Carbon steel - hone it or not?

[PoolMan]

Hi everyone, newbie with a first post here! The community seems very friendly though, so I'm sure you won't mind.

I've purchased a carbon steel hollow blade (Thiers-Issard), and have received a lot of conflicting information about whether or not it's a good idea to try and hone carbon blades.

So... that's it in a nutshell. Is honing for the stainless crowd only, or should I be looking for a stone/service to get honing done? The blade is really not as sharp as I'd like out of the box.

Thanks much!

PoolMan

 

[Slartibartfast]

Yes it needs honed.

 

[BigRich]

Why wouldn't you hone a carbon steel blade? They were the original straight razors and you've got to sharpen them some how. What were you told?

 

[leighton]

Stainless steel contrary to popular belief contains carbon. All steel needs honing to become sharp.

Stainless steel just has added elements such as chromium and nickel to reduce corrosion.

 

[NeckShaver]

Hi everyone, newbie with a first post here! The community seems very friendly though, so I'm sure you won't mind.

I've purchased a carbon steel hollow blade (Thiers-Issard), and have received a lot of conflicting information about whether or not it's a good idea to try and hone carbon blades.

So... that's it in a nutshell. Is honing for the stainless crowd only, or should I be looking for a stone/service to get honing done? The blade is really not as sharp as I'd like out of the box.

Thanks much!

PoolMan

Welcome to the club...

I think the information you have received may be pertaining to the fact that you have never honed a razor before and therefore it would probably not be the greatest idea to give it a go on your new prized possession, let a pro do your daily shaver and go buy a cheapo $10 blade off ebay and practice on that if you want to learn the art, like others have said, all razors need to be honed regardless the type of steel

 

[PoolMan]

Thanks for the quick feedback, everyone.

In response to BigRich's question, I was told carbon steel was much more prone to chipping, and that I shouldn't have it honed. Perhaps what he meant was *I* shouldn't hone it.

Appreciate the advice!

 

[CraigJ]

Have your blade honed by a RAZOR sharpener, not a knife sharpener. A lot of knife sharpeners use grinding wheels which may certainly chip your blade up. Honing razors is an entirely different skill than knives and is absolutely required on carbon steel blades. I hone my own blades and touch them up after every five shaves with five laps on 0.5 micron paste. I rehone a blade after every 50 shaves working up from an 8000 stone.

You will get a lot of people saying this is too often and you will get some that say this is too long between honing. What I am saying is that this is what I do and it works for me.

 

[crankymoose]

all razors need honed at some point, and if your razor is new it needs to be honed to be sharpened as they don't come from the factory sharp, as others suggested I would not recommend doing it yourself at least not the first time, send it out to a honemeister that way there you have a nice sharp blade to start shaving with and also a benchmark should you decide to take up honing, there is a list of honemeisters at top of honing forum

 

[PoolMan]

there is a list of honemeisters at top of honing forum

I have seen it, and it was actually going to be the root of my next question - does anyone know of a honemeister in the Vancouver area? The only Canadian HM I could find on the list was in Quebec.

I had a lot of fun taking the new blade in to a local barber shop and having all the barbers come over and whistle over it (to the annoyance of their customers!) It's apparently still a rare art where I live.

 

[kimfella]

I have seen it, and it was actually going to be the root of my next question - does anyone know of a honemeister in the Vancouver area? The only Canadian HM I could find on the list was in Quebec.

I had a lot of fun taking the new blade in to a local barber shop and having all the barbers come over and whistle over it (to the annoyance of their customers!) It's apparently still a rare art where I live.

Will any of the barbers hone it for you? I've talked with barbers at two different shops, barbers who are old enough to have been used to giving straight razor shaves with real straights, not just the shavette style, and both have said 'no'. Their refusal was essentially they are out of practice and no longer consider themselves professional honemeisters. What I found odd was both had their own straights in the shop, even though they never used them!

 

[Munxcub]

Talk to Rambus007, he's in your area and honed my first straight. He'll set you up. (not to volunteer him or anything, but he's a nice guy and is certainly skilled and equipped for it)

Or if you don't mind waiting, you can mail it to me and I can do it for you, just in Saskatchewan.

 

[kg4ghn]

It is often suggested to learn to shave with a straight that has been honed by somebody else. This is good advice, there is enough of a learning curve to figuring out how to shave with a straight.

Once you start getting good shaves, then by all means do some research and start down your journey of learning how to hone your own blades. It is very fulfilling to shave with a razor that you have honed yourself from dull.

 

[life2short1971]

Look at the date gentlemen.

 

[kg4ghn]

Look at the date gentlemen.

 

[Munxcub]

Look at the date gentlemen.

Are we all zombies now?

 

[Slartibartfast]

 

[wdwrx]

haahahaha