How did Grandpa Get By with One Stone?
- Thread starter Raissermesser
- Start date
Maybe I’m mistaken but it looks kinda like a washita.
I was sharpening my razor recently and my father saw me. He mentioned that I should be careful, if i sharpen it too much I’ll need to regrind it to get rid of the wear. Was interesting to hear that, I’ll have to ask him more about his razor experiences. For reference he’s almost 80 and grew up in a small farming village in Greece just after ww2. So if there was ever a place that found a cheap way to maintain a razor this was it.
I was sharpening my razor recently and my father saw me. He mentioned that I should be careful, if i sharpen it too much I’ll need to regrind it to get rid of the wear. Was interesting to hear that, I’ll have to ask him more about his razor experiences. For reference he’s almost 80 and grew up in a small farming village in Greece just after ww2. So if there was ever a place that found a cheap way to maintain a razor this was it.
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
Yep, Standard Knitting Mills, my brain fart. It does look like an Ark. You’re a lucky man to have his hone Chuck.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
It'll be interesting to find out what he says.
Can't say there's much I know about the cheap way to maintain a razor.
I'll bring it if we get together and you can tell me how to use it. Thank you.
I also have several of his low grit stones in wooden boxes, blue/gray in color and lower grit. I've used them over the years to sharpen pocket knives.
In our experimentations we probably over do the sharpening of our razors at times. While I am sure your father is correct from his experience, you might have more understanding of how the edge develops as you go through your progressions. You also know how to repair/fix your mistakes using the acquired tools, something our ancestors probably wouldn't have had at their disposal. In general, "less it more" is the adage I employee in life. It's something I keep having to remind myself to do.
Generalization follow: Myself, I usually like to make do with what I have. More things do not add to happiness. In many cases, skill beats equipment.
I am trying to make do with a barber hone that cost ? 5 USD. Problem is, touch ups occur so far apart in time. It has been 2 months since I touched up my razor, so I get almost no honing practice.
Jody
I am trying to make do with a barber hone that cost ? 5 USD. Problem is, touch ups occur so far apart in time. It has been 2 months since I touched up my razor, so I get almost no honing practice.
Jody
The problem is we tend to extrapolate our experiences onto others which do not apply.
Nice! A good hone and regular touch-ups are really all you need.
Just don't let too much time pass that you have trouble restoring the edge. Stropping will keep an edge shaving for some time though.
I appreciate simple setups but since I have to repair edges and start from scratch sometimes, more stones are necessary to save time.
I agree with the comment that skill beats equipment. Our grandparents generation probably spent a lot of time maintaining blades.
But that doesn't mean they liked it. Yes, pre WW1, everybody used straights but that was because that's all there was. It's notable that after WW1, when safeties came out, pretty well everyone switched over to them.
But that doesn't mean they liked it. Yes, pre WW1, everybody used straights but that was because that's all there was. It's notable that after WW1, when safeties came out, pretty well everyone switched over to them.
Around 1964 when I was 12 years old, my Dad's parents came from Michigan to visit us in SoCal. Granpa's 1952-ish Pontiac (with the amber glass chieftan hood ornament) pulled their Airstream trailer.
Grandpa shaved with a straight razor or a DE razor, as the mood fit. He also came prepared with his straight razor hone - on Dad's invitation, so that he could re-hone his wood chisels. At that time, I learned how to hone a straight razor, a skill I've never forgotten.
Grandpa left the stone to my Dad, who had it recut. He mounted both in wooden blocks. Today I have both stones, plus a fine, hard Arkansas stone Dad used on his woodworking knives. I've also got an old set of chisels I helped sharpen back in 1964.
All 3 stones, plus a couple more for kitchen knives show a lot of wear, so I ordered a DMD diamond lap so I can flatten the stones for razor use.
As time permits and the project is finished, I'll post pics.
Any way to determine the grit of a stone?
