Honing School - Honemeisters & Newbies Unite!

Discussion in 'Straight Razors' started by BaylorGator, Jul 14, 2018.

?

I am a:

  1. Honemeister

  2. Not a honemeister, but I know my way around the stones

  3. Have enough skill to keep a previously honed edge sharp

  4. Total Honing Newb

  5. I don't hone, I'm just following for fun

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  1. mrchick

    mrchick Odd, Terrible Avatar

    Good info Glen! Thanks

    Chippy Razor?[​IMG]
     
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  2. Paul76

    Paul76 Well-Known Member

    That is always worth the read Glen. I have two that have been put in waiting for a more relaxed day.
     
  3. BearCWY

    BearCWY Well-Known Member

    Thank you Glen, you may or may not remember me it's been about two years ago I think. I sent you an Antoni Tadross 5/8 straight that you honed for my birthday. I still have that razor and shave with it about once a month. I have never forgot you or your gift of honing my razor for my Birthday. I would trust your word as Gospel as far as honing goes, you did such a wonderful job on mine. Since that time I have got a few more straight razors and want to learn to care for them myself if I can. I'm willing to put forth the time to get it right and will be buying some more cheaper razors to learn on till I can get good enough to hone my good ones.
     
  4. Keithmax

    Keithmax Breeds Pet Rocks

    I’m with Brian, learn with a good razor that does not have problems. I still send my problem razors out to an expert.
     
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  5. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    With respect to the original post about getting things together in one place, I’ve given it a try. I like to write and trying to communicate razor knowledge in an organized way is a challenge! I’m a hobbyist with 10 years of razor honing experience and I’ve tried to collect the knowledge that we see in different places and organize it into some kind of a structured document.

    Anyone interested? It will be a long post or more likely, a series of posts. I’m not 100% done, but I’m close and have the first part finished.

    Cheers, Steve
     
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  6. BearCWY

    BearCWY Well-Known Member

    I for one would be very interested! I've always been of the mind to listen to what others have to say and then judge if it's right for me or what I'm doing. Thanks Steve
     
  7. BaylorGator

    BaylorGator MISTER Fancypants

    I’m all all ears. Bring it on!
     
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  8. Jordan96

    Jordan96 New Member

    Hi guys,
    Complete straight razor newbie here (although i have been used DE safety razors for some time now), and i've just gotten my first straight razor (brand new Dovo 5/8 full hollow) and unsurprisingly it's not shave ready.
    I've been looking around at all the forums, and every tom dick and harry's advice on honing razors, with some saying a brand new razor only needs a touch up with a 10k/12k grit stone, and others saying a completely new bevel needs setting and working up from 1k all the way up to polish.
    So with that in mind, and with a relatively small budget, i've come up with this selection - please be brutally honest about whether it's good/bad/downright useless.
    King 1000/6000 grit combination whetstone
    Belgian blue whetstone (for use inbetween the 1k/6k of the king)
    Purple llyn melynllyn welsh slate quoted between 10k/12k grit to finish
    All 3 come to just under £100

    Thanks
    Jordan
     
  9. CastleShave

    CastleShave Well-Known Member

    These are all decent stones, I just think you may have a lot of difficulty learning on them. I would have suggested 1k, 4K, 8k, and a finisher of your choice. If I had to go back I would suggest Naniwa. I personally have shaptons and I think they are very over priced for what they provide. I think many of the guys would suggest rehoning from 1k because you never know how factory sets the bevel. Although I doubt factory would use tape to bevel set you never know what they used and what stone to go up to. You could have gone and Done a refresh but if the bevel was set immaturely you would ultimately face an unpleasant shave. Have you ever honed before? Because if you have not there is really no doubt in my mind that you may find it difficult to set the bevel for your first time. Also remember that when you purchase stones whether brand new or used, you have to assume that the stone isn’t flat whether or not it appears to be by the naked eye. You will still need a truing stone. Nothing crazy I find the Atoma or dmt to be decently priced considering the longevity you will receive from these.
    If you are going to start honing yourself additional products to think about would be Naniwa stone holder, dmt320 dia-flat, loupe to ensure the scratches go from cutting edge to top of the bevel, and a finisher 12k or higher. And also find out if you need to use Nagura or slurry stone with your Coticule


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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  10. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

    Dovo use a convex hone at the factory to hone the razors - there are several videos on YouTube. Whether or not any given razor is shave ready seems to be pot luck, but if the razor was honed on a convex hone, you'll likely have to re-set the bevel if you're using flat hones. Given your're a beginning honer, I'd have Jamie Mahoney or Gary Haywood do the first honing of the razor, tell them what you're doing. They can also make stone recommendations.

    As far as hones go, a Naniwa SuperStone 2k, 5k, 8k, and finisher of choice, or a Shapton Pro/Kuromaku (same stone different branding, the Kuromaku is usually cheaper) in the same grits.

    Cheers, Steve
     
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  11. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers


    The best suggestion I could give would be to send it off, to have it professionally honed, before you spend money on all the honing equipment. You need to try the shaving before you buy the entire setup. A good strop is a must too, before you get your professionally honed razor back. You can maintain a properly honed razor for many months, with just a strop. .
     
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  12. Jordan96

    Jordan96 New Member

    Thanks for the advice guys, so really i'm best getting this razor professionally honed, and then getting some advice from on here/the guy who hones it for me on maintaining it via stropping/finishing stones to keep it going for a long while?
     
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  13. BaylorGator

    BaylorGator MISTER Fancypants

    +1. As a SR newb, I only shave with the razors set and honed by professionals. My honing journey is a separate leaning experience on separate razors (mostly cheap ones). If I tried to learn to hone and shave with the same razors at the same time it would be a frustrating and fruitless disaster. Possibly one that involved injuries.
     
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  14. Jordan96

    Jordan96 New Member

    Yeah fair enough - I'm probably going to do that then. Although I do really want to learn how to properly hone my own razors - I'd be lying if I said I wasn't planning on buying more just because shaving with them is so cool - and feels great. Might have to just bite the bullet and do something similar to you - get all the gear with no idea and practice on cheap razors - I can see this turning into an obsession
     
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  15. Edison Carter

    Edison Carter Well-Known Member

    +1 #2
    My chosen path is having 2 razors of known quality honed by individuals of fine reputation.

    The first is my primary schooling tool.
    The second is used weekly as a sort of control .
    I figure the learning curve on using the tool is steep enough, making my first goal trying understand what I am feeling in my shave as it relates to my edge.
    I gotta admit I have loaded up an online shopping cart with sharpening stuff more than once.
    I am watching this thread with great interest, probably looking for my best choice of stone to maintain edges started by experienced individuals.
     
  16. Jordan96

    Jordan96 New Member

    So just as an update - emailed gary at TSRS, going to get him to hone the razor for me, and said I would be fine maintaining the blade with a welsh slate or 12k specialty as long as i did a few laps every week/every 6/7 shaves roughly.
    Thanks for all the help with this guys!
     
  17. Paul76

    Paul76 Well-Known Member

    My thoughts exactly. Illinois Strops are a good inexpensive product for a new straight shaver, since it will most likely get nicks and cuts in it. Later it can be replaced after the technique is better, without fear of severe damage.
     
  18. BaylorGator

    BaylorGator MISTER Fancypants

  19. BearCWY

    BearCWY Well-Known Member

    I just finished reading @Steve56 's razor honing parts 1 & 2, what great information! I'd like to know more about the DuPont Kapton tape and where to get it.
     
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  20. Steve56

    Steve56 Hone Hoarder

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