Upkeep costs?

[mr. s]

Lets say I wanted to shave every day with a straight. At the present, I picked up a straight from an antique store and one from the forum, so I have two. Both need honing, (I would assume).

How often will a straight need honing generally? (I would imagine it depends on the face?)
Is it worth while to learn to hone myself?
How much does honing gear cost?
Are there any supporters of a shavette before getting into a nice straight? (I would think it would be nice to know how sharp the blade is each time you tossed in a new one).

THANKS GUYS.

[Shangas]

If done well, a straight should only need honing every few months.

Yes, I think it is worthwhile learning how to hone yourself. There are several videos on YouTube which will teach you how. That's how I learnt to do it.

Not much, really. You require a dual-grit sharpening-stone that uses water as a lubricant. You could probably pick one up fairly easily at your local hardware store, or you may already have one, that you use for sharpening your kitchen-knives.

[mr. s]

Anyone have links to a dual grit sharpening stone? Don't want to mess up and buy the wrong one.....

Maybe I'll get one honed for $17 then try to hone my own so that I have a comparison of what I am after. My biggest fear is not making it sharp enough.

[Wid]

I just ordered this set (http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Water-Stone-Kit-P94C18.aspx). From what I have read it's a good set for beginners.

[LarryAndro]

Once a razor is shave ready, all you need to maintain the edge is a barbers hone. That will cost $20-$30, thereabouts. Lubricate with lather after your shave.

[michiganlover]

Are there any supporters of a shavette before getting into a nice straight? (I would think it would be nice to know how sharp the blade is each time you tossed in a new one).

I am not a big fan of the Shavettes that use a 1/2 DE blade for a newbie with no experience with straight razors. You can learn to use one, but you will suffer through a lot of blood filled shaves in the first few months.

Typically shavettes don't have enough mass, and the short, thin, flexible DE blade makes for a huge learning curve.

Learning to use an actual straight is way easier, and less prone to major bloodletting.

However, there is the Feather Artist Club line of razors which are in a class all to themselves. They have the weight of a typical straight razor, far superior construction to that of a shavette, and the blade is both longer, and thicker.

I have settled upon this style of razor as my only straight, as I don't want to invest in all of the gear necessary to maintain an actual straight long term.

[FiveOhNine]

If it were me, I would send those two razors off to be honed. I would then use razor #1 only for a few months (or longer if using pastes) until it needs touching up. At that point, I would invest in a nice barber hone, and start using razor #2 while teaching yourself to hone on razor #1. Rinse and repeat:tongue_sm

So, $ you spent on the razors + $ for pro honing + $ for barber hone = keeping your straights sharp indefinitely.

[Luc]

Lets say I wanted to shave every day with a straight. At the present, I picked up a straight from an antique store and one from the forum, so I have two. Both need honing, (I would assume).

How often will a straight need honing generally? (I would imagine it depends on the face?)
Is it worth while to learn to hone myself?
How much does honing gear cost?
Are there any supporters of a shavette before getting into a nice straight? (I would think it would be nice to know how sharp the blade is each time you tossed in a new one).

THANKS GUYS.

1) Depends on your face, technique, stropping, straight razor itself. I often see an average of 20 shaves but I had straights that were sharp for longer and some, less...

2)I would say yes, learn how to hone to maintain your edge but down the track, right now, learning how to shave and strop is already a big step.

3) Depends what you buy. A barber hone can be between $15-$50 (usually) and will keep the edge sharp. I prefer a smoother edge than a barber hone but that's me. Stones can be very expensive.

4)There's a difference between a shavette and a straight if we are talking edge. I won't say a shavette is bad. I tried 2 different models over the years and I hated both of them. There are good ones that are well rated but I didn't try those. I find a straight razor to be more forgiving than a shavette.


If it were me, I would send those two razors off to be honed. I would then use razor #1 only for a few months (or longer if using pastes) until it needs touching up. At that point, I would invest in a nice barber hone, and start using razor #2 while teaching yourself to hone on razor #1. Rinse and repeat:tongue_sm

So, $ you spent on the razors + $ for pro honing + $ for barber hone = keeping your straights sharp indefinitely.

+1

[kg4ghn]

If it were me, I would send those two razors off to be honed. I would then use razor #1 only for a few months (or longer if using pastes) until it needs touching up. At that point, I would invest in a nice barber hone, and start using razor #2 while teaching yourself to hone on razor #1. Rinse and repeat:tongue_sm

So, $ you spent on the razors + $ for pro honing + $ for barber hone = keeping your straights sharp indefinitely.

DING DING DING

we have a winner.

If you start with shave ready straights you will not need a full set of hones, just a high grit(8k+) finisher to touchup on. This could be a barber hone, a Chinese 12k, or any number of more expensive stones. Pasted strops are also an option. If you go this route you would only need to have a full honing done if you drop or ding the edge somehow.