use it on my new, prize, gold plated, fancy file work on the spine razor.