Thread: Shave test and honing

When u guys touch up a razor lets say on a 12 k naniwa.. Are you lathered up and ready to shave.. Or do u touch it up and wait to shave with it... Because what I have read you have to shave with the razor to feel the difference in the shave.. So when a razor starts pulling do I do a few strokes on the 12 k and shave test.. Still pulling a few more strokes so on and so fourth.. So I guess what I'm asking is dome have the hone with me next to the sink while I'm shaving.. Mayb a dumb question I usually hone then go back and shave test them mayb y I have some problem razors,.

I think it's all a matter of preference. For touch ups I tend to do it right at the sink when I notice it.

But I have in the past put the razor a side and touched it up later.

I have been at the sink hone in hand and ran it across a few times. Stropped and tried it. It doesnt happen very often, but I have done it. I have also put it away and grabbed a known good shaver for that shave and honed it up later. Just depends on what I have going on.

On very rare occasions I will do a few strokes at the sink but that's usually with a pasted strop. 98% of the time when a razor needs a touchup I use a hone and do it when I get a chance. I've gotten to the point where with most razors I have a typical routine and I really don't need to do any tests or test shaves, I know it will shave fine and it usually does.

Understood .. I'm still learning how to hone and trying to move away from always doing the pyramid eventhough it does work ... I bought a finish stone and really just wanna put it all together..

Originally Posted by Airportcopper

Understood .. I'm still learning how to hone and trying to move away from always doing the pyramid eventhough it does work ... I bought a finish stone and really just wanna put it all together..

Bart, why would you want to leave the pyramid method, if it works for you?

I agree, as always, with Hirlau. If you have a new finisher, the easiest way to proceed is to incorporate its use into your Pyramid scheme. Later on, if you want to, you can branch out into other methods, but if what you are doing is working there is no good reason to change it.

Never hone while shaving. If the blade requires a touch up, even with a 12k naniwa, then you don't want to shave with it until you have completed the process and stropped it to perfection. I perform the shave test when I want a great shave and not before.

I sometimes shave with one razor while I'm honing another just to save time.

I have other razors .. After the pyramid how would I bring the 12k into it.. I was thinking when pyramid is complete I would just do 10 strokes on the nainwa then strop 20'scrub 75 plain leather or would I bring in the diamond spray after the 12k like 5 on diamond then the regular stropping routine..