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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
It really depends on a lot of things but typical is 3 to 6 months but with good stropping a year I have heard some guys say they have never rehoned certain blades just stropped them.
I say 3 to 6 months but that isn't really to a full rehone. This is when most need a touch up on paste or a barber hone or a finishing stone and be good for another 3 to 6 months and for the most part you can follow that pattern for a very very very long time.
Most guys that only get 6 to 7 shaves just really like super sharp blades or have a flawed technique that is causing problems with edge.
You will real only have to do a full rehone if you damage the shaving edge in some way.
Now those new to stropping can need a honing after a single shave or a couple do to poor stropping. And you will typical know that is the issue when your blade shaves fine one day and the next day feels like it is pulling teeth
For the average straight shaver, with all factors involved (and not knowing what type of beard you have or how often you shave), I'd guess somewhere between 20-40 shaves before a touch up which is a very liberal estimate. Keep in mind that a touchup is considered around 10 laps on a barbers hone, finishing hone or pasted strop. Really not that much maintenance IMO.
Most of mine are in the 15-30 shave range before needing touched up. I have one particular razor though(J. Wostenholm, Sheffield)that needs touched up after about 7 shaves. Really soft steel but shaves fantastically.:)
Jim,
On the whole, I give my 'working' edges a brief refresh on a CrOx pasted hard-leather paddle every seven (7) days of use; After a month of use they get a brief refresh on a Naniwa 12k. After a years worth of use, they get a 'full' re-hone (reset bevel etc).
I always err on the side of 'little & often'.
For me this gives the best results, but most will see this as excessive and not needed :)
Good luck !
Have fun !
Best regards
Russ
I get a minimum of 30 shaves out of mine.
I hone after every shave, and sometimes during the shave between lathers.
Just kidding.
I am interested in this topic and wanted to subscribe.
At the current rate I am going, I will probably never have to hone a razor again (I just keep acquiring more before I blunt one:D)
Anywhere between 25 and 40 shaves for me between touch ups.
I have a four sided paddle strop with pastes for 3.0, 1.0, 0.5 and 0.25μ.
I use this maybe four times a year on all four of my razors, but not the stones. I will also strop each razor right before using it, so that prolongs the edge quite well.
To give you an idea of how tough my beard is, I usually have a 'shadow' by evening and a weeks' growth for me is enough to make me look a bit like Tom Ford. I don't shave against the grain and I think this is likely to be a factor too.
Hope this helps!
30 to 60. I had a hard time stretching a razor that far before going to a loaded strop or back to hones until I started using a horse butt strop instead of cowhide. I could go far more than 60, but I do like a fresh edge and I have a *lot* of stones that I have to pretend I have for a reason.
Thank you gentlemen who have replied so far! Geofatboy mentions a couple of times that he re-hones every 6 or 7 shaves. That seemed excessive to me, but what do I know since this is all new to me. Your answers make more sense!
Jim
I don't know Geofatboy socially (just from his videos), but he seems to be more of a DE guy. You have to have years or decades of dedicated experience with a straight before you get 6 months-year use before a touchup. I wouldn't worry too much about it.Quote:
Originally Posted by jgthomas11
I seem to be accumulating a lot of Geo. Wostenholm & Sons razors - do you have any history with them? And how old is the J. Wostenholm? Thx.Quote:
Originally Posted by Theseus
Touch up every 6-7 shaves is ok, ie few strokes on a finisher.Quote:
Originally Posted by jgthomas11
Rehone at same time interval, ie bevel set from scratch, something's really wrong.
At the other end of the spectrum it's said a japanese barber shaved 1000 customers with an Iwasaki using just linen & leather.
If you want an average add 6 + 1000 & divide by 2 :)
Just my tuppence worth- as a newbie I have managed 20 shaves on my carbon steel Dovo ( I understand stainless last longer ) just with stopping before each shave, I'm hoping to slowly extend that as my techniques improve, I have just rehoned it myself, not really a hassle just need a hone stone, I'm also hoping the stainless razor lasts a little longer.
