Straight razor honing is one of those subjects where if you ask 10 guys for an opinion you get 11 responses. And each one of them is valid. It works for them. So my question to you all is how do you freshen your blade? Now, by this I mean the blade does not need a bevel reset and a run through all your stones, or repair of major damage like when you slapped it on the faucet when rinsing your blade and heard a fatal "tink" and look to see a tip missing, but rather it just needs to be "freshened"....a fresh edge or something of the sort. An extra 50 laps on the strop just doesnt seem to do it. Anyway, you get the picture. Me? I freshen my blade by 10 to 15 laps on my 12k Naniwa. Does the trick for me. How about you?
A pasted strop should bring it back. Use one side of your linen stop, and coat it with Green Chromium Oxide, paste. Do 15-20 laps on that side, then wipe the blade clean. Do another 50 on the untreated linen side, then 75-100 on the leather. Me, I have a cheap strop I put the Chromium Oxide on.
Personally, I tend to do 50 laps on the green (CrOx) side of my balsa strop, followed by 50 laps on the red (FeOx) side. If that doesn't bring it back, then I need to go to the stones. If the bevel is okay, and the balsa strop is insufficient, I suppose I would just go to my coticule, but the balsa strop almost always does the trick for me.
The reason you get some many answers is their are two different theories and multiple systems for each #1 Maintenance Routine: ie: never actually let it get dull, you figure out the amount of shaves you can go and then maintain the edge at that point usually 10-15 shaves.. I used to do a few laps on my Stone every other weekend on my first two razors for over 25 years.. This can be done on pastes too #2 When it gets grabby, This means you shave and strop until the edge starts to fall apart and then you bring it back this almost always requires some time on the Stone Now I was partial to the first routine since that is how I learned but for the last 15 years I have switched to the second routine since I am honing near everyday for others But that is why there are so many ways to do this Hone On !!!
