Thread: a bold, heretic statement.

Hi Guys

I don't know how many people will disagree with me, but I think I have figured out what a man truly needs to maintain his razors.

First off, I'd like to point out what I consider to be one of a noob's biggest challenges: Acquiring an idea of how sharp a razor is meant to be (i.e. shaveready).

I say, the following 'sharpening' equipment is enough to meet any man's shaving demands:

3 hones (1k, 3k-5k, 8k) and 1 leather strop, no pastes.


True, I don't know the awesomeness of a shapton 30k hone. perhaps if i ever got my hands on one, i'd say my statement above is wrong. perhaps i wouldn't.

I am still sort of unexperienced with straight razor shaving and honing. But I can keep my razors sharp. Sharp enough to give me decent, comfortable shaves. I don't know if I could get significantly better (with significant increase in skill and quality of equipment). I don't know if I had to get potentially better. I don't really care.

The puny equipment I use (check my sig) is enough to provide me a very nice shaving experience that I enjoy very, very much. So why bother acquiring even fancier equipment?

What do you think?

P.S. Don't get me wrong, I don't consider 'fancy' honing/stropping etc. equipment useless or 'voodoo' - people on these forums must have valid raesons for acquiring them....

I agree with you. I've got a lot more hones because honing razors is my hobby but, once I learned the skill, I could have shaved fine for the rest of my life with the Norton starter set I began with. The 1k, 4k and 8k. Plus a lapping plate of course ..... although sandpaper on a flat surface works too. As the old saying goes, it's not the arrow, it's the Indian.

Yep, thats all you would ever really NEED. NEED being the key word. After the basic equipment you have various Aquisition Disorders and the quest for the ultimate edge, which drives a lot of us to chase new hones, strops, pastes, sprays etc
Grant

a bold, heretic statement.

Nope, pretty much exactly what we all say that have been doing this awhile... In fact many of us started with just the Norton 4k/8k and made do with that....

As Grant pointed out though, there is a huge difference between need and want....

There are also many different type of end users that prowl this forum, and each type thinks they have different needs and wants..

I have been finishing my razors on my naniwa 8k for awhile now. Nothing wrong with your statement.

For a long time i think that was the top end of what most people used.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

There are also many different type of end users that prowl this forum, and each type thinks they have different needs and wants..

+1! I have to admit, when I read about the nice japanese hones, or some other high-end natural stones, I do feel a little green-eyed devil on my shoulder. Then again, I do not hone any other razors than my own, and I really have little to gain from finding the fastest bevel setter out there. If I honed razors for a living I might think differently

Yes, what you NEED and what you want are two very different thing. You really only NEED one razor but how many of us only have one?

A professionally honed razor, a barber hone and a strop.

I've been looking into picking up some hones but have put it off because i really dont Need it at the moment. So i am curently use my old barber friend Carmen for all my honing needs. Just show up with a handful of razors and a bottle of Canadian Pure Gold Whisky, but then i have to take the bus home.

I started with a barber hone and got by just fine for several years until I found this place and found out about all the other hones I NEEDED!