Thread: How often will a razor have to be honed?

I have two straight razors that I’m using, a Wostenholm Pioe razor and a Peter J. Michels No. 10 Spear. I mostly use the Wostenholm. I don’t have a very heavy beard, although I usually shave every day. How often will I have to send these razors out to be honed?

Originally Posted by Elnones

I have two straight razors that I’m using, a Wostenholm Pioe razor and a Peter J. Michels No. 10 Spear. I mostly use the Wostenholm. I don’t have a very heavy beard, although I usually shave every day. How often will I have to send these razors out to be honed?

Depends on your shaving and stropping skill, mostly, since you have two proper razors. I would say, since you have two razors in your rotation, anywhere between every two to six months. That should be time enough to learn how to do your own touchups. You can go first class with a Naniwa 12k or similar, or spend even more on a nice Jnat or Coticule of good size, with the requisite slurry stones. You can go cheap but high tech with lapping film. You can go with a lapped and pasted balsa progression, for an even more refined edge. Pick a tool set and someone to follow, and you should be up to the task pretty quick. Or you can leave it to the pros, and not worry about it, but honing is actually kind of fun and interesting. It can even be compelling, addictive. Maybe figure on sending your razors out the next time they need a touchup, but meanwhile get your kit and your knowledge base together, and practice on something cheap and expendable until you are getting good results.

I would have never said this a few years ago because I love stones and honing but a pasted strop can get you by for months and months and months.

I was hoping maybe needing to hone once a year.

Originally Posted by Elnones

I was hoping maybe needing to hone once a year.

I definitely think that is achievable with proper stropping with a linen/leather and the occasional trip to the pasted strop.

I have to learn more about strop paste

I've used my Cr/Ox pasted strop very little. Works in a pinch, but even with pastes you eventually have to take it to the finisher, for a refreshing.

I like having 200+ shave ready razors at hand. So I really don't know how long it takes me to wear out an edge, but I've shaved with all of them, and recently shaved with one I honed back in 2015. Edge just as crisp as the day I honed it.

Proper stroppin and shaving techniques "Should" keep your edge going for some time. I've heard of up to 200 shaves, for some guys. When I started...once a week I needed to touch up. But I only had one razor, then. YMMV

I have an 8 razor rotation. I use Thiers Issard strop paste on the canvas. Only touch up the edges once a year.

Years ago when I was heavily into testing I averaged 35-55 shaves per.
I love a freshly honed edge!
Have about 5-6 in rotation for months on end and eventually ween out the ones that aren't really getting used as much as the others.
You can certainly get more if you wish but for me at that point it was falling off a bit.
Being able to keep them well preserved is important if you choose go that far.
Honing is fun and enjoyable for many of us.
I find I am almost always taking a razor in rotation and putting a different edge on it just cuz. You just use a different one for a shave then go back to make sure the newly honed one is bang on and either continue using it or grab whatever. Other times I just refresh an edge and keep using it.
Its not to be dredded! It can be as nice as using the old things.
Realistically the rotation probably fully rotates once or twice a year.

I can get 10-15 shaves. Problem is that I love honing and I have a butt load of finishers. Add to that I don't keep a record of what I finished a blade on so, unless it was recent and I remember I just ...finish again. It doesn't take long and it is always a fresh edge and I get to enjoy the, "This blade is really better with a trans edge than a thuri," outcome. I find honing kind of cathartic and it is the place I go to when I need the do something repetitive and think.

However, in a case like yours I would recommend a CrOx pasted canvas strop. It can prolong and edge for a long time. Probably months but I haven't had just 2 for... years?... decades maybe? I would give it a whirl.