My grandfathers Belgian Blue.

My grandfather passed away several years ago and I still miss him dearly. I was digging around in some boxes full of his things my mom had and found several of his whetstones. Several are Belgain Blues but one in particular jumped out at me. He carried this one friggen EVERYWHERE! I told my mom Christ I'm surprised he wasn't buried with the damn thing! He always said that's the only stone you'd ever need! When I was a kid I did allot of honing but...ahem I'm a little embarrassed to say I've been using the Lansky cheater ones with the guide rods for years now out of pure laziness. So...I've had the itch to try a straight and I'd like to get a not so expensive one and try my luck at honing one with his BBWs. I know there are better ones but I'm feeling nostalgic and figure it's a good excuse to brush up on my Benchstone skills. So I have some questions.
1. Since I'm seriously rusty what's best for a straight newbie to shave with and to try your hand at honing? Grind wise I mean. I've read that full hallows arnt recommended for new guys. I was thinking a 1/4 hallow. I like what I see in the Hart Steel straights.
2. I don't recall ever seeing my grand father use a slurry stone with his Belgians. He'd just spit on the damn thing and have at it. I never saw him hone a razor but he'd show me how he could pop hairs with his pocket knife. Some times he'd shave with his knife!
3. If you use a slurry stone does it have to match? I see that there's also a yellow stone. He has a pretty small yellow one but I don't recall ever seeing him use it. Can I use that yellow stone to get a slurry on the Blue?
4. I saw something about running your edge over glass before you start honing with a Blue. I never saw him do that but I always saw him tapping the edge or running the edge on the side of his stones. Is it the same thing?
5. If I do get a Hart should I try to hone it or get a cheepy one to practice on first? I'm thinking ill be using tape on the spine for sure! I'd hate to do any permanent damage to the Hart. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Mike

We need pictures... Seriously.

IMO full hollows are easier to hone.
Going through a series of slurry dilutions will improve the edge.
I never dull the edge before honing, it seems counter intuitive to me, but I know lots of guys do it.
Hart makes a fine razor, but if you want to learn to hone, pick up a vintage Solingen, Sheffield or American made straight razor to practice.

Here is an interesting study about BBW for razors. PDF Link

HolmerJ said:

1. Since I'm seriously rusty what's best for a straight newbie to shave with and to try your hand at honing? Grind wise I mean. I've read that full hallows arnt recommended for new guys. I was thinking a 1/4 hallow. I like what I see in the Hart Steel straights.

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Don't believe everything you read - preferences are just preferences. A lot of the old-skool 'rules' put forth by the grand wizards that stirred up the straight razor scene aren't really 'rules'. You may like a full hollow - or not. Same for any grind. What really matters is that the razor is honed correctly. Harts are nice - think twice about learning to hone on your first razor if it was expensive though. I learned on a new Boker when I started - that worked for me but it might be prudent to learn on a less expensive option.

HolmerJ said:

2. I don't recall ever seeing my grand father use a slurry stone with his Belgians. He'd just spit on the damn thing and have at it. I never saw him hone a razor but he'd show me how he could pop hairs with his pocket knife. Some times he'd shave with his knife!

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Not everyone uses slurry - whatever works, works. I think the general consensus is that the use of slurry helps refine the edge in ways that honing without slurry does not. Proving that might be difficult though.

HolmerJ said:

3. If you use a slurry stone does it have to match? I see that there's also a yellow stone. He has a pretty small yellow one but I don't recall ever seeing him use it. Can I use that yellow stone to get a slurry on the Blue?

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The yellow stone may be a piece of Coticule - hard to say without seeing it. You can use it to make slurry on a BBW, and you can use a BBW to make a slurry on a Coticule. Most people will tend to use Coti for Coti and BBW for BBW though. There are no rules - so whatever works for you is simply that. Slurry stones are inexpensive though, might pay to get one or two just to try them out.

HolmerJ said:

4. I saw something about running your edge over glass before you start honing with a Blue. I never saw him do that but I always saw him tapping the edge or running the edge on the side of his stones. Is it the same thing?

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Dulling the edge before honing is, to me, a complete waste of time. It also opens the door for what could turn out to be a false positive result. A gently folded over edge can sometimes be restored on a strop, so it's not proof of much. It sure does look good on video and it sounds good in a thread too... 'first I dulled the edge....'.

HolmerJ said:

5. If I do get a Hart should I try to hone it or get a cheepy one to practice on first? I'm thinking ill be using tape on the spine for sure! I'd hate to do any permanent damage to the Hart.

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Even though I started honing on my first brand new razor (to eliminate the variable of incorrect wear from previous users) - I will always say that learning on a less expensive option is wise. If you kill it or put a mile of spine wear on it - there's nothing big to get upset over. Thing is - it's best to find an inexpensive razor with minimal wear on it and no big distractions like chips or heavy rust near or on the bevel.

The yellow rock is how big? If it is too small to hone on then by all means, try it as a slurry stone.

I think lapping film is the easiest way to get started honing razors, but you got the rocks and the urge to use them, so go for it.

You could shop on the bay for a vintage to practice on. Watch for cracks and major dings, and deep pitting at and just behind the edge. You should be able to get something for $20 or less. Or get a Whipped Dog. Just shave with it until it needs honing, and there's your perfect practice razor. I think Larry gives honing lessons too, with the razor being mailed back and forth so he can critique your work and give pointers.

If you have a sharp razor and you want to practice honing, of course you could glass the edge, but you can also just shave with it until it is dull. Glassing will trash your bevel though, and force you to do a bevel reset and know that the new bevel is all your work. Whatever. Try to make your first one a rather expendable one.

Well hears the thing... I don't actually have possession of the stones yet. I'm currently in "Negotiations" with my mom. She's doing the guilt trip thing for not going out to see her. She's pulling out the big guns because I ahh...cough cough kinda forgot about Mothers Day...twice now. I've got a bit of an uphill battle but I'm confident that ill eventually get them...someday... The yellow stone is pretty small maybe 1x3? Some of the BBW's are pretty good size ones a little larger than a brick! My mom said my uncle brought them home from France in WW II. There's an interesting character btw. He was shot down on a bombing run on D-Day. Him, the pilot and one other guy survived but the rest were killed. The pilot broke both legs and ordered them to take off and save themselves. The other guy ran for his life but my uncle refused even when threatened with a court martial. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. I can't help but wonder if he had the pilot under one arm and a bag of rocks under the other? Nut job... both he and my grandfather were both knife freaks though. Must be the Cherokee blood...

Def the Cherokee blood.

When you land them - and you will - post some pix!

If you have several BBW stones, just rub two together and you have your slurry.

Time for you to go see your mother. Mom guilt can be brutal!

Tell mom the DSC story (grandpa saying "my buddy was just as important to me as that box of rocks") and how it will remind you to be a man (who loves his mother) every time you use them.

Call me crazy but....If I was in that situation, shot down behind enemy lines and carrying some dude...rocks would be the last thing on my mind!