Thread: Cheapest way to keep your razor sharp

Hey guys,

I'm just about to get two 'shave ready' razors and was wondering what would be the cheapest to keep them sharp. I've heard about people using pasted strops or barber hones with great success (basically never using a real (norton 4000/8000 hone for example) afterwards.

Thoughts?

I'd say the cheapest way to keep it sharp indefinitely is a barbers hone.

thanks,

Where would someone find such a hone?

Antique 1911 Pike Strop & Hone, Leather, Self Shaver - Fredericton Collectibles For Sale - Kijiji Fredericton

Would this one be any good?

I can get it locally for $20?

Well, the cheapest way to KEEP it sharp is not to use them. That way they won't get dull. I know, thats not very funny.

Yea a barbers hone is probably the cheapest way as long as you catch them before they deteriorate very much and you don't damage them. next would be to buy a cheap strop and put some paste on it.

+1 on Gugi with the addition of not dining the blade on anything like the sink, fauset, counter top or floor. If you don't use the blade at all it will still get dull due to oxidation. You probably will not need a hone for a while maybe 30 days if you use a good angle while shaving and you don't have wire for a beard so there is no rush. If you are handy with some basic tools you can make a paddle strop (instructions here on SRP some where recently and I saw a good one on Badger and Blade buy sone diamond paste (types also listed some where on SRP) and a cheap strop or just use news paper. Swate (not sure of the spelling) is a good brand from what I have read here. Where to buy: try the classified section here on SRP or local antique shops and lastly ebay. Antique shops and ebay hones may need more than a quick lapping to be usable. On like shops like Classic Shaving or Vintage blades may have something but I doubt it. Best option, put a want add in the SRP classified section here on SRP. Good luck. p.s. if you know of a local barber shop that has at least one senoir barber ash in there. If they don't have one for sale they may know where you can get one or even order one for you .

Originally Posted by Dups

thanks,

Where would someone find such a hone?

Antique 1911 Pike Strop & Hone, Leather, Self Shaver - Fredericton Collectibles For Sale - Kijiji Fredericton

Would this one be any good?

I can get it locally for $20?

Stropping on newspaper when it gets dull, but that might only go so far.

X

I was thinking about getting some Dovo Paste (the black and red pack) to put on an extra strop. That way I could use one for daily stropping and after a while use the pasted one to refresh the blade?

I'm not ready to buy a Norton 4000/8000 and lapping stone and a finer hone. I'd like to keep it cheap.

I'm sure our grand fathers didn't use fancy ones like that to keep their razors sharp

Anyone heard of that Hone that I posted (the one with the link)?

Originally Posted by Dups

Anyone heard of that Hone that I posted (the one with the link)?

That should do just fine, one of the better known brands, be sure it is absolutely smooth with no chips ,cracks, or breakage. When you go to look at it make sure it is not thegray carborundum kind, they seem to want to fall apart. I like the little strop on the back side.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the combo hone/strop. The hone is all you care about because you should have your own dedicated actual strop. There are lots of barber hones you can get on eBite for $10-$20 that would serve your needs. You can't go wrong with a Swaty. There are also lots of Swaty knock-offs that are really good and can be had for even cheaper with luck.

On the other hand, Pike was the precursor of Norton and I have never seen a bad Pike hone. If you really like the one you linked, it's likely to be just fine.