I only own one straight razor, an antique Genco brand. I only use it occasionally as a hobby, and I have shaved with it probably about a dozen times over the last few months. But I am at the point where I can get an SAS with minimal irritation. So, wondering, how often should you hone? Every couple of weeks, every couple of months? Every 10 shaves? Every 100 shaves? Since I am new at this, it is a little difficult for me to tell when the blade is dull, or when it's just my poor technique. I own a small barber sized water hone that I've used a couple times that seems to work well.
How often should you hone?
- Thread starter AHamilton
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I think honing should be done when it is needed.
How often it is needed is then a different matter! Having honed my blades initially, I am only a handful of shaves in to them so they are still good just from the stropping. I think I'll go to the 8k again when I find stropping is not getting the edge to where it needs to be - that might be 50 shaves or 100 shaves.
I really don't think that there is a one-size-fits-all approach to it all.
How often it is needed is then a different matter! Having honed my blades initially, I am only a handful of shaves in to them so they are still good just from the stropping. I think I'll go to the 8k again when I find stropping is not getting the edge to where it needs to be - that might be 50 shaves or 100 shaves.
I really don't think that there is a one-size-fits-all approach to it all.
Well, the honemeisters here will tell you to hone when the razor needs it. I know that this answer is not terribly useful to you. Given an inexperienced shaver like myself, incorrect technique can be hard on an edge. In my opinion, if there is a noticeable change in performance of a razor (tugging at whiskers, pulling, decreased cutting efficiency), then a touch up might be in order. However a touch up is normally a few stokes (10 to 20) on a 10 to 12K stone assuming the razor had a good bevel on it to begin with. Poor stropping technique can also negatively influence an edge. Lastly, honing technique is also an acquired skill that only comes with experience.
The only way I know how to do it is to shave, evaluate the results, adjust technique, evaluate the results, hone, evaluate the results by shaving, and learn through experience. Or, send it to a honemeisters to evaluate your razor and hone it to shave ready (admittedly a very subjective term). Then you have a good reference point to start from. A good rule of thumb is that an edge might need refreshing about every 30 to 60 shaves, and a bevel re-set about every year. This is assuming that technique is solid and no adverse accidents like bumping the edge on the faucet.
The only way I know how to do it is to shave, evaluate the results, adjust technique, evaluate the results, hone, evaluate the results by shaving, and learn through experience. Or, send it to a honemeisters to evaluate your razor and hone it to shave ready (admittedly a very subjective term). Then you have a good reference point to start from. A good rule of thumb is that an edge might need refreshing about every 30 to 60 shaves, and a bevel re-set about every year. This is assuming that technique is solid and no adverse accidents like bumping the edge on the faucet.
I have eight in rotation and IMHO no two edges are alike, I purchased all of these as shave ready and my plan at the first of the new year is to get something other that a finish stone like maybe a Norton set and do maybe like a pyramid progression on at least one blade to start working on my hone skills which I have none, I am pleased with all my shaves so far but only like 2 months in
Frank is 100% correct. If I'm getting less than smooth edges, they get touched up.
I hone more often than I need to, but that's because I'm still in the exploration and learning stage, so the more time I spend on my stones, the better. I've often honed daily or every two-three days just for fun. But that is not gpoing back to bevel setting most of the time.
Best advice I've read all week! I'm gonna do this over the Christmas Holiday as I have a particular stone I need to figure out.
I to am in the learning stage and thought about doing it maybe 1-2 times a week using my apache strata finisher but don't want to put excessive wear on the spine or is that not a concern with the finisher
I got it, and that was what my plan was. To start at the 1K. The stone in question is a surgical Ark finisher, and I need the progression to fully dial it in, or determine that it is not yet broke in or that my honing skills on it are not up to par yet.
You should hone daily. More if your schedule allows.
As Buca states, when you are learning, you need to hone. Honing daily for a year condenses the learning curve. You can't always find the time, but when you can, the goal should be to improve the edge, and if you fail, to learn why. Also freshly honed edges are the best. And a year only gets you to level 5 or 6. It will take years to get to 11.
A recurring theme for 1st time posters on the honing section goes something like this. "I have an N-8k and some CrOx on a strop. Why are my shaves so harsh". I don't think you can get from there to the kind of shaves that are possible honing your razor every couple of weeks. I would not want to put that edge on my face a second time. I would insist that it can be better and find better.
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I have been honing now for six months and like some here have followed advice similar to what Buca stated. I started on the Norton 1,4,8k stones and learned the basics, then on to high grit finishers, now well on my way with J-Nats. I hone every day, I have a honing partner and we exchange razors weekly and evaluate each others edges giving critical, honest feedback to one another.
I also enlist the advice of several mentors here on the forums and in person. For me this has been a great help in developing the level of skill that I wish to attain in the fine art of honing razors.
If I only had one razor and all I wanted to do was keep it shaving I would invest in a very good strop with a quality linen second component and learn how to use it. Then I would acquire a natural stone similar to an Apache Stada or fine J-Nat to do touch ups when my face indicated it was time.
I also enlist the advice of several mentors here on the forums and in person. For me this has been a great help in developing the level of skill that I wish to attain in the fine art of honing razors.
If I only had one razor and all I wanted to do was keep it shaving I would invest in a very good strop with a quality linen second component and learn how to use it. Then I would acquire a natural stone similar to an Apache Stada or fine J-Nat to do touch ups when my face indicated it was time.
"need" to hone because of edge deterioration? I got 135 shaves off one hone.
I don't see how everyone could not get that many shaves. Stropping istechnique paramount, you need to have good stropping technique.
When you first start shaving with a straight you will need to hone a lot more.
I don't see how everyone could not get that many shaves. Stropping istechnique paramount, you need to have good stropping technique.
When you first start shaving with a straight you will need to hone a lot more.
Just keep buying shave ready razors and don't worry about it.
Indeed. I think back to how I started stropping and it was embarassingly bad. I was concentrating on other things and not on the stropping. I'm getting better, but my strop bears the scars, and I'm sure the edge on the razor did not last as long as it could have because of it.
Level 5 or 6 out of what? We are not sending a man to the moon here, we are honing a razor. I have taken razors from 1K on about 6 or 7 different times in my life, and I can get great shaves. Every bit as good as the shave ready razors I have received from the hobbyist forum and every bit as good as a hand made razor from a maker that Joel touted as being better than him. I am not saying that you cannot put a better edge on than I can. What I am saying that I can get a great shave, you can get an exceptional shave. Great is good enough for me, for now. I am not willing to invest that much time and wear out several razors and stones in the process to get an edge that is likely 1% better than what I get now. I love the idea of a honing buddy, I love the idea of continual improvement through mentoring, but 5 or 6 after a year? That is just insane. If I cannot hone a razor that will cut a hair just as well as yours can after honing from 1K through finish every day of my life for one year, and shave with almost as much comfort, then there is something seriously wrong. I understand that the bladesmith must go through a 5 or six year apprenticeship to learn and master everything there is to know about forging a blade, grinding it, honing it and paying back the Sensei, but a razor has an angle guide built right into it. If you are talking about sharpening a knife, then that is a different story where you must apply the same angle around a curved blade on every stroke using muscle memory. No thank you. I will settle for great.
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I guess it depends on how high you set the bar. If you are asking folks to put these edges daily on their face I think the bar should be 11.
knives and razors are two very different critters, because you are good at one dosent mean you are good at both. all learn if want to is present, others learn in a different way. I mastered knives many yrs ago razors I am still learning after 45 yrs. just depends on what you run into along the way.
