Thread: Climbing Back in the Saddle

Greetings!

My profile tells me I joined up almost exactly three years ago here. I gave the straights a good shot for just over a year but succumbed to the DE as my expanding family ate into my time and the wife’s tolerance for mucking around with razors.


The kids have got a bit more independent and the interest in my straights is starting to wax again. I pulled my collection out of storage and even took one to the strops to see how the muscle memory was fairing – not bad considering I haven’t touched my gear in almost 2 years!


In a flush of new enthusiasm I have a Naniwa 1k and a 30x lighted loupe en route to add to my coticule. I had some success with Bart’s one stone solutions previously but I think I want to try and build my honing skills with a few less variables this time around. I will try to hit the 1k shave thread in due course as I really think I need to make sure I have the bevel setting process fully understood in both practice and theory.


Subsequent to this I have read about a 3k/8k naniwa combo stone. I think that is my next port of call to attempt pyramid honing and I think a 1-3-8-coti progression should give me a good basis for achieving a comfortable shaving edge if I am up to the task. Unfortunately I have had little success in locating a vendor for this product – if anyone can PM me any likely sources that would be appreciated


Alternatively if there is a good argument for sourcing separate stones or looking at the 1-5-8 progression instead I am all ears. I have 9 straights at present. 2 shave ready, 2 others that look in good order for honing, 3 that should hone up well once my skills are sufficient eg a bit of uneven spine wear to account for and a couple of newbie ebay purchases that require more substantial restoration of the blade.


Hopefully I’ll be around the boards and I’ll be able to regain my straight skills relatively easily!

Cheers,
SyD

G'day mate. Good to see you back again. I was wondering what happened to you.


Mick

Welcome back. Have you considered the 4K/8K Norton combo stone? Reasonably priced and easy to find.

I honestly haven't given a lot of thought to the Norton Hone Matt.

I will do some research on it shortly.

G'day Mick

You gonna be the next honemeister Morgan?


Mick

My ambitions are somewhat less grandiose

I'm aiming for "guy with a few shaveable edges off his own bat" first up.

If I can do that, anybody can mate. G'awn..Aim higher...I dare ya...


Mick

Originally Posted by MickR

If I can do that, anybody can mate. G'awn..Aim higher...I dare ya...


Mick

Good Advice mate! While I do use the Norton 4/8K and finish on a Naniwa 12K the Naniwa 4/8K does work well! Or so I've been told as I've never used one!!

I have a good friend (who I hope will chime in) who has used both and he felt that while the Naniwa 8K gave a 'smoother' feel when shaving, he said it constantly needed more water and that the edge chipped very easily and that the Norton wasn't a thirsty animal and the edge didn't chip!!

I've often posted that 99.9% of using, buying, honing, maintaining etc with a straight razor is 'Personal Preference'!!!

Sanfte Rasur, mein Klingenbruder!

(Smooth Shaving My Brother In Blades)

Hi and welcome back. Good to see another westerner here as there's far too few of us on this side of the country.

Interesting info Cuda.

I have had a couple of razors that were done on Shaptons I think that I didn't care too much for although I couldn't dispute the sharpness! Personal preference is always going to play its part when we are talking about abstract things like feel.

Hey Eddy. I see there are a few Perthies now. Doesn't explain the straight razor and kit on Gumtree. Maybe we lost somebody hahaha!