Honing question

Looking at starting to shave with a straight. How often to you use a hone once the razor has an edge? I have a strop and a barbers hone. Is that enough to use a straight or do you need a good set of hones to maintain a shaving edge on a razor?

Thanks for any advice.

If your razor is already honed you don't need a full set of stones to maintain it. If you chip or damage your edge and you don't have a full set of stones you're going to have to send it off for repair.

IF you like the shave you get from using your barbers hone, you're good to go. If not, perhaps some strops with pastes on them are required.

Have you tested this barbers hone? Do you enjoy the resulting shave from touching it up on the hone?

All of this is YMMV type stuff.

Bucknut315 said:

Looking at starting to shave with a straight. How often to you use a hone once the razor has an edge?

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A good rule of thumb for me is when the razor feels like it's 'tugging' rather than shaving smoothly and comfortably. That could be as little as 3 or 4 shaves, could be 7 or more shaves. There's no set period. YMMV.

I have a strop and a barbers hone. Is that enough to use a straight or do you need a good set of hones to maintain a shaving edge on a razor?

Thanks for any advice.

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A barber's hone and a good strop will keep you in business indefinitely if the original edge is truly a shave ready edge at the beginning. Make sure you like the edge quality that you get from the barber's hone. A full set would only be required if you want to learn how to hone a razor from bevel set all the way to shave ready.

I have a full set of stones from 1K to 16K, but so far I have never had to re-hone a razor that was properly honed.
The most touch up I have done has been stropping on crOx.