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I am waiting for my first razor to come in and I was wondering if Hart Razors were in need of honing before the first shave. I had originally planned on a stropping and having a go. I have also read that shave ready does not mean what it implies. I also have a 4000/8000 block and will hone if need be. Any input is appreciated.
YES!! one of the few factory razors to come really shave ready. I am not sure if you even need to strop it first, but I will let someone with experience handle that
Yes, it is shave ready. It is honed using a 4k/8k. Strop it, if you are confident, and go for it
My Hart razors have arrived shave ready. I did strop them anyway.
what ever you do, dont hone your hart get a ebay razor to practice on
yes, they come with a very comfortable edge on them right from the factory. it's one of my favorite razors and the only one that didn't require sending out to my favorite honemeister post-purchase
Thanks for the advice. Just picked up this for practice.Quote:
Originally Posted by eleblu05
Practice Blade
Yes I concur my Hart was shave ready out of the box. And what an edge. Cut like a demon.
You can always strop it later, but if you strop before the shave and it doesn't go well, you won't know if it was the blade or your stropping that wasn't up to par.
Is Hart considered a factory maker? :shrug:Quote:
Originally Posted by coachschaller
Also, mine was shave ready - my first shave right from the box was great. Thereafter strop then shave - still a great shave.
Thanks for catching that Ryan.... They are semi-custom as each one is done from start to finish by one of their two Artisan Technicians. I still want one....:fim:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan82
Knight,
'Grats on the Hart. 'Seem like nice iron.
You mention its your first Hart, but wisely got a blade on which to practice. 'Mostly good move. If you're new to str8s, you might look at the threads that have to do w/ learning to shave and hone at the same time - instead of first learning the shave. If you're new to honing, you may find a heavy sheffield to be a challenge. Fleabay, antique store blades usually need more than honing - and the state of the bevel and spine often work against the guy trying to learn honing. As one who has made both mistakes (and countless others), I would suggest you'd do well to first learn the shave. Leave honing to others for now. I'd be happy to help - just the actual cost to mail it safely back to you.
If you MUST start honing, I'd suggest a full hollow that already has a sound bevel and spine - so you aren't being mislead about progress while you learn the feel of the blade on the stones. 'Can be cheap, but must be sound.
My bet is that you just LOVE that Hart. The heavy iron is so friendly & smooth. Enjoy!
Likely for a couple reasons. The plain, utilitarian look is one, and the cost for such a razor is another. I'm not saying that they are bad shavers by any means; they certainly have their fans and you're obviously one of them. Nothing wrong with that in the least, but they just don't appeal as strongly to everyone as they do to you.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbtusa
Congrats! My first staight was a Hart 6/8 with Cocobolo scales. It was shave ready when it arrived and did a fine job with my limited skills; however, the scales looked like they were made by an 8th grader in wood shop. I've since refinished the scales with some sanding, 0000 steel wool, and True Oil. I've also since reset the bevel and honed it with a Norton 4/8, and Naniwa 12k. Now it shaves way better and smoother than when I first received it. It is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.
Exactly................Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
Would you mind explaining the process in more detail and include pics? I agree with your initial impressions of the scales by the way. The blade itself is exemplary.Quote:
Originally Posted by IamSt8ght
I don't care for the plain look myself.. The only good looking one I have seen is the one Undream did with horn scales... When he did that, it boosted the Hart in looks and made ot looks like an expensive classy razor.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan82
Also, when they first came out there were a lot of issues with them. They seem to be resolved now but it's hard to live things down in your past.
I have two and both were sooo nice out of the box. Don't do anything to the razor.
[QUOTE I still want one....:fim:[/QUOTE]
They happen to be 20% off right now and they have a few of the Hart specialty razors in stock.
Hello Rev. Here's a pic of the Hart with the refinished scales. It's not the best pic as I used an iPhone, and it's from the Hobby Themed SOTD, which is the only time I posted a SOTD. Anyway, I removed the scales, which is easy with a Hart. All you need is an allen wrench (not sure of the size). I then sanded out the cut marks and rough edges of the scales, then a went through a progression up to a high grit (I really don't remember the grits at this point), and finished with 0000 steel wool that I picked up at Home Depot. I then applied some True Oil with a cotton cloth while hanging the scales on a wire and let the coat dry over the course of a few hours. I applied approximately 10 coates over three days. I did some light buffing between coates with the steel wool. I picked up the True Oil from a local gun and fishing shop. It's important to let the True Oil dry between coates. The scales look beautiful now. Good luck!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rev
Attachment 102275
I just got one yesterday. it has Blue G-10 scales. I used it today for the first time.
Was it shave ready out of the box? yes and no. It gave a BBS shave alright but there was a tad of pull here and there so a few strokes on the Escher is what is needed there. However, for a factory edge compared to TI and Dovo I'd say it was better out of the box.
