Thread: How many shaves before a new Honing?

I know this is a hard question to ask because of the differences of hair and such, but roughly how many shaves can you get out of a blade before you have to get it honed? I'm looking into getting one but I want to make sure Im not getting in over my head with money and maintenance. I dont know if I should go with a straight razor or a safety razor. I understand stropping, but not so much honing and being that I'm a noob I want to make sure I can handle it.

With normal use and regular stropping you could get a few months or more out of a razor without needing it honed.
With a pasted strop, or wood pasted with chromium oxide, you could go a very very long time without needing it honed professionally.

Of course, if you buy at SRD before the end of the month, you'll get free honing for life.

I regularly go 30-45 shaves with just stropping. Even when the blade goes off slightly, it doesn't need to be re-honed, just finished on a high grit stone, a Naniwa SS 12K for example.

Originally Posted by ace

I regularly go 30-45 shaves with just stropping. Even when the blade goes off slightly, it doesn't need to be re-honed, just finished on a high grit stone, a Naniwa SS 12K for example.

I too touch up with a Naniwa 12k after about 30 shaves with the SR, which for me is about every other month. CrO on balsa and the strop can take it easily beyond this but I have a routine with the 12k that keeps me from ever having to hone my daily shaver from 4K on up.

Originally Posted by SolusChristus

I'm looking into getting one but I want to make sure Im not getting in over my head with money and maintenance. I dont know if I should go with a straight razor or a safety razor. I understand stropping, but not so much honing and being that I'm a noob I want to make sure I can handle it.

You can make shaving as economical as you like, stropping and good shaving skills will make edges last a long time. Also dry and oil your razor after each shave to prevent corrosion will help too.

Many of us here also look at the hobbie end of it and we go out of our way to have fun experimenting and finding new ways to chase an edge.