Thread: Thoughts on Honing and Restoration Services

When I see threads like this one: http://straightrazorpalace.com/newbi...rst-shave.html

it finally prompted me to write some thoughts down...

As a Restorer and Honemiester we actually take on a huge responsibility by offering our services, especially to the newbies on the forum.... It is up to us to try and make sure that your first experience with a straight razor is as good as we can possibly make it...
I know that I speak at least for all the reputable guys that offer these services, the last thing in the world we would ever want to happen is that you get a bad shave from one of our razors... As far as I know everyone of us test shaves every blade we put out there, albeit we do so with an experienced and confident hand, but we know that the razor shaves as good as it possibly can, for us, before we send it back to you... It is impossible for any of us to do more than that, since we are not there with you helping out as you do your prep, lather, and shaving strokes....
I don't think there is one of us that doesn't stand behind their services, fully...
Just keep this in mind, all it takes is a PM to any of us, and we are there to help, I think all of us are more concerned with you loving your new straight razor, than the money we might have made doing the work for you...

Just some rambling thoughts... with no offense meant to anyone!!

6gun,

I'm not sure if I understand the chronology of j03's sad events. He says he had the razor honed by a knife guy and then he says he had the razor honed by a honemeister and then he says he brought it to a knife guy to sharpen and wondered if that may have had anything to do with the sad/bad performance of his razor. It sounds to me that after the first bad experience shaving he brought it back to the "knife guy" for an edge upgrade.

I hope j03 becomes a good student of process and will learn both how to shave with a straight razor and how to touch up a blade once he becomes dissatisfied with its performance.

In the meanwhile, I suspect there are none here who doubt that those who repair, restore, and sharpen razors for others are not doing the best work possible for their customers.

Well, OK, there may be a few doubters, but they will probably always be among that number which blames others for their own faults and misadventures.

On a lighter note: I got a really good shave this morning with a blade that I honed. Does this mean I have no one to blame but myself?

On a lighter note: I got a really good shave this morning with a blade that I honed. Does this mean I have no one to blame but myself?


Aye that it does Bruce...

I wasn't really singling out that thread, it was just the most recent, sorry if it looked that way....

I think that was well-said Glen. Very well-said.

I have noticed, over time, that honing and stone discussions have really increased on the boards. In terms of frequency, that is, and amongst newer members too. And that is natural. But it is also indicative of a mindset that focusses on the tool and its edge. Again, this is natural and we all know that a sharp and smooth edge gives the best shaves, other things being equal.

Unfortunately it is these "other things" that really are not equal. Not when you are a new straight user, anyway. Sharpness is easy when you are new - $30 or so and postage gets you sharp in what? 2-3 weeks? Learning to use that tool effectively is a much more demanding task because it involves the individual taking responsibility for their own actions and putting the many, many little things together to make a good shave. It is a difficult thing that only comes with time, patience, persistence and practice.

A sharp razor is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for attaining good shaves. Moreover, it is only one of a plethora of conditions needed to get a good shave. And while I understand why people tend to gravitate toward the honing side of things, I really do think we need to weight the shaving technique stuff a little more heavily than we do.

Here endeth my rant

James.

And a very well stated rant it was my friend

Well.. Dear honemeisters and other very helpful people.

I do was one of those that on my first shave thought the razor wasnt sharp... then I thought.. that cant be because one of you guys honed it and that gave me enough confidence to go on and better my technique and I now have my best shaves ever..

When you start as a newbe there are numerous things you can do wrong and there are a lot of variables in a good shave.

Getting a razor honed by one of the guys over here takes one of those variables out of the equation.. Off course I can imagine you feel the responsibility and probably every now and then something goes wrong.. But I cant imagine faults are not corrected in a respectable way...I have only been positively surprised by the service and kindness of the people here on this forum.

So Thanks for taking the responsibility... you are all doing a great job helping us newbs avoiding cuts, red faces and frustration.

Maarten

The particular blade in question had a bevel close to 25 deg when the honemeister in question got it. It was corrected. The honemeister, who I will leave without mention throughout this post, doesn't shave test, but rather uses the arm hair test on every razor that leaves his hands.
My sources indicate the difference of opinion is being settled privately in a way that both parties can retain their dignity.

There is a great deal of trust given to honemeisters when a newbie sends a blade to them. The newbie may not have a clue what a shave ready razor feel like or how to treat it, and the honemeister can do nothing but provide the best possible edge. Asking someone new at straight shaving to evaluate an edge is comparable to asking a teenager to evaluate single malt scotch. They are more likely to do harm to themselves the first few times around than notice anything subtle or enjoyable. Still, they should not be put off by someone who slips them turpentine and says it's Glenfiddich.

On a more specific/personal level, I've actually been threatened before by "gentlemen" claiming I scammed them and that their face is raw from my poorly honed razor. They said they'd slander my name online and "expose" me. I told him to bring it and he did. His post lasted 7 minutes until it was deleted by a mod and he was banned (on another forum). Goes to show you, you make more friends with an open mind than with an open mouth.

</rant>

I couldn't agree more with what has been said above. People send their razors off to you guys because you are all experts at this, enough said. I have a lot of respect for what you honemeisters do, and I wish I could do it! Keep up the great work,

Dave

sharpness of a blade and the ability to utilize that sharpness are two different things. I have received 2 blades sharpened by Lynn. They are sharper than I can make a razor, but I don't enjoy the shave from them until they dull a bit. I suppose they are sharper than my ability to use them. When I hone a blade, it gets to an edge that I can use, and feel comfortable with which is quite a bit duller than Lynn's razors.
Just a thought.

Straight razor shave one: "Hey, that razor doesn't shave. It must be dull"
Straight razor shave two: "When I buy that expensive soap, the shave will be better"
Straight razor shave three: "There's something wrong with my strop, it must be defect"
Straight razor shave four: "I need a better Badger"
Straight razor shave five: "I need a hone"
Straight razor shave six: "My hone is defect :-("
Straight razor shave seven: "If I get my edge is sharper, my shaves will be closer"
Straight razor shave eight: "I need a razor that takes a keener edge"
Straight razor shave nine: "I need a Shapton"
Straight razor shave ten: "My Shapton is not hone-ready :-("
Straight razor shave eleven: "If I get a pricey lapping plate, my honing will be better"
Straight razor shave twelve: "I need a custom razor. It will be keener than a non-custom"
Straight razor shave thirteen: "I need a Nakayama"
Straight razor shave fourteen "That OldSchool guy is a crook" ( only joking, OS)
Straight razor shave fifteen: "I need diamond paste"
Straight razor shave sixteen: "That diamond stuff is worthless"

Around this time, if you are lucky, the wife will decide it's time to enter the scene, and stop the vortex of expenses. For the first time, you will be truly focused on "shaving" instead of being distracted by your own C0ckiness.

Straight razor shave seventeen: "hm, this is getting closer, if I pay a bit more attention at my shaving angle, it might even be better next time"
Straight razor shave eighteen: "wow, it never occurred to me how nice that lather actually smells"
Straight razor shave twenty: "Honing on that Nakayama is like caressing a woman. That OldSchool guy must have been onto something after all."
Straight razor shave twenty-one: "Wow, straight razor shaving is all about slowing down, I never expected it to become such an assuasive activity."