Thread: Starting to Hone ... Advice Needed

I guess that is the key jimmy>know what you're doing. I must have missed something as over the long haul I cannot keep an edge smooth and sharp with touch ups esp. with only 5 strokes.

I'm not sure what I do to mess up an edge, bad technique sloppy after care?

Pugflop sharpening is a broad subject; while here we are mostly concerned with straight razors, the terminology is universal so an individual term may have many meanings. Not to mention the individual nature of the shave and ability, expectations. Thus finisher is a literal term. It is the stone you use when you finish. maybe that is 6k or 8 or 30.

I am a little curious how the non- sharpeneing group of the population makes it through their week with no hones. How do you prepare food and keep your pocket knife operational?

It never occured to me before arriving here that there are folks with no experience and no means to sharpen their daily use tools. It's a quality of life issue Everyone needs at least a 1 and 4. Toolys need the 8 and shvers may add a 12 as just basic equiptment. Am I wrong?

Ok, maybe I'm starting to understand things (a bit) here.

So if my razor becomes dull from proper use (not trying to chop firewood or letting it sit in the basement for 200 years), does the bevel need to be reset? I believe that the bevel refers to the actual sharp edge of the razor where the two sides meet - I'm guessing if the razor is dull from proper use, this edge (bevel?) has become blunted (for lack of a better word). Then, you need to remove metal to re-establish that sharp edge (bevel?). Is this correct?

Originally Posted by Pugflop

Ok, maybe I'm starting to understand things (a bit) here.

So if my razor becomes dull from proper use (not trying to chop firewood or letting it sit in the basement for 200 years), does the bevel need to be reset? I believe that the bevel refers to the actual sharp edge of the razor where the two sides meet - I'm guessing if the razor is dull from proper use, this edge (bevel?) has become blunted (for lack of a better word). Then, you need to remove metal to re-establish that sharp edge (bevel?). Is this correct?

Not necessarily. If you were to let it get really, really dull yes. For normal use if and when the quality of the shave starts to fall off a bit you can bring it back with a touch up. This would be done with a high grit stone, barber hone, pasted strop or paddle.

Eventually you might need to go lower in grit to say the 4/8 again. Chances are you wouldn't need to go to a complete new bevel set with a 1k unless you dinged it or let it go way too long. IME anyway.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Not necessarily. If you were to let it get really, really dull yes. For normal use if and when the quality of the shave starts to fall off a bit you can bring it back with a touch up. This would be done with a high grit stone, barber hone, pasted strop or paddle.

Eventually you might need to go lower in grit to say the 4/8 again. Chances are you wouldn't need to go to a complete new bevel set with a 1k unless you dinged it or let it go way too long. IME anyway.

Ah, ok. So typically you don't need a new bevel reset unless the razor is in bad condition, and it's done around 1k?

So usually, when the shave starts to get bad, what is the typical way of bringing it back up to par? A conservative pyramid on the 4k / 8k, then a finishing stone for extra smoothness?

Thanks for being so patient with me and my poor understanding of this.

Originally Posted by Pugflop

Ah, ok. So typically you don't need a new bevel reset unless the razor is in bad condition, and it's done around 1k?

So usually, when the shave starts to get bad, what is the typical way of bringing it back up to par? A conservative pyramid on the 4k / 8k, then a finishing stone for extra smoothness?

Thanks for being so patient with me and my poor understanding of this.

If the shave quality is falling off and stropping won't correct it start with you high grit finisher and try touching it up. If that won't get drop to the 8k and if that doesn't do it the 4/8. If that doesn't send it out for honing.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

If the shave quality is falling off and stropping won't correct it start with you high grit finisher and try touching it up. If that won't get drop to the 8k and if that doesn't do it the 4/8. If that doesn't send it out for honing.

Ah, now that makes sense! Thank you!

So I could get away (for a while at least) with just a finishing stone for the time being, but if in the future it can't restore the edge, then it's time to drop down to the 8k, or whatever is needed.

How often would a finisher not be enough to bring back the edge? Are we talking many years of use before I'd have to drop down to a lower grit to restore the edge? It seems that I'll need a finisher at least, and that's cool, but does it make sense to grab a 4k / 8k now too while I'm at it for when the finisher won't be able to bring back the edge in the future?

Thanks again for all the info.

Originally Posted by Pugflop

Ah, now that makes sense! Thank you!

So I could get away (for a while at least) with just a finishing stone for the time being, but if in the future it can't restore the edge, then it's time to drop down to the 8k, or whatever is needed.

How often would a finisher not be enough to bring back the edge? Are we talking many years of use before I'd have to drop down to a lower grit to restore the edge? It seems that I'll need a finisher at least, and that's cool, but does it make sense to grab a 4k / 8k now too while I'm at it for when the finisher won't be able to bring back the edge in the future?

Thanks again for all the info.

He ain't been around lately but forum member Utopian said that he kept a rotation of a half dozen razors shaving with a barber hone for 4 years IIRC. I am always honing and trying another razor it seems and don't shave with the same one often enough to say. OTOH, it is an individual thing so how long an edge may last depends on you and your particulars. If you are new at this I would hold off on buying more than you need until you are sure you will stick with it.