Thread: Frequency of honing an extra hollow ground?

Hi,
Assuming that it is used every day how frequently would you hone an extra hollow ground razor? Would it be possible to maintain the edge with pasted strops for 2 months?
Thanks.

Certanly possible with 2 months and more
If you can manage it now or next year i dont know(its still longer between each touch up for me)

depends on beard mostly, then stropping depends on how good yours is.
Definitely more than a few weeks.

The average between honing touch ups is 2-3 months.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

The average between honing touch ups is 2-3 months.

Yep. Starting with a good edge and proper care (drying the blade after each use and good stropping technique) the edge should last between 2 and 3 months before needing any pasted stropping or honing. You should not use pastes until the razor starts tugging during a shave. Same with touch up honing. May be more frequent for newbies just starting out due to newbie issues like stropping.

I have gone as many as 4 months with a hard steel with no touch-ups... with a pasted strop or touch-up hone, you can keep the razor good to go indefinitely.

My Dovo last honing was 9 months ago still got a nice edge and my two other ones are 6 months since the last honing still got nice edge. I stropped my razors before and after each shaves and got good result.

Cheers

Frequency of honing an extra hollow ground?

I personally hone at 102.7 FM

Wedges have a more 98.9 FM feel to them...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Frequency of honing an extra hollow ground?

I personally hone at 102.7 FM

Wedges have a more 98.9 FM feel to them...

I am more of an AM guy especially late at night
long time ago WABC (77) in NY before the talk shows took
over was the best.

But I digress, back to the OP's question.

There are the obvious differences in whiskers and steel.

Less obvious is the individual shavers preferences.
While a blade can shave for months the last half
of the shave cycle or the first half of the shave cycle
may be less ideal. To this end I sort of like to touch up
hone more often but with a lighter touch and less aggression.

The advantage of a straight is that the owner can keep
the blade at his ideal. A DE blade often starts out harsh
then gives some fine shaves then degrades to the
point of no return. It is up to the straight shaver to
learn where his ideal is and maintain it.

A pasted strop or balsa hone can inexpensively maintain
a blade for a very very long time. The availability of modern
hones including the ultra fine hones both natural and man made
present the shaver with a lot of options. This includes the
modern strop pastes and balsa and leather hones.

Since you are asking just shave to the point where it
is obvious. You can keep a second razor in reserve
as a reference and go back to the reference once a week.
You can also use an inexpensive tossable or DE razor as
reference.

A slow fine hone like the Chinese 12K or even
the Na12K superstone may be the only "rock" a
shaver needs when used just enough to not get
behind the curve.