Tosuke Madness

Well now I've got your attention don't I? No I didn't uncover a secret cache of these gems I only wanted to impart some advice to those that have this or other Japanese straights concerning honing.

The proceedure for honing these razors goes against just about everything we learn about the usual straights we use. But here goes (and I've done this myself so it works). You will need a 12K Hone though in a pinch the 8K Norton will do. First you take the Convex side of the razor and lay it flat on the hone with two fingers on the blade and press down hard and go back and forth for 4 strokes. The hone should be full of metal. Then turn the blade over and do 2 strokes and reverse the blade again. Maintain that ratio 4:2 and continue with back and forth strokes. As the blade begins to hone up use ever lighter pressure on the blade but always keep two fingers on the blade. Thats it and it will result in the most wicked sharp blade you have ever experienced.

You can shave with the blade on both sides however its designed to use with the concave side towards the skin. I find the shaves are more comfortable that way.