Thread: Time to learn?

So, I've been shaving with my straight for about two months, but between learning to strop properly, some bad shaves with completely wrong angles, and dropping my razor once, I now need to bite the bullet and decide if I want to learn to hone, or send my razor out.

I want to learn to hone, so that might be reason enough, but I find it a little intimidating and confusing. There is so much about grits and different stones and the difference between setting an edge and touching up an edge that I really am unsure of what my needs actually are.

What I have gathered so far is that a good all around beginner stone is the Norton 4k/8k combo. I dont want to cut corners but another 80 bucks might not be in the cards...

The flip side is the problem that it is around 30 dollars to get a razor honed once you factor in shipping, and I'm without my razor for that time frame.

My end goal in straight shaving is to be self sufficient, able to handle everything on my own. I don't need my razors to be works of art, I just want a clean shave!

I have a second razor, but I need to put a set of scales on it... It was a taylors eye witness 1000 which I have read is a good razor, so hopefully soon I will have two in the rotation, but that would be another 30 dollars to hone that one as well, after which I am almost to the same cost as a hone!

So the real question is, what is the best advice you can give me about honing, I am looking for the most cost effective means of keeping my razors sharp, one is a full honing, the other mostly just a touch up, both carbon steel. Can a novice figure this out? I've seen all the videos online and read everything here, and it all cautions me away from it, but I am pretty meticulous with my hands (lots of fly tying and other detail oriented work) and I have a pretty good understanding of what I need to do and how to do it, it is just getting to practicing it.

A recommendation for a good hone would be the most appreciated, as I read over this it sounds like I have already made up my own mind... =]

I would suggest getting the norton 4K/8K and going to an antique store and pick up a cheap str8. Use it to learn on and if you mess it up you may be out 10 bucks or so. I started out honing mine and got good shaves. Then i found a couple guys that had straights and honed them. I got theirs sharper than mine so I went back and done mine again. Its like everything in this hobby practice practice practice

+1 on the above, 4/8k norton. How much damage from dropping? I know pictures will be requested. You're probably going to need a 220/1k also depending on edge condition.

I've been at this straight shaving thing for about 8 months and just now am contemplating getting into honing. I bought a Naniwa 12k to do maintenance honing. That way I can work on honing technique before I get into bevel setting.

If you do decided you want to go all the way the norton 4/8 is a great choice. Not because I have one but because I've researched it on here like crazy! lol There's a video on youtube by Gssixgun that shows how to bevel set with the 4/8. Best of luck!

Everyone will recommend the 4k/8k Norton for the start, for a good reason. Best bang for the buck, nice shave off the 8k, and a LOT of experience and videos from other members. What else could you ask for?

You understand the problem exactly --

. . . a few honings = the price of a 4K/8K.

If you can tie flies, honing a razor will be _easy_. Your eyes and hands are up to the job.

I also have a Norton 4K/8K, and it's fine for honing edges that are dull, but otherwise in good condition. You _may_ want three other things for a complete kit:

. . . A Norton 220/1K, for handling chips and badly-worn blades;

. . . A finishing hone (a barber hone would do, they're about $20) that's finer than 8K;

. . . A pasted strop (e.g. chromium oxide 0.5 micron (= roughly 30K grit size)) for final polish.

You should certainly have a magnifier -- a 10x jeweller's loupe works nicely - to examine edges. And a granite or marble tile, with 400 grit sandpaper, to flatten the Norton stones.

I started out using high-grit sandpaper, and fairly quickly realized that buying a few Nortons would save me a lot of trouble. I buy razors at antique stores and flea markets, and the 1K stone gets a lot of use.

Charles

PS -- "hone acquisition disorder" is a danger, but it's not as common as "razor acquisition disorder".