Thread: What is up with all the honing inconsistency

Originally Posted by Tarkus

This is a great question to hone or pass the buck.
I do hone my own blades but let me just say. I HATE HONING. and everything about it. Its a rotten job boring to the end, time consuming and sometimes frustrating.
That being said I wouldn't want to send my gear out to someone else. cause I know for fact that I take great measures in putting the best possible edge on, no matter how long it takes to do it properly. It blows my mind that "Professional" honing people could even make a profit honing a blade for 20 bones. I would be broke in a week if I had to charge that price.
Call me slow or just an overly obsessive perfectionist.

Just don't call him late to dinner!
And yes! Honing Sucks! A neccessary evil!

I purchased a micro abrasive hone along with my first razor because I'd like to learn how to hone. I'd hate to be sending off my razors every so often to have them honed. Just seems like a hassle to me. So I'm going to pick up a cheap razor and practice honing with it. When I feel comfortable, I'll step up and do it to nicer razors. Then I'll eventually get nicer honing stones down the road.

Btw, I am the type of person who likes to change my own oil. Unfortunately I have been living in an apartment complex past 5 years and they have a strict "no working on cars in the parking lot" rule. So I have been forced to get my oil and filter I like from Wal-Mart and take it to the dealer to have it changed (I get the oil on my own because I like synthetic oil and we all know how much dealerships charge for that).

Anyway, I always like a challenge and love acquiring new skills.

I started with a Shavette and knew right away I didn't want to have to depend on someone else for sharp edges. So I learned to hone while shaving with the Shavette. When I could produce a shave ready edge, the Shavette sat idle while I shaved with my straights. I rather like honing, both the act of it and being able to create my own edges.

I live alone..so along with accumulating and renewing razors; honing gives me something to do when the mood strikes. I ain't called geezer for naught! I surely could not afford to send every razor out for a professional honing. I do have pro honed razors which are my reality check after doing my best, and often falling short.
Every man is different, and to hone or not to hone is the question.
~Richard

Originally Posted by Chreees

Anyway, I always like a challenge and love acquiring new skills.

I like the challenge and the possibility of a new skill that I may enjoy.
You never know until you try it.... I may not like it at all... but I have to try.

Originally Posted by ace

I started with a Shavette and knew right away I didn't want to have to depend on someone else for sharp edges. So I learned to hone while shaving with the Shavette. When I could produce a shave ready edge, the Shavette sat idle while I shaved with my straights. I rather like honing, both the act of it and being able to create my own edges.

Ace, How long did it take you to learn how to hone well...?

Originally Posted by pinklather

Hey CF,

The only thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet is *When* is learning to hone the right move. I had the supreme humility to ignore experienced counsel saying to first learn the shave - then learn to hone. There's a reason I'm called pinklather. It was colorful. It was a challenge. But it was not pleasant until I experience the smoothness of a nicely done edge. Mine were fairly sharp, but they weren't smooth. Sharp isn't enough in this game.
However you proceed, I hope you have alot of fun. Years on, the enjoyment still has yet to fade, and I'm still amazed that 'joy' and 'shaving' can really appear in the same sentence again.

Everything in due time is the moral I guess...
I am excited about all of this... but SO many variables.... Maybe I should just start with a blade, a strop, and some Chromium oxide paste and go from there...:-)

Originally Posted by cfbmd

Ace, How long did it take you to learn how to hone well...?

It took me a month. I was quite studious about it, read all the Library stuff, watched all the videos and got some in-person help from AFDavisII of this forum. Watching someone else do it correctly can be very helpful.

I hone my own, and have always honed my own razors. Took awhile to learn how and become proficient at it, but it's very much within the reach of most, I think. I learned mostly from reading and deciphering old barber books.

When I started, barber hones were still available in most shops that sold straight razors so that's what I learned and still use. Some shops, like Ross Cutlery still sell stones/ coticles.

I think what might be confusing for some newbies is the mixup between those that just want to maintain a razor for shaving, and those who are either into this as a hobby and/ or are restorers.

I would be the former. With just a barbers hone and a strop I can maintain my razor very nicely with a honing only once a year if that. I generally buy only new stock razors, but have also bought antique store razors. But I am very picky about buying used razors and only buy ones that require very little to no restoration.

If you are into heavy restoration stuff, or are a hard core hobbiest, then I imagine that's when you get into all of the different hones, stones, bench strops, paddles, etc. As far as all the stuff about taping, pyramids, CrOX and diamond sprays, etc....
Not my bag at all.

Maybe some are intimidated by the prospect of honing after reading about all of the different methods and decide they just can't, or don't want, to do it.

Honing is really very simple if you just follow the very few fundamentals and apply the necessary practice.

Originally Posted by ace

It took me a month. I was quite studious about it, read all the Library stuff, watched all the videos and got some in-person help from AFDavisII of this forum. Watching someone else do it correctly can be very helpful.

I have been watching YouTube videos from Lynn And Gssisgun... Very helpful.
Just so many choices.... I think if I do hone, I well get the Naniwa set.