Confessions of a honing anarchist

I've been using straight razors for a little over a year now and I have a lot left to learn. But I wonder if sometimes we over-think things a bit. There seem to be a lot of people around the world who manage to get good shaves with an 80-year old razor stropped back to life an old belt.

When I started using a straight, the need for a really sharp tool became instantly apparent. Pretty quickly I started sharpening and honing my razors using the careful guidance provided by experienced people here: carefull X-patterns using a pyramid or even stroke count, etc.

This advice worked and was very helpful.

Today though, I realized that I have slipped into a much more casual form of honing. I used a 4K water stone to rework the edge a bit, not counting strokes, just following the bead of water formed by the cutting motion of the razor and getting a "feel" for the edge. Then I moved over to a 12K water stone and repeated the process: working the blade back and forth, watching the edge, turning it over when it felt right. Even my stropping seems to have become a bit unstructured with multiple passe on one side, then flipping to the other. Occasionally, I stop and test the edge on free standing hair on my arm. At some point it just seems right and I'm done.

I can't say that I have the sharpest razor out there, but I've come to enjoy the honing process a lot more and I'm getting great shaves. Honing has become more of a meditation, it's more relaxing. Today I stated wondering if other people are sticking to a formula for honing, or are there other free-form honers out there, other honing anarchists?

http://rotte.smugmug.com/Other/SRP/i...11523392-L.jpg

I don't count really, and I tend to mix up the strokes quite a bit to keep it interesting. I go more by feel and how the how the bevel looks by light.

As long as my blades are cutting arm hair effortlessly off the 1k the rest is polishing. When it feels smooth I move on to the next stone.

I'm pretty sure I'm not doing what the norm is but I know they shave very well with no irritation and in the end I can't ask for much more. :)

Although, I was just gifted a C12k and that has taken my edges up to a whole new level!

Let's face it - if we all did exactly the same thing all the time how would we ever discover anything new? Anarchists, or whatever you want to call people who don't conform to the norm, are always necessary even if only as salutary warnings! :)

James.

Is a ton of voodoo envolved in the sport for sure,most is just that (VOODOO)
But it is fun stuff:)

I consider exact counts and "systems" to be more for the beginning honer. to give them a sense of what they are supposed to be accomplishing. I now hone entirely by feel, but that is something that takes time, experience, and patience.

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Is a ton of voodoo envolved in the sport for sure,most is just that (VOODOO)
But it is fun stuff:)

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Somebody hand this man a GOOD beer! I tell guys that start honing that you MUST have a highly developed sense of humor.

is all fun,lots of things to learn,I have a young friend,just turned 61,lives a couple blks down from me,have done some machining for his car resto stuff.
He gets tottally freaked by all my SR stuff,the hook is set:) I loan him a simple well honed razor,give him a badger brush and some cella,he trys shaving with some success,he is still on the hook,he lurks here,today he wants to buy every stone he can get.
I take him into the shop,Say that is my bench with all the stones you will ever need,have at it,DO NOT GO BUYING STONES BUD,he is honing away as we speke on all the crap blades I have:) tomorrow is another day.

I'm still not confident with honing, although more comfortable since I switched from waterstones to Shaptons. When I say not confident, I mean I'm overly concerned about holding the edge steady while moving across the surface and haven't gotten to the point where I can relax and just let it happen.

Hopefully sharpening up, and touching up becomes something I no longer dread doing.

I do a good job, though. I got some new razors three months ago that weren't shave ready and got them fixed up from scratch. Today I did my first touch up of them. If I get three months of good shaves from today's effort I've got a plan on how to do it.

I have said it before and sort of got scolded for it...but I still maintain that the blade don't care about stroke count or pyramids. The blade needs what it needs and probably no two blades need exactly the same thing;)

That said a well structured stroke count/pyramid will work...but I like to say it this way: Any rigorous procedure that works for EVERY blade, is going to be a lot more than most blades actually need.

I am definitely with you. I don't follow any pattern other than an x shape and counting. But I only count for a rhythm (I am a musician so I do everything to a rhythm lol)

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Originally Posted by Nix

Today I stated wondering if other people are sticking to a formula for honing, or are there other free-form honers out there, other honing anarchists?

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I think all of us who hone are razors and stick with it for awhile break out and experiment after some time passes. I learned on the pyramids and went on to experiment with progressive honing for a time. Lynn, the founder of SRP and the guy who really is responsible for spreading the word was the main mover of pyramids for years and now is practicing the circle honing method with great success.

I've been dabbling with the circles myself for a time, and liking the results, but I still find myself going back to the familiar pyramid. It works so well for me. BTW, the comparison to meditation brings to mind when I was doing that very thing. Based on a book called Three Pillars of Zen. Counting exhalations while focusing on an object was the method. Counting strokes when honing seems to do the same thing for me.

I think I would be more concerned with the frown that seems to be forming in front of the heel and the uneven spine wear..

It could of course be all in the pic, but it looks "Off"

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

I think I would be more concerned with the frown that seems to be forming in front of the heel and the uneven spine wear..

It could of course be all in the pic, but it looks "Off"

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Arrrgh! I'm not sure what you mean exactly. Might be a trick of the light. All I can say is that after snapping the pic, I went and had a fantastic shave. That doesn't mean disaster might not be looming in the future, but for now, I'm lovin' this Hart razor!

Take the razor and Sight along the edge toward a bright light like you would a rifle close one eye let the shine disappear until the edge profile becomes a shadow, that will allow you to see the actual edge profile and not any wear lines that can deceive the eye..

Always hone toward a smile it keeps the edge happy :) and eliminates the posibility of a frown.. :(

I have seen way to many frowns lately come across my hones, half the battle is a sharp smooth edge, the other half is keeping it that way for the future..

This stuff that many are showing on vids now as being "Fast" by going straight up and down and doing 1/2 Strokes as they are called are a receipe for frowns and odd spine wear...

Thanks! I think this razor is more 'smile' than 'frown'. When I sharpen, I try to envision putting some 'belly' in the blade--I think they shave better that way. I use an arcing motion--both push and draw strokes--when I hone; I avoid straight up/down. I don't want a straight straight-razor. A bit of a 'smile' adds a subtle slicing action to the blade when shaving as I see it. BWTFDIK?