Thread: How many shaves between hones

Perhaps the better question for me is "how many hones between shaves" LOL

It seems I have contracted HAD.

Haha! I have a couple razors dedicated to honing practice myself. I'll try honing, give em a shave, then try again. Then I have my shaving razors, which don't see a hone until they just have to.

Originally Posted by jgthomas11

...whether to take my SR shaving to the next level and invest in a real SR. After your input I have decided and now have one on order.

Well, now we are curious to know what SR you ordered! :-)

Originally Posted by KenWeir

Haha! I have a couple razors dedicated to honing practice myself. I'll try honing, give em a shave, then try again. Then I have my shaving razors, which don't see a hone until they just have to.

I'd have to say that is basically what I do. I have a couple great razors I use when I want a great shave, and I have three others I use when I want the satisfaction of shaving with MY edges (and a healthy dose of razor burn)

Originally Posted by KenWeir

Haha! I have a couple razors dedicated to honing practice myself. I'll try honing, give em a shave, then try again. Then I have my shaving razors, which don't see a hone until they just have to.

I have one shaver that hasn't needed a hone yet and a Duck that I am learning on. Next shave I am doing one cheek with the Duck for some feedback on honing practice.

Originally Posted by jgthomas11

I would like to know many shaves I can expect before I have to hone a SR. I have heard as few as 6 or 7! I realize the figures will vary considerably and there are many factors involved but what I want is an average. I presently use a DE and am learning on a couple of shavettes and want to know when and if I want to take the plunge into a real SR. Quite frankly, I don't want to have to hone the razor every week!

Jim

Shaving with a shavette will teach you a lot in terms of answering this question.

One difficult skill to learn is knowing what dull is to you.
Then what one shave short of dull is.

A shavette can teach this to you.

Since each person and each razor is different there is no good answer
but with good stropping skill a month is very possible commonly it is more.
Six or seven days sounds like a stropping skill issue, shaving skill issue, soft steel or a serious
set of whiskers.

We are all different but a strategy at one or two shaves short of dull followed by a gentle visit to
to a good barber hone followed by good correct use of a strop will keep you in good shaves.

Baring a good barber hone, the choice for a touch up hone has a lot of choices.
Naniwa Super Stone 12000 Grit in Stand is one choice and begins
to set the $tage for do it yourself. Another choice is 5.0 and 0.3 micron
abrasive film from Woodcraft on something very flat.

The problem with touch up honing is that it is not a good catch up strategy.
If you get way behind on the curve you will need more rocks or will need
to send it out. Abrasive film: 15, 5, 0.3 works but is not satisfying", it reaches
from about 1K to finer than 12K.

Originally Posted by Pyrateknight

I have one shaver that hasn't needed a hone yet and a Duck that I am learning on. Next shave I am doing one cheek with the Duck for some feedback on honing practice.

I seem to have read somewhere that ducks can be tricky when it comes to honing them. Memory is a bit fuzzy....

Originally Posted by jgthomas11

Again, thanks to everyone for their response! I was wondering whether to take my SR shaving to the next level and invest in a real SR. After your input I have decided and now have one on order.


Jim

Jim,

To your mind, what do you consder a "REAL" Straight razor? post pix!

My LATEST favorite razor is a Wade & Butcher 7/8 frame back smiling razor. I really enjoy using that razor.

I have a razor purchased four years ago. It was my first, and only razor for a good while. I've never honed it and have only refreshened the blade on a pasted strop every so often and yet it still glides across my face without incident. I tried the HHT on it a couple of weeks ago. Sure enough, and to my amazement, it cut the hair.

Originally Posted by PastorDennis

Jim,

To your mind, what do you consder a "REAL" Straight razor? post pix!

My LATEST favorite razor is a Wade & Butcher 7/8 frame back smiling razor. I really enjoy using that razor.

A REAL straight razor is one that causes ME to smile when the shave is finished!

Jim