Oddly I did not want to get involved in honing but having just done it, it is a good feeling to have done it and self reliant.
Skip the shavettes! Get a straight, it's great!
Another version;
I currently have 3 in the rotation. Did the bevel / 4k-8k-12k in late Jan or thereabouts. Shave 3-4 X week, with 40 linen / 60 leather after. I've hit the CrOx maybe twice since Jan. Haven't needed anything else.
Far be it for me to deny anyone their "thing", but it's entirely possible to avoid all but the most basic maintenance for a considerable amount of time.
Not much fun, but possible.
I hone only when my strop just won't get the job done, that "when" is dictated by how my face feels through the stroke -v- hair removed. The duration of time in between honing is subjective, am I lathering WELL prior? How were my preps? Did I strop well? Am I pressuring through a stroke? (Distracted shaving) Times between? 30 to 60 days "average", sometimes longer. Excessive honing really is counter productive and shortens the life of your razor. Many have expressed a minimalist approach to honing, I believe it to be good advice.
I want you to consider something though as you ponder on your own question, many people who begin using a straight razor who also take up a hone will find themselves using that hone way too often, and, excessively(Passes). If you feel the need to sharpen your razor, practice stropping. You'll be glad you did as you develop the muscle memory in stropping, you'll become faster and efficient over time.
As to honing, when the razor has become useless, hone. That is "when" or "how often".
how long between honing will depend on a few things. As you start out it will be more often until you have mastered the art of shaving with a straight. bad stropping, poor shave angle or presure can dull the edge.
Also some razors hold a edge better than others.
I think this depends on too many factors and it is pretty hard to give an exact measure for that. Not all the razors are the same: their ability to hold a good edge depends on the material used for their construction. Not all the steel is the same, of course.
Moreover, not all beards are the same, as the "hardness" of hair also counts. It is said a beard hair is as tough as copper wire. Just imagine cutting a copper wire with a razor: I guess no one here would do that, however they say it takes the same amount of strength to to that.
Then we should also consider how the blade was honed and how the blade is used, including shaving angle.
My personal experience does not give me an exact measure for that: a Henckel's Friodur can hold an edge for a truly longer time than, like to say, a Dovo 101.
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
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.
Well, now we are curious to know what SR you ordered! :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by jgthomas11
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;))Quote:
Originally Posted by KenWeir
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by KenWeir
Shaving with a shavette will teach you a lot in terms of answering this question.Quote:
Originally Posted by jgthomas11
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.
I seem to have read somewhere that ducks can be tricky when it comes to honing them. Memory is a bit fuzzy....Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyrateknight
Jim,Quote:
Originally Posted by jgthomas11
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.
A REAL straight razor is one that causes ME to smile when the shave is finished! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by PastorDennis
Jim
Razorguy,Quote:
Originally Posted by razorguy
It is a refurbished 6/8 razor from the Classified section. Probably would be considered a starter razor though I don't know what it will be considered after I am done with it! :)
Jim
6/8, in my opinion, is the right size to begin with. My very first razor was a Dovo 101 6/8 (brand new) and I was struggling between buying a 5/8 and a 6/8. I decided for the 6/8 and I think I made the right decision at that time.Quote:
Originally Posted by jgthomas11
Enjoy your superb shaving! :-)
You know if I get a razor dialed in, I won,t need to rehone for 6 , months to a year.... But, part of that is it is in a rotation of at least 9 razors... Sometimes it takes weeks for me to get one one dialed in to where I want it. I think every razor is different.
I rotate 4 razors and for me, each needs to be honed at the 6 month level.
I have learned a lot from the shavettes and they are similar, but yet very different from the straight razor. I did get my SR but am sending it out for a pro hone job. I realize, knowing myself, that I will be acquiring some hones in the not too distant future. I just keep getting myself deeper... Like getting to close to a black hole!!Quote:
Originally Posted by niftyshaving
Jim