Thread: Honing skill; newb, beginner, intermediate, expert, meister. Which are you?

While I agree that a hone count in and of itself is no guide, the qualifier in the OP that the honer "knows what they do and how to use them appropriately and to their best effect" (or whatever the phrase was) changes its validity in my book to something eminently justifiable.

YMMV.

James.

Going with the above criteria I'd say intermediate. It's very very rare that I have to hone a blade from scratch, I mostly just maintain my personal collection.

BTW - Thanks for the description of the Delusion Meister, Jimbo . We've had a few around these parts.....

Seems like very reasonable categories. I'm definitely a beginner. I have Norton 1K, 4K/8K, Naniwa 12000 and have used them plus CrOx on a paddle strop to hone and nurse a couple of crappy ebay special edges to shaving sharp. But...it took a long time with a lot of rework. And I sure wouldn't trust my skills on anyone else's razor.

Entertaining thread and yet I think all that many of us care about is getting a good shaving edge.

I've been steadily working on my honing since Hannuka, 2006, and I'd say that my ability -- regardless of equipment -- flat sucks. While I can maintain an edge with "pasted" bench strops, and can work my way up a pyramid on a pair of properly-lapped Norton 4K/8K stones, no matter how I try, I have rarely been able to (re)set a bevel correctly with my DMT Coarse, Fine, or Extra-Fine plates. To put it in the vernacular, I can polish the hell out of a turd... and know that it'll remain a turd (albeit, a shinier one).

As a rule, any acceptable or damn-fine shaves I might experience are primarily due to my "keenly-honed" technique.

I do not know how you would classify me but I have honed quite a few, repaired/restored about 20 razors (significant chip, rust, warps, and/or frowns), and had 2 peer reviews (both successful).

For what it is worth I have been polishing steels for over a decade, and sharpened everything from sheers to razors...and I still will NOT offer razor honing for money

Hmm..What about a classification for the guy with free time? huh? I kinda thought I was an intermediate, but I don't make the cut it seems. I guess I'm a "Senior Beginner". :P

Been doing it for about 2 1/2 years, just do my own rarors, about a dozen and a half or so, I"m a beginer+ not much better, I have a habit of rehoneing Str8's that I know no matter how well I set the bevel[yes, that's one thing I feel I can do at this point] will give no more the 2 to 3 shaves before I feel more honeing is needed.
Don't worry though I do have some razors that will take and keep a hone of mine for many shaves. I guess I just love to bang my head againts a wall for gits and shigles!

I use Norton 220/1k/4k/8k/Phig 12K/Cromx/.50uM/.25uM

Just for for accuracy.

Beginner here, stil have a lot to learn. I have the Norton kit, Naniwa 12k, D8C.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I'd also add into those groups the idea of edge assessment ability, and (related) restorative honing ability. I realise these are probably implied in the "always succeeds when honing a razor" statement, but I think that is a skillset that should be explicitly named.

Hmmmmm maybe fixing something like this http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...worst.html#top