Thread: New Stones, First Use

I have been shaving with a straight for a couple of months now and I'm completely hooked on the whole experience. So, I thought I should learn how to maintain an edge. I am lucky enough to live close to Lynn, so he gave me a lesson on touch up using a 12k stone and/or a pasted strop. He also gave me a honing demonstration and let me get in a little practice. Many Many thanks go out to Lynn; he is definately a master honemeister!

After getting my feet wet I just had to get some stones and practice practice and start another adventure. I obtained a 4k/8k Norton combo, and a Naniwa 12k. I also picked up a Norton flattening stone. I have since read a lot of opinions that the Norton flattening stone isn't the greatest, so I may eventually look at a DMT.

I lapped off enough of the stones to get past the new grittines and checked them and they were at least mostly flat. I obtained a several very inexpensive razors to practice on. They looked pretty rough, but at least a couple of them looked like I could use them for practice. I grabbed the best looking one of the bunch and went to work.

It had a very very small chip in the blade that I could just barely detect. I dont have a 1k stone, so I went to work on the 4k using a series of 20 circles on each side until I couldnt detect the chip any longer. This took a little time and maybe medium pressure to achieve. After the chip was gone, It had pretty good bite and grab on the TPT and shaved arm hair, so I went into a 5/5, 3/3, 1/3, 1/5 pyramid and then finished on the Naniwa 12k.

It shaved! Not a Lynn Abrams edge, but it shaved and it was at least a tollerable shave. I was pretty happy and proud and look forward to practicing and getting better. A big thanks to Lynn and this site for all the info and help.

Now those are the kind of stories I LOVE to hear on this site!!!


Keep up the great work, it takes time, so enjoy the ride!!

Sincerely, tinkersd

Good to hear, the more you practice, the more you will learn to feel what the edge is doing. Lucky dog to get lessons from the man himself!

Feels good doesn't it!!!! Good job, now you will be spending every extra penny on hones lol. You are lucky to live near Lynn, I wish I did. Keep it up.

Originally Posted by ccase39

Feels good doesn't it!!!! Good job, now you will be spending every extra penny on hones lol. You are lucky to live near Lynn, I wish I did. Keep it up.

Extra penny? LOL Whats that? Between razors, soaps, after shaves, colognes, hones, practice razors, cigars, chess sets, mahjong sets, knives, guns, ..... You get the idea (oh yeah and I eat sometimes) I dont remember what an extra penny looks like. You just find a way to get the necessities and then if anything is left over you get food, shelter, etc...