How many shaves are you getting after a honing before you need anything other than linen or leather?
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How many shaves are you getting after a honing before you need anything other than linen or leather?
I enjoy honing, even if just for the sake of it. So it's pretty rare that my razors get to the point where they need a touch up. The longest I've gone without honing a blade is a month of stropping on linen/leather and shaving with just that one blade. And it was still fine, I just broke down and honed it out of boredom. So they can go quite a while if you care for them right.
There is no simple answer to your question. Variables to consider include, but are by no means limited to, the following:
- Grind: Rule of thumb, the hollower the grind, the faster the edge needs a refresher.
- Hardness of steel: Should be self explanatory. Except that extremel hard steels may be more brittle. That is a known unknown.
- Angle on blade against face: Yes, that. Too steep an angle will put unnecessary stress on the edge.
- Angle on razor on strop: Again, this should be self explanatory, and goes hand in hand with the previous point.
- Quality and consistency of beard preparation: The resistance to cutting of an untreated whisker is the same as that of copper wire of the same diameter. Skimp on the beard prep, and pay with shorter lasting edges.
- Finishing hone used: Some people like Feather DE blades. I hate them. Some people like edges "refined" on high grit hones. I hate them too. The edges, not necessarily the people who put them on razors. Call me old school, but anthing beyond a Coticule edge will lead to shorter lasting edges. YMMV and all that.
I have 7 razors in my rotation. Other than linen with paste and leather I touch them up once a year.
You will find your edges lasting longer the more experienced you get with shaving. Have a couple of razors with over 70 shaves on them that still shave fine. Was going to see how many I could get before a touch up, got bored with the experiment.
Iwasaki are reputed to have shaved more than 1000 customers with just a strop in the hands of a professional.
Sent from a moto x far far away...
I just touched up the Dovo Best Quality 5/8" half-hollow I had been using. I got 46 shaves out of it with only stropping on linen (25) and leather(80), after shaving. It was getting a little more irritation, so I switched to the next razor in my lineup and checked the Dovo and honed it.
I could have stropped with cr-ox to extend the life, but I really wanted to get to the next razor.
I have 7 razors that I rotate. I touch up each of them after every 10 shaves. I've never tried using it until it's tugging as I don't want to deal with it. Been doing this since I started 3 years ago and so far all my razors are still shaving well, including the one I own the longest which is 3 years old.
I have seven in my rotation, but I love the zen-like experience of honing. I think I usually go 7-10 shaves on a razor before I touch it up on my jnat, but I've been playing with diamond spray for the last month or so with good results also. I think any reason to hone is a good one!
I got 11 that are shave ready and I grab whatever looks good that day. Got these honed by others, not by me as I'm not quite ready to screw with a sharp, ready, razor yet. Been at this daily for the last two months with these and have not needed to mess with them yet. All still shave ready. I keep checking but they still stay sharp. Hoping some day to hone them but I'll keep waiting.
I have 7 in rotation. Each one goes about 11 months between hones.
A lot, if maintained properly.
I use different strops, with different draws, and linen.
I have a large rotation (130 +) and still growing, some of which were honed 3 years ago and haven't been on a stone since. I pick my razor for the day out of random choosing, but my earlier acquisitions have quite a few shaves on them, and have only seen leather since their initial honing. The only time I've taken one to the rocks, is trying different finishing stones.
Yes, that is my issue as well. I enjoy fiddling around with hones so I have no idea how long a razor will go without me having to touch it up or hone it. I started an experiment so see if I can use just one razor, an Iwasaki that I got recently, until it actually needs to go on a stone.
Some of mine seem to last years, I touch them up with a CrOx when they start to need it. I have never done a shave # count so I'm not sure on actual numbers
I keep track of my shaves and after 2 -3 shaves I use CrOx to touch it up and then after 5 - 6 shaves I touch it up on my finishing stones. I like to keep the edges very sharp and I have some tough stubble. I am also a 4 pass shaver. I probably touch my razors sooner than needed but I don't want to have one pull or give me irritation.
For DE blades it is two shaves and done.
I have a number of razors, but I generally only shave with one. Most of my facial hair is very coarse, so even with a shower and a good soaking, it still takes its toll on the edge. I have a few fine hairs below my bottom lip, and I can tell my edge is going when it fails to cut these hairs. That's usually about 15-20 shaves. I've started stropping with CrOx every few shaves to try to extend the time between touch ups on the hone. I haven't been doing it enough to notice a difference yet.
I kind of tried that. Mostly I was checking to see how good my stopping had become. After a solid month without touching a stone, and 6 total using only that razor and the Norton 4/8 I needed to hone something. Even if it was just to justify the money spent on hones! :rofl2:
My current experiment is just different razors on different finishers. It's getting hard to remember what rock was used on which razor though! And I have new rocks inbound, so I may need to expand the razor collection a smidge...
I did the shave till it dies once. Only used linen and leather.
Got four months out of it but it was a bit on the rough side the last week or so.
About three or four. After that I can feel the need to go to the linen and leather. When linen and leather don't keep up the edge then it is to the 8000 stone.
Yeah! Whoope, giddy up. Just love that perspective. You done made me feel happy about my stoning. It seems to me that honing SR's is an on going experimentation.
Marshal, what's your wife say about all that. Mine goes nuts when I get a razor or want another stone.
Hahaha, well I don't have one of those yet. But when I bring a new girlfriend home I do have to throw a sheet over the hone shelf & hide razor collection/paraphernalia. Can't show 'em your eccentricity too early, might spook 'em away.
Edit: I'm hoping to have one of just about every hone before I get to the point I'm ready to settle down and have to get someone else's OK before spending my money. :rofl2:
Generally fewer than 10 though some razors seem to be going on forever. Though still sharp, shaves start to become uncomfortable after a few shaves. Rather than going on I prefer to put them back onto the hones.
I know how you feel. I just got two La Lunes in from France on top of a Charnley Forest from England. My French connect just sent me a picture of 30 coticules, including about a dozen exotic beautiful hybrids, he wants to sell. Talk about tempting an addict, I just grab a razor and put it on a new stone so ever razor I have is sharp. I have no idea how I am ever going to use all these stones.
Daily use of same razor 4 to 6 months. On occasion it has needed a refresh on a TI white pasted linen strop
Or misinterpretation as the Butcher of Seville?