Grandpa shaved with a straight razor or a DE razor, as the mood fit. He also came prepared with his straight razor hone - on Dad's invitation, so that he could re-hone his wood chisels. At that time, I learned how to hone a straight razor, a skill I've never forgotten.
Grandpa left the stone to my Dad, who had it recut. He mounted both in wooden blocks. Today I have both stones, plus a fine, hard Arkansas stone Dad used on his woodworking knives. I've also got an old set of chisels I helped sharpen back in 1964.
All 3 stones, plus a couple more for kitchen knives show a lot of wear, so I ordered a DMD diamond lap so I can flatten the stones for razor use.
As time permits and the project is finished, I'll post pics.
Any way to determine the grit of a stone?
There may not be a true "grit" or particle size that applies unless manmade.....even then that can be misleading. Regardless of that, if you post some pics or info of the stones in question you may get some help on what they are and where they fit in a sharpening progression.
Norton Hard Arkansas Jeweler Bench Stone # HB26. The PDF from Norton lists this stone, but no info on grit - they just call it "Ultra Fine".
OK, got it. Sorry if you stated that before and I missed it. No, arkansas stones and novaculite do not really have "grit". I guess they are all technically the same grit as far as particle size, it is just how tightly (densely) they are packed together. Norton arks, especially older ones, tend to have high quality standards. Put a flashlight on your stone and see if you can see light through the stone i.e. translucence. Ultra fine is probably a good description without holding/seeing your stone. Many folks use translucent and "surgical" arkansas stones as finishers after stones in the 8000-10,000 grit equivalents if they were using synthetics. I have had non-translucent, hard arkansas stones before and they too can leave a very nice edge. Please keep in mind that the final finishing of the stone and how well-lapped/polished affects results. Please keep in mind that the amount of pressure you use has a big affect as well. Many opinions out there on using honing oil, water, mix, other, etc.
I doubt granddaddy was as demanding as most of us when it came to edges.
Yep, it's a translucent stone. So, I should put this at the end of my honing routine, after using the 8000 grit?
Dad's Dad had a foundry background (patternmaker for his Dad's iron foundry while in College). Grandpa had precision tools that are still best quality today. I got the drive to learn how to work on and care for precision watches and tools from him. It was a matter of pride to be able to do work at the level of a precision craftsman, and be self reliant. While my Dad inherited the wood and furniture craftsman genes, I was limited to other areas such as working on vintage Railroad watches. When I was a kid, Dad's Dad taught me how to hone straight razors, chisels and planes. Not many of my friends can say that; some never even met their grandparents. It's big business to send out planing knives and even straight razors because people don't have the skill to maintain them that their grandparents had.
Not all of our forebears were mule-plowing backwoods dirt farmers (well, my Mom's Dad was, but he was pretty particular with his farm equipment and shave gear).
Dad's Dad had a foundry background (patternmaker for his Dad's iron foundry while in College). Grandpa had precision tools that are still best quality today. I got the drive to learn how to work on and care for precision watches and tools from him. It was a matter of pride to be able to do work at the level of a precision craftsman, and be self reliant. While my Dad inherited the wood and furniture craftsman genes, I was limited to other areas such as working on vintage Railroad watches. When I was a kid, Dad's Dad taught me how to hone straight razors, chisels and planes. Not many of my friends can say that; some never even met their grandparents. It's big business to send out planing knives and even straight razors because people don't have the skill to maintain them that their grandparents had.
Many folks use translucent arkansas stones as their final finishing stone and are very happy with them. How well the stone is lapped/polished makes a difference. Some prefer them finished to a matte and some want it as polished and reflective as possible to finish on. There are two sides of the stone so you can have both if you spend the time to prep the stone. If you lap an arkansas stone I think most would agree it is best you burnish the stone before you plan to use for final finishing as well. Likely a good arkansas you have there - but only way to find out is to use it and see your results. You can probably search a lot on this forum and get more info on how to use.
