When to hone?

Sorry if this has been discussed ad naseum, but a perfunctory search through past threads didn't gain me a ready answer. How does one know when a razor needs honing? I suppose that it is particularly difficult when I am in the learning stage, but I am curious nonetheless. I know that there is a diminishing return to honing, but...

How do you determine when it is time to take blade to stone?

What do you think of the pasted balsa strops, in particular for a noob? Am I better off waiting to have another razor around to compare to the one that I am using? (I'm guessing that this is likely the safest answer - I am participating in the box pass)

I'm sure that there is a golden rule here, that I will receive only one definitive response.... but I'm curious.

A lot of it has to do with feel. At the beginning it is good to have a second razor that is made shave ready by a reputable source to compare to. From what I have read and gathered, essentially you take it to the stone when other methods no longer work. If you damage the blade then you may need to go to stones too. So if you aren't getting comfortable shaves from just using a strop it may be time to try some pasted balsa. [MENTION=30791]Slash McCoy[/MENTION] has a great write up on using those. I will try and find the link and post it here. If the balsa won't bring it back, then it might be time to try the stones (or Lapping film).

I know that some people use stones periodically just to maintain a great edge, although it may not be necessary. Remember at the beginning too, you are harder on your edges and your stropping technique may not be great yet. You may need to update your edges more. There are a lot of great members who can hone for you too. So if you have a few razors you can always send them out for a great edge at the beginning to get used to that feeling.

Here is that thread for balsa strops. It's a great read.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/473580-How-To-Use-a-Pasted-Balsa-Strop

I wish I could tell you but I honestly don't know as I always hone before it needs honing, I have had the privilage of having a truly "Shave Ready" razor from several Honemeisters so I have a good baseline to shoot for, I don't use any paste like CrOx or similar I just shoot for the best edge I can get off my JNATS and a good stropping, if the straight in question tugs and or pulls hair it's time to either try a pasted strop if that's the route you choose and if not go to your highest grit finisher and do some light finish laps and that should bring the edge back, some guys use what i have heard called the "Drop 2 method" basically drop down 2 grits so for me it would be 8K then finisher.

It's best to have more than one straight and have one that has been honed by somone that can put a killer edge on and that way you have a baseline but you have to realize that a synthetic edge is different than a coti which is different than a JNAT and I personally like JNAT edges and others like coti edges and so on so you have to try several edges and pick one you like and go from there.

Desertlifter said:

How do you determine when it is time to take blade to stone?

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When it don't shave good no more.

alpster said:

When it don't shave good no more.

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That don't read quite right.

Right or wrong, this is what I've been doing. A freshly honed razor has a clean, beautiful bevel. Stropping will/should keep it so. However, over time, I've noticed that the bevel, despite the stropping, gets "dirty." This is also about the time when I may get a weeper from a razor, which I rarely get from new edges. So that's when I do a touch up on the razor with a 14k hone.

Is this the "right" way to do it? No clue, but so far, so good.

McVeyMac said:

That don't read quite right.

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I'll try again....

When the edge in question ceases to deliver the subjectively high quality shaving experience to which I have become accustomed.

I got your response BTW and it was clever..

alpster said:

I'll try again....

When the edge in question ceases to deliver the subjectively high quality shaving experience to which I have become accustomed.

I got your response BTW and it was clever..

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Sorry that I left out an emoticon to acknowledge that I new you were being facetious.

Thank you gents, and thanks to the mod who moved this thread to where it belongs.

Took another look at my razor today, and I noted that the edge had changed. When it was freshly honed, the edge wasn't shiny, but I could see small lines more or less perpendicular to the edge. Today it was mirror smooth.

So so I surfed through the balsa stropping thread, reread my instructions from whipped dog, and had at it.

The he edge is back to the old non-shiny look after 20 passes on each of the green and red sides followed by another 20 on my leather strop. It looks better and feels more like I remember from the beginning on the thumb. Shave txt in the morning after my workout.

Desertlifter said:

Thank you gents, and thanks to the mod who moved this thread to where it belongs.

Took another look at my razor today, and I noted that the edge had changed. When it was freshly honed, the edge wasn't shiny, but I could see small lines more or less perpendicular to the edge. Today it was mirror smooth.

So so I surfed through the balsa stropping thread, reread my instructions from whipped dog, and had at it.

The he edge is back to the old non-shiny look after 20 passes on each of the green and red sides followed by another 20 on my leather strop. It looks better and feels more like I remember from the beginning on the thumb. Shave txt in the morning after my workout.

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Glad you got the edge back and when it get's to the point that it needs to be honed just send it my way and I will hone free of charge just cover shipping.

Jnatcat said:

Glad you got the edge back and when it get's to the point that it needs to be honed just send it my way and I will hone free of charge just cover shipping.

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That, sir is a great offer - thank you!

For my part it's when The Blade started to pull, Tug or razor bumb. Usualy when you shave your suppose to screp The lather, when The Blade is really sharp you Will feel almost nothing on your face. Whe The Blade is geting dull it doesn't cut well anymore so where prone to put more pressure and bad things could happen. Usualy i'll started whit my balsa strop whit The Green and Brown chromox, when The Cromox doesn't do i Bring it to my finish hone for a refresh. Up to date that works very well for me

Desertlifter said:

That, sir is a great offer - thank you!

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Just PM me when you need it honed, I am no Honemeister but have managed to hone for several Members here and also manage to maintain my small collection of straights and they give a very respectable shave, like I said just cover shipping and it should be less than $10 round trip unless you add extra insurance.

I haven't sent one out for honing yet. I hit the pasted balsa when the edge no longer feels smooth. A good edge feels buttery smooth to me. After about 7 shaves, I know it needs to be touched up on balsa.