Thread: New Old Bloke from Sydney

G’day,

Been straight razor shaving for only a short while but enjoying it and glad to be off the disposable cartridges. Got my son into it too and he?s using a DE razor now and hasn?t looked back.
I?ve been using the pasted balsa strop after each shave to maintain the edge on my razor but I?d like to try to learn to hone myself as well.
I have some DMT diamond plates, (extra coarse, coarse, fine, extra fine) as well as lapping film and float glass plates. All of these I?m familiar with from both my work as a woodwind instruments repairer as well as maintaining my woodworking tools.
The DMT diamond plates are a bit so so but serviceable.
I have some Gold Dollar 208 razors on the way to experiment with and am wondering if a bevel setting stone might be a useful addition in order to save wearing out the 30ų lapping film prematurely.
I?ve looked into Naniwa traditional 1K, Chosera 1K, King 1000/6000 and it?s a case of information overload.
I?d very much appreciate some advice on a budget friendly bevel setting stone to start with.
Thanks,
Andrew

Welcome to the forum
There many threads on honing. Reading them should get you started.

Welcome to the forum. There is quite a bit of useful info in the honing forum and Library. I'm sure a member more current on honing will be along shortly with suggestions.

Bob

Hi Andrew, or should I say Gooday. Either way hello and welcome to SRP. You're in good company here. Lots of people just like you who came looking for information and found a home here. Perhaps you'll be one of them but at the very least I'm sure you'll find out what you need to know.
As to the questions about stones, of the ones you mentioned I only have the King 1k/6k comb. which is a good choice. I have no personal experience with either of the others so I can't help with comparison but I know they both have good reputations and you couldn't go wrong with any of them. Since I do know the King, I can tell you that it serves as both a bevel set and a good transition through the mid range.
I'm sure some others will chime in with more information. Enjoy yourself and happy shaving.

Welcome Andrew! Lots come around with lapping film and GD's. Be careful they will turn you off and put you behind.....
Good synthetic hones and old vintage hollow grinds in good nick are the place to start. Razors which are cheap, damaged, or worn are for Bruce. You cannot save Bruce. A fact.
Look around and find some with proper geometry. Something easy to hone and get great results.
Don't be Bruce. We gave up on him a while ago.

Honing nice blades on good synthetics can be taught here. I feel that is the place to accomplish before experimenting further.
Postage to and from AU is so tough these days. Bet you could find a nice Bengall underfoot.
A naniwa green 1k and Norton 4/8 will get you going. Very consistent hones. You can shave well off that 8k.
A nice finisher for the future. Naniwa 12k is good.
Keep it simple for a while.


Enjoy the forum! Do some searching on that box top-right. Lots on lapping film and gold dollers. Lots on everything else!

Welcome to the group.

To get started start with our library on learning to hone.

Just a couple comments to get you started. A diamond plate is used in honing for correcting a razor. Or for making slurry on a hone. Its not recommended for honing except in certain circumstances as it leave very deep stria in the bevel that id hard to remove.

IMO, return the Gold Dollars if you can. Or save them for a couple years from now after you know how to hone. Maybe keep one as a letter opener. Lol

As Tom says vintage hollow ground razors are the best way to start. Buy American blades after 1900s pre war and you will get good straight razors mist of the time. Those are best for learning with.

Have fun.

Hello Andrew and welcome.
I would also avoid the gold dollars for learning.
I will add that some form of loupe will aid you in seeing what is going on at the edge much better than feel alone to begin with.

Originally Posted by stoneandstrop

Hello Andrew and welcome.
I would also avoid the gold dollars for learning.
I will add that some form of loupe will aid you in seeing what is going on at the edge much better than feel alone to begin with.

I would add that the loupe should be colour corrected and have a flat field of view. It also should be of not too powerful a magnification. I would look at something like a BeLomo 10X loupe. I work under a bright goose necked lamp when using the loupe.

Bob

G'day Andrew. Ex Sydneysider here.

Funny, my first ever post had a similar title to yours "New but not young guy from downunder"

30ų is pretty coarse for honing as are DMT's but can be useful for restoration which GD's often fall into that category.

Not budget but 1k Chocera is the only razor bevel setter you will ever need or want. Just buy it. A mid stone 4-5k after would be a good next step then a finer finishing stone 12k is not too big a jump. Naniwas are good for razors.
Lapping films can of course work too but much finer than 30ų

Welcome to the forum.