Honing GOATs

[Acmemfg]

Like anything else, razor honing is a skill set that requires practice and aptitude achieved only by means of time and focus.
Some people are better than others.
Win, Place, and Show are pretty subjective in this arena…but let’s do a survey. Name the five people from whom you received a razor with an epic edge. Because the margins of subjectivity are clearly evident. Let’s just name your best five in no specific order. Like perhaps list your choices alphabetically.
So, in alphabetical order (last name):
-Ulrik Beyer (mfg./owner of Koraat razors)
-Brian Brown (mfg./Brown Razor Works)
-Jarrod Connerty (owner of The Superior Shave)
-Alfredo Gil (honer for hire..Doc226)
-Ertan Suer (mfg./owner of Rasoir Sabre)

Also have to acknowledge Ralf Aust…a production razor craftsman who surely is a first class operation. I just ran out of spaces.

 

[David]

None of these guys would dare consider themselves a “honemeister”, or the GOAT, but here’s my two pennies.

Best Jnat edges go to @Doc226 and @Steve56.

Best coticule edge by far goes to @life2short1971. The guy is scary with a coti.

Best all around can put on a great edge with anything goes to Nelson (I can’t remember his user name here, bayamontate?). He’s not active here any longer but he knows what he’s doing.

 

[lloydw]

I don’t think I could say one better than the other and I haven’t had many edges from others but I do remember a couple good ones from my early days in the hobby
glen @gemstar customs
max sprecher
the SRDesigns team

more recently - in the last 4-5 years
Vic @ bluesman blades
koraat - I agree with you

i hone for myself now and may just be ignorant in thinking I have great edges

 

[Wid]

I haven’t experienced to many peoples edges. Some that I have that and have been quality work is.

Alfred
MattO
Brian Brown
Matt from Griffith.
Lynn Abrams

 

[alex1921]

A recent edge I really liked was from MattO.

 

[MilkCrate]

I have used edges from: @Doc226 and @life2short1971. They were both excellent edges.

 

[Titleist]

I have experience with edges from Alfredo as well as from @Steve56. Both are MVP's in my book.

 

[Steve56]

Thank you David and Frank!

 

[kcb5150]

I have had a lot of edges from Nelson from all sorts of rocks and they have all been beautiful...

 

[Steve56]

MattO’s Zulu Gray edge was indeed splendid.

 

[Steve56]

I’ve never had one of Nelson’s edges, but always hear great things.

 

[cotedupy]

He doesn't hang out much here with us cool kidz on the honing forum, but I bought a razor from @PanL earlier this year that had a staggeringly good edge on it.

And something about the honing job on my very first straight from @Legion has meant that it's always just a joy to shave with.

---

Both of those make me feel like a razor honing pro whenever I've needed to do little touchups on them subsequently, and I think there's something to be said for that when making lists or handing out prizes...

Occasionally I come across knives that are just incredibly easy to sharpen or put an edge on for people. It's slightly difficult to describe, but even if a knife is blunt, or doesn't have an edge, you can tell when previous sharpening or grinding has been done by someone who really knows what they're about.

And I think that probably extends to razors too; a really good honing job might not just be about how good the edge or shave is when you get it, but also how good, and easy to maintain it is months or years down the line.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I was never thrilled with any edge I bought (there weren't many of them and they were all on razors I couldn't get an edge I liked on, so kinda hamstrung the guys doing them, to be fair). I've done some swaps, but they were always to test edges/finishers not the person doing the honing; so not great to compare against.

I've seen Doc praised by people who pay for honings more times than I can count (gotta be triple digits at this point); so if someone asked me for a rec, I'd probably send them to him.

One of the guys in my edge testing/guessing swap thread gave me an incredible edge off a Spyderco UF... Actually got me to rebuy that stone for the (fifth maybe?) time after trying it over and over again... still can't do quite what he did, but it did get me to improve my Spyderco edge from "Meh" to "pretty darn good". (edit: It was Global). Had a lot of good edges in that test, but that was the one I remember surprising me. Don't know if they sell honings though.

Of course Slash's method edges are great but his whole thing is getting new guys to do it themselves rather than sell honings (as far as I know).

 

[kamp]

I had many edges from different people and a lot where great.

The ones who are not from my local aera that where very good are

The late James G. Keegan Jr.
Lou Mowan
Mark Gerges
Ulrik Beyer

don't know if they are members of this forum though

All the others i got where local from the Netherlands also great edges, nowadays iI hone my own edges but these where the guys where i got my first great edges from, nowq that i have my own equipment and hone myself i can really apreciate their skill

 

[Matt O]

Thanks for the kind words gents!

Steve56 and Alfredo are both great!

 

[GreazyThumbs]

Agree with all the above edges I have tried. I would also include Yuri K of Art Razor. He sent me a particularly good edge on a new Cardinal. When I inquired about the stone he told me he did it on a 10K synth. I have no reason to doubt the man, but that was the best 10k edge I have ever experienced. I still question this to this day.

 

[Steve56]

Thank you Matt!

 

[Gamma]

I don't know who is or isn't a goat.
Honestly, I think it's kinda weird, sorta like the term honemeister.

If I needed a blade honed for some reason, I'd send it to Nelson.
It would shave great. That's all I need to know.

But I could also send it to David, and it would shave great.
Or I could send it to Wid, and it would shave great.
Or I could send it to Gary H, and it would shave great.
Or I could send it to Neurotopia, and it would shave great.
And so on....
Would sending it to a GOAT nominee guarantee that it shaves better?
Probably not.

 

[JPO]

Still trying to by my own number one GOAT.

 

[Southbound1]

View attachment 1553933
Still trying to by my own number one GOAT.

Me too, yes! I am my own worse critic, i definitely can't suit myself 'most times ' I know how its supposed to be and it can be a challenge.