Thread: what is your honing and stropping technique and system

I don't have any specific system. Some razors do best with diamond paste and some prefer the coticule and others like the escher and other like the japanese Stone so it all depends. However, in general when the razor starts losing it comfort factor it will get 40-50 passes o the coticule (if that's the best stone for that razor). I usually do about 20 passes on the linen and 60 passes on the leather before each shave. Some razors need a touchup honing after about 15 shaves and some can go longer. A few can go much longer.

My list

• A concrete block for lapping hones (used on almost every new hone that I acquire. Cheap, fast, and most of the blocks I've tried work surprisingly well.)
• A DMT D8C for finer lapping of hones (also used on hones for "routine maintenance" lapping, on knives, and for "major" razor repairs)
• A DMT D6E for setting bevels fast, knives, and razor repairs.
• A DMT D8EE for setting/refining bevels.
• Barber hones for finishing. (4 of which are almost exclusively used, nowadays. Swaty, Apart, pocket Carborundum Co. model, or a combination No. 00 Frictionite; any of those 4 seem to work well on all my razors)
• Newspaper to strop (as the final step (sometimes))

Once I have a razor's edge set, I never use anything on them except a barber hone, newspaper, and a strop (barring accidental damage).


I have a hanging strop that works ok.
A rather old 1.25" wide Torrey loom strop that works better (for me).
A homemade paddle strop: 1 & 3/8" wide latigo strip 8.5" long mounted on a 0.75" thick piece of seasoned, sealed red oak. I use this for stropping when I want to be picky, slow, and meticulous.
The Torrey and the paddle both travel well and are easy to pack. I never use linen or canvas, maybe someday I'll try it.

Pastes do not like my beard much. Of the ones I tried, 0.5 chrome oxide was my personal preference.

I like a boar brush because it works well with William's soap. I like Williams because...not sure why...the scent mainly, probably because Grandpa used to use it... I like some of the Bay Rum soaps a lot too.

If I had to make a minimal beginners selection: a DMT D8EE and, if my face liked pastes, 0.5 chrome oxide on a paddle.That outfit will not require any lapping. If you do not like pastes for any reason, a barber hone or Chinese 12k (both will likely need lapping).

The fun is in finding out what works the best for you.

Every year I seem to change technique , at this time I alternate 7 razors in a week.
DMT fine diamond to Spyderco Medium, fine for restores, Ultra fine for honings after 6 to 10 shaves per
blade (lightly) depending on the razor, (my spydercos are well used), 1 homemade flat strop 12" 2 strips side by side
one side alu OX, 1 side raw, for post honing refinement 20-30 passes per side, and and old antique paddle strop for maintenance while shaving. I lightly strop while shaving-maybe just a couple of passes to clean up the edge, rinse, dry, then use a light leather waterproofing grease for storing. Some of the blades I will strop 20 passes after the shave, always a couple or more passes for all before the shave. It's kind of a strop or hone by feel kinda thing for me.

Every year I seem to change technique , at this time I alternate 7 razors in a week.
DMT fine diamond to Spyderco Medium, fine for restores, Ultra fine for honings after 6 to 10 shaves per
blade depending on the razor, (my spydercos are well used), 1 homemade flat strop 12" 2 strips side by side
one side alu OX, 1 side raw, for post honing refinement 20-30 passes per side, and and old antique paddle strop for maintenance while shaving. I lightly strop while shaving-maybe just a couple of passes to clean up the edge, rinse, dry, then use a light leather waterproofing grease for storing. Some of the blades I will strop 20 passes after the shave, always a couple or more passes for all before the shave. It's kind of a strop or hone by feel kinda thing for me.

I have a chinese stone and a barber's hone.