Thread: Fluke maybe?

How hard is honing to learn really? I ask because last Sunday down in Houston I got a Fromm 72R from Mr Allman. The thing needed some work, but I figured that for a razor to learn to hone on it may be a good candidate. Now it already had a bevel but it was wavy. Heel and toe on one side were definitely smaller then on the other or in the middle. So after I lapped my hones today, I figured screw it I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

The razor would cut hair against the grain on my arm before I started on the hones, but it was hit and miss on cutting the hairs. It might cut 1 in 20. Now I didnt touch the bevel because I dont have a 1k stone yet, but I started on the 4k and worked up to the Chinese 12K. I had some troubles in the areas where the bevel was "wonky" but the rest of the blade seemed pretty good.

At this point I feel it best to mention that last night I watched the videos on YouTube from Lynn and Glen about honing, and Im figuring thats what has helped me quite a bit.

Once I finished up on the 12K, I wiped the blade down and ran it across my arm. This time it took the majority of the hairs with it. I decided that since I needed a shave anyway I would use the Fromm and see how it worked. I made it all the way through a 2-pass shave with no pulling or tugging really and no more irritation than I normally get (I have a sensitive neck area).

So could it be a fluke that I didnt screw the blade up on my first time putting steel to stone?

You did good,honeing razors is not rocket science JMO

Not rocket science, more like throwing a rock accurately or shooting a bow. It takes understanding of some principles & lots of practice to to ensure repeatability. If it didn't have something of a bevel to work with your post may have indicated less success. You did some light honing & touching up with good result. A great start to maintaining your razors.

It is simple, form bevels, make them meet to form an edge, refine as high as you like or have means to go, strop and enjoy your shaves.
So the essence of the exercise is very simple, but in practice you will see a lot of obstacles to overcome before you can apply the rule. There are a lot of razors out there, that have uneven hone wear, warps, uneven spine ware, frowns, wavy edge ...Those are the ones one needs to learn how to hone, they are not as simple as just setting bevel, they require certain steps to fix the issues then it is the ole "form the bevels, make them meet to form the edge, polish as high as you like etc. etc"

Not a fluke. You studied the problem, took your time, worked with care and checked your results along the way. Well done, sir!

Thanks! It was really cool looking through the microscope at the blade after each grit. I remember seeing one of Glens videos saying something about getting the "scratches" all lined up the same and every time I looked at the blade thats what I was trying to be sure of.

I'll admit that the blade could probably benefit from a little more work, and as my technique improves, Im sure the blades will consistently follow suit. But it is a rather nice feeling to take a blade that was hit and miss on cutting even arm hair and working it back into something you can get through a whole shave with! I can see that learning to hone is going to lead to more money spent on razors, but its not RAD if I have to learn right?

I had the same fluke, (after i read all the info available and watched a few videos and followed the pyramid honing guide) and continue to have them each time I've honed since.

No, it's not a hard skill to learn, but you need to understand and adhere to the principles. I think a lot of guys here might be pretty 'handy' sorts of fellows - woodworkers, metalworkers; guys with tools rather than junk in their sheds.

I have junk in my shed, no tools, can do no 'handy' work like woodwork, metalwork, etc.

I found it fulfilling and surprising that I could learn to hone, it seemed to me like it would be the domain of 'handy' guys.

I do want to say that I would very very much like to suggest the idea of a honing journal. I also feel one should count laps and have a plan. Without a plan and without counting one can get lost...

Good job!
Sooner or later you will mess something up, it's all part of learning but now you know you can do it.

Lots of "handy" guys got angle grinders in their sheds and are not afraid to use them I'm afraid!
After seeing some people at work with honing, gold smithing and other delicate jobs I'm not so sure everyone can learn.
I once tried to show a guy how to use his new jnat on his kitchen knives, he started of fine but after 2 min he got impatient and his angles were all over the place.
Some even start off with the attitude "can not" and won't listen to any advice, strange people!

Dependent on the individual. Every time I think I have it down pat, my expectations for "shave ready" go up, and I no longer have it down pat. But when I started, I think I was pretty smug about it. I started giving honing advice after about 3 weeks of learning how to hone. Because of course, I was an "expert" already, or at the very least, a "senior member". HA! After about 3 months, I started sending blades out to people in order to get their opinion. My first honing grade was an F. The person told me not only did I NOT know what I was doing, but that I should STOP doing anything until he could teach me something. Suspecting a fluke, I sent him 6 more to grade. Which only solidified his stance on the matter. lol. Another 12 months later, I was feeling ok about where I was at, and sent some more blades to some more people. My grades that time were better, but still not the glowing "Universally Approved" ratings I was hoping for. And here we are today. Haven't been graded since December. Once again, fairly smug perhaps. I think I'm doing good. But I've only gotten about 6 people to agree with that assessment. So, I'm open to the idea that I have significant efforts ahead of me. So is it really hard to learn how to hone your own razors? Ehh..maybe not. Is it really hard to learn how to hone so that OTHER PEOPLE will like your edges? I think it is. But in my short time here, I've seen guys go from absolute newbies, to honing experts running small businesses on the side, in a matter of months. I'll hang my own shingle someday...But not until I get my "Universally Approved" rating. If that comes in two years or ten..it's no matter. I have the time.