I'm new and still trying to understand how this all works, please help

[kevo]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but once a razor has been honed, in general how much longer does it last until you have to hone it again? So I guess I'm just asking how often to you hone a straight razor? How often do you strop it?

[AustinC9]

This is not a stupid question and I wondered the same thing when I started shaving with a str8. As far a honing goes, when you feel the razor starts to drag and scrape across your face its time for honing. To put a number on it I hone about every 25 shaves or once a month. As for stropping, I strop before every shave 40 passes. Hope this helps.

ps. dont forget to lap your hones to mantain their effectivness

[kevo]

what does lap your hone mean? is that the same as flattening your hone? Also what's the difference between stropping on the leather side vs the cotton or canvas side? Do you use both before every shave? Also, is it possible to over-hone or over-strop?

Thanks

[jlander]

Have you read the interactive tutorial?

It might answer most of your questions.

[kevo]

Yes I have, I guess I'm just a little confused still, maybe I should try and read it all over again to make sure I understand.
I don't think he mentions though what happens if you over-strop or over-hone? maybe I just missed it. And I don't think he mentions how often you are to strop and how often you are to hone. I guess I'm just wanting to clarify

[netsurfr]

This is not a stupid question and I wondered the same thing when I started shaving with a str8. As far a honing goes, when you feel the razor starts to drag and scrape across your face its time for honing. To put a number on it I hone about every 25 shaves or once a month. As for stropping, I strop before every shave 40 passes. Hope this helps.

ps. dont forget to lap your hones to mantain their effectivness

I think the above advise is a good guideline. Sometimes I strop my razors both after a shave and before. When your razor starts to pull, it is definitely time to hone a little. However, Some folks like myself can accomplish the same effect as a light hone using some 0.5 micron and 0.25 micron diamond paste. I have a two sided paddle that is pasted with these diamond pastes and works great. Certain blades may still be a little harsh off of the 0.25 micron paste and I will finish them on newspaper wrapped around the paddle. Newspaper is approximately the equivalent of 0.1 micron paste. Hope this helps some...

[Sticky]

I strop before every shave, about 50 laps on the leather.

I hone about every month to month-and-a-half. Five laps on a barber hone is often enough.

The first honing is the hardest one, after that it's just light maintenance.

[jlander]

OK

Strop your razor prior to each shave. You will learn how many passes work for you on what side of the strop. I USUALLY take 20-30 passes on the Latigo and the same on the Horsehide. I don't go to the canvas/linen unless I feel like the edge is still lacking. Then I do the same on the canvas and then the horsehide.

You can over hone any razor. If it feels dull, take a few passes on a pasted strop and see if it improves. If it does then you have over honed. So many show micrographs and detail what grit and how many passes, etc. I have found what works for me varies from one razor to the next. I am firmly convinced that honing is magic.

It's like trying to teach some one how to race a car. You can teach them the basics of shifting etc. but if you talk to REAL racer's you find they all do things a little differently from the basics. They have found what works for them personally. It's the same with honing.

[joke1176]

OK

...I am firmly convinced that honing is magic.
It's like trying to teach some one how to race a car. You can teach them the basics of shifting etc. but if you talk to REAL racer's you find they all do things a little differently from the basics. They have found what works for them personally. It's the same with honing.

Oh man, it's not magic, it's an ART. Seriously. Reading about honing, buying the tools, and expecting to get an awesome shaver out of the deal first time is unlikely.

That would be like buying a chisel, a hammer, and a chunk of marble and expecting to be able to carve Michelangelo's David on the first try.

That's the fun and the goddamn frustration of honing and straight razors in general.
What a world!

[jlander]

Oh man, it's not magic, it's an ART. Seriously. Reading about honing, buying the tools, and expecting to get an awesome shaver out of the deal first time is unlikely.

That would be like buying a chisel, a hammer, and a chunk of marble and expecting to be able to carve Michelangelo's David on the first try.

That's the fun and the goddamn frustration of honing and straight razors in general.
What a world!

Actually that would be easier than getting the edge right on a 7/8 W&B wedge that is the bane of my evenings.
Friodurs, Filly's, Duck's, no problem. The stars just will not line up right for this wedge. It's the art of magic.

[joke1176]

I hear that. I have a 6/8 Sta-Sharp that makes me want to strangle puppies.