Thread: How many people hone themselves?

Originally Posted by Mike12345

I have no interest at all in honing from the ground up. As most, if not all of my razors are antique shop / flea bay specials, I send them out for initial honing. After that, I usually can do my own touch up honing.
My equipment includes a Spyderco UF hone, a vintage barber's hone, a balsa FeOx strop, a CrOx leather faced wood strop and your standard linen and leather strop.
Odd that as much as I like straight razors, I have never been interested in honing. I consider it a chore.

But like AFDavis11 said you hone.

Originally Posted by 32t

But like AFDavis11 said you hone.

True!
I always wondered if my fascination with straight razors will eventually lead to my honing from the ground up, that is, restoring a blade with chips missing, setting a bevel, etc.

Originally Posted by Mike12345

True!
I always wondered if my fascination with straight razors will eventually lead to my honing from the ground up, that is, restoring a blade with chips missing, setting a bevel, etc.

Maybe it will? Maybe not! But as said here before honing is a lot of times thought to extremes. A barbers hone or its equivalent should be included in anyone's arsenal.

Originally Posted by EggSuckingLeech

I'm just curious but what percentage of straight shavers also hone their own blades? Would you say the vast majority? I'm still starting out at this hobby but I just read a thread about how much of a skill honing is and if you are simply honing your own blades (say once every 3 months) then I can't imagine having enough time to perfect the skill if you are only responsible for your own blades...

I think GSSixgun's estimate would be close enough. From what I hear you wondering is, should you even try. I would say yes,you can learn it. You could try it with a used barbers hone (as suggested) and not mess it up so bad that a regular hone job couldn't fix it. If you give up on it, sell the hone or try it out on scissors, pocket knives, your steak knife, what ever.
I bought a norton 4/8 and some razors to practice on. Now I am waiting for GS to sharpen a good 1 I bought so I know how it's supposed to be. But I am big on learning to do things myself and I jump in head first.

I don't hone myself.

I do hone my razors.

I'm still a beginner with honing, so basic stuff and attempts at more complicated stuff yes.

I've always thought of creating/setting the bevel as sharpening and making a sharp edge keen and smooth as honing.

Man I thought you meant take care of their bodies and make themselves sharp like the razors we use.

I dont hone I use a feather. I have the gear but havnt sat down to teach myself yet. its only been 4 years I think .

Silly me ... I forgot to mention . If you want a good idea of what it is to hone watch this.......

gssixgun Honing on a Norton 4-8 - YouTube

He makes it look easy and it is one of the best tuts I have watched. " At this point in time" That is.

I hone my own and I think if you're going to stick with straight razor shaving it is the best way to go. From the perspective of convenience and overall cost. Sending a razor out will probably end up in the $20 to $30 range if you include postage. It is true that hones cost money and extra razors to learn on do too, but you'll be able to use those in a rotation, and the money you'll have saved on cartridges or whatever you formerly shaved with will pay for that soon enough.

There is a learning curve with shaving with straight razors and there is a learning curve with honing them. If you get past those I think you'll find, as I did, that there is no better way to shave. It can be a reasonably inexpensive way over the long haul .... if you don't get into the acquisition disorders that we wet shavers seem to be prone to.