Thread: It's Here! Now then, to hone or not to hone?

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

Go to Straight Razors Designs, click on honing section (I'm sure there is one). Not enough info, email them for costs, etc. They are quick responders. Paypal is the easiest, most convenient way for most people. Still a few Luddites around, but hard to identify. (I'm a partial Luddite, still like snail mail and the like, still hate cell phones.).

Found it. Thanks.

I hope this thing will shave nice after some stropping, but I do have the luck of being so near to such a patriarchal figure, so I might opt for a master honing just for perspective. Heck, even for novelty it's a great opportunity.

You can experiment with a variety of paste and many, me included have, with varying success.

But where razors differ from knives in honing and pasting is the edge. With a razor you want a perfectly straight, keen edge that will give a smooth shave. Dead meat and vegy’s don’t complain when a chipped edge tears into it.

A razor edge is about keen… and smooth.

Polishing paste designed for quick polishing usually have a number of ingredients and of different size grits to polish different types of steel quickly, the more quickly the more agressive.

Pastes used for razors are mostly single compounds of consistant grit size, Chrome, Cerium and Ferrous Oxides, Diamond and CBN are the most common, but of the highest purity for razor use.

Dennim is ok as a substrate for a paste, but it frays easily and quickly, sewing a seam presents other problems for stropping. Canvas is a better option, or a piece of foam core board, if price is an issue or to experiment.

Folks have maintained razors for hundreds of years with just a leather and or linen strop, but it will most probably take several hundred laps depending on the strop and the stropper, it can be done and done well.

The stropping substrate, grit size of paste, pressure and edge finish will all impact the results. Much has been experimented and written about paste here and other forums, interesting reading.

Plain leather and Chrome Oxide are a good starting point for a new shaver with a new razor, or send it out. There is much more to it, than honing a knife on a Washita or sandpaper but it is all doable and can be learned, we all did. Go slow and first, do no harm.

Good Luck, enjoy and welcome to the forum.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

You can experiment with a variety of paste and many, me included have, with varying success.

But where razors differ from knives in honing and pasting is the edge. With a razor you want a perfectly straight, keen edge that will give a smooth shave. Dead meat and vegy’s don’t complain when a chipped edge tears into it.

A razor edge is about keen… and smooth.

Polishing paste designed for quick polishing usually have a number of ingredients and of different size grits to polish different types of steel quickly, the more quickly the more agressive.

Pastes used for razors are mostly single compounds of consistant grit size, Chrome, Cerium and Ferrous Oxides, Diamond and CBN are the most common, but of the highest purity for razor use.

Dennim is ok as a substrate for a paste, but it frays easily and quickly, sewing a seam presents other problems for stropping. Canvas is a better option, or a piece of foam core board, if price is an issue or to experiment.

Folks have maintained razors for hundreds of years with just a leather and or linen strop, but it will most probably take several hundred laps depending on the strop and the stropper, it can be done and done well.

The stropping substrate, grit size of paste, pressure and edge finish will all impact the results. Much has been experimented and written about paste here and other forums, interesting reading.

Plain leather and Chrome Oxide are a good starting point for a new shaver with a new razor, or send it out. There is much more to it, than honing a knife on a Washita or sandpaper but it is all doable and can be learned, we all did. Go slow and first, do no harm.

Good Luck, enjoy and welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the insight.

I am a knowledge junky and I often lose sleep to stay up and research things I am newly undertaking, and sharpening was no exception. I do understand the concept of a slicing edge, a paring (push cutting) edge, and how microscopic serrations differ the two. This will make experimentation easier.

I was, however, unaware that buffing compounds are sometimes mixtures. This will help me identify a possible problem if my shave comes out a little too rough and doesn't improve with stropping.

Luckily, I found a bunch of leftover leather that I can afford to make little test strops from. It's just the right stuff after a little sanding to even out the flesh side.

Denim is on hand, that's the only reason I am using it. That's a good tip about it fraying, too, because I planned to contact cement it down and the frayed denim backing wouldn't be replaceable. I guess I should make it separate, like I see with most professionally designed strops.

Originally Posted by Sirnanigans

Awesome, I am glad to have such a quality source so close by. Thanks for the reference, I don't know anybody here so I am lost as to who the masters are.

I bet I could find this on my own, but I am already here typing, so… how does the transaction work? Send with cash? Paypal? What's the most convenient method of payment in this community?

For that sort of info you are probably better pm'ing your selected honer. As I guess the way they are set up will affect how they handle transactions.

It sounds like you are sending it out, but if you can swing a road trip to a semi nearby honer you will get your razor honed and a lesson all in one. It was one of the best learning experiences I've ever had and you can't get that from youtube