Thread: Hmmm...is this for me?

You don't need a minimum of 4 stones , if you buy a shave ready razor . All you will need is a decent barber hone (cost : around $30) , to touch up the edge whenever it needs it . Don't wait until the razor is unbearable to shave with , before you take it to the hone . Touch it up at the first sign it's not as sharp as it could be , 5-10 laps , with a light touch , and a good stroke , and you're good to go , again . If you keep a razor sharp , it will never get dull .

Originally Posted by Nonstickron

I would most definitely NOT pay someone else to sharpen anything for me. I have a rough stone I think I got from a dollor store at some point years ago...

That rock is useless when it comes to sharpening straights. Get yourself a decent barber hone. Swatys were the most popular, for sale on ebay almost all the time, most sell about 15 USD. If money is a problem and yo want a DIY thing you might want to consider a Rolls razor. At 50 USD you will be able to buy a good one. Make sure it is complete and ask explicitely whether the hone is not broken.

I'll look into better stones. My friend dropped off two straights, an unidentified white stone that seems pretty fine by my laymans eye, and an older model Cold Steel AK-47 that's got a few dings in the finish on the handle but is otherwise perfect. A good friend, he's always giving me new sharp stuff. Lol. I posted pics of the two razors and the stone on my blog. Dads iPhone - Stuff from my iphone! please take a look. Are either of them any good? They both seem pretty sharp, despite how old/worn they are. One has a pretty serious bite out of the blades leading edge, not sure how salvageable that is.

Here's the goodies my friend gave me. Salvagable?

the Wester Bros will need some serious work to get that end reshaped. The other looks like it has some potential

Originally Posted by joebehar

I don't do my own honing...yet. Maybe someday.

I did have a look at it and, as I recall, you're looking at a minimum of 4 stones. 1000, 4000, 8000 and a finishing stone. At about $75 a piece average for synthetics. Unless you have more than a few razors, the payback is going to run into years.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for DIY, but in this case I don't think its going to end up saving you a lot, if any money. Its more about the joy of the hobby.

As with anything, I'm sure it has a lot to do with how you go about it, and the standards you set for it and yourself.

Originally Posted by dyimages

the Wester Bros will need some serious work to get that end reshaped. The other looks like it has some potential

I was thinking instead of trying to grind the end of the thing completey off, I could maybe just round off the point at the break so its not pokey. No idea what that stone is or what grit it is, it seems ceramic but I really have no idea.

Originally Posted by Nonstickron

I was thinking instead of trying to grind the end of the thing completey off, I could maybe just round off the point at the break so its not pokey. No idea what that stone is or what grit it is, it seems ceramic but I really have no idea.

It's really hard to say. Once you get above 1000 grit, they all seem kinda smooth to me. Most of the razor hones I've seen don't even seem like abrasives. These things really are another breed from knives, and until you can shave with one, you won't be able to tell that it's dull. Seriously, a dull razor is probably sharper than any knife you have. The best thing you can do is send that razor with the bolt for a pivot to someone in the classified section who can hone it for $15 to $20. Then just shave with it. Once you experience it, you'll have a better sense for what you're doing.

I'm all for working on my own car, but I didn't start without ever having ridden in one.

You make a good point.

Originally Posted by Nonstickron

I would most definitely NOT pay someone else to sharpen anything for me. I have a rough stone I think I got from a dollor store at some point years ago...I plan on making a strop before I spend any money on steel, and maybe a finer stone if I can find something affordable. I've been watching videos for the last 2 days on sharpening and stropping technique. If I can do it or make it myself, I try to do that first. Having such a big family and limited income I've really become a DIY kinda guy.

Another draw of this method of shaving for me is that I really like to learn and master new things. I think I could use the skill I'd need to learn to maintain a razor with all the other bladed instruments in my home. In fact I've been wondering if I can't just get a knife made of decent metal and turn it into a razor. lol

A friend of mine found out that I was interesting in learning all this and he said he has one he got on ebay at some point he's going to give me...I don't know the details as yet.

A rough stone won't get it. IT will wear your razor out and not get the edge you need to shave comfortably.

However, there are alternatives to buying "high" dollar synthetics. If you shop around antique stores and such, you can probably find an old barber's hone. Most of them are all you need to maintain razor. They can be trued up and made flat again easy enough. The learning curve isn't steep if you do some research ahead of time.

There is a LOT of good information here to gleaned from reading and watching the videos.

I've got two old barber's hones and have set bevels and finished edges with them. I paid five bucks for a little AHCONITE ( American Hone Company) stone that has two different sides. One for bevel setting and one for final finish/touch up. The other was given to me. The edges aren't as pretty as new synthetic will provide but with patience it can be done. I have razors that have been "pro-honed", honed on old my barber's hones, and honed by me on nice new synthetic stones. They all get the job done comfortably.

Ask a lot of questions and enjoy.

EDIT, guess I should have checked page two before I posted. That stone looks about the size of my small hone and doesn't look "rough" to me.

Razors look like they have potential as has already been stated.