initial setup for newbie

[TravisJ ohnson]

I bought my first straight, a vintage wade and butcher wedge, and it's off for it's initial shave ready hone by one of our resident honemisters here at B&B. I have been reading here and have seen a few posts that state you can keep the blade up forever (as long as you don't ding the edge on the sink or something) with a good strop and a "touch up hone". Here's my question: please reccommend what you consider to be the best hone for the occasional touch up to keep my razor happy forever... or until I drop it, whichever comes first

One condition, if I may, to make this challenging. I have absolutly ZERO interest in pastes. I just want a stone (natural or manufactured like DMT or Shapton) and strop(s) without gunk.

Couple helpful points: first, i'm more interested in silky smooth than scary sharp. Second, since I'm only buying one, I don't mind spending a little more. I don't have a ton of money, but I don't play golf or anything, so my wife is expecting a mid-life crisis any time now and this looks to be less expensive than a convertable, at least in the short term. Little does she know...

 

[Chimensch]

My first choice would be a Swaty barbers hone (only available used) or a narrow coticule. Everything else is 3" wide and, in my opinion, not convenient for razors. That's my 2 cents.

 

[superbleu]

A good japanense natural or Coticule sounds like it would suit you well.
The Synthetic stones Naniway, shapton, are faster/easier to use, but they will get your razors scary sharp and not as smooth in many peoples opinions, especially if you are dead set against using a pasted strop which would help tame the edge down and make it a bit smoother.

 

[taffy]

I started off with a barbers hone from the bay and it touched up my razors fine, though i have now just recieved nirwana combo and a chinese wasterstone to go that bit further but for just touching up a barbers hone is ideal and not that expensive.

 

[Woodash]

....One condition, if I may, to make this challenging. I have absolutly ZERO interest in pastes. I just want a stone (natural or manufactured like DMT or Shapton) and strop(s) without gunk.
...

The Great Carnac predicts: One day, a heard of Tibetan yaks will cross your path and you will change your mind.....

 

[Desdinova]

I started off with a barbers hone from the bay and it touched up my razors fine, though i have now just recieved nirwana combo and a chinese wasterstone to go that bit further but for just touching up a barbers hone is ideal and not that expensive.

Barbers hones are also the cleanest, simplest solution. Pastes need to be applied. Waterstones require water obviosuly, but then they need to be dried before storage (depending on where and with what you are storing them)


Barbers hone comes out, a couple of passes and then put away again. Nice and simple.

And they can be found for cheap on the Bay

 

[TravisJ ohnson]

The Great Carnac predicts: One day, a heard of Tibetan yaks will cross your path and you will change your mind.....

Haaa haa... yea, I'm not saying never, just not right now.

Come to think of it I have been told that same thing by women on several occasions and it always turned out to be never.

Wow... thanks for all the info guys! It's settled. I'm getting a barber's hone, and will work up to a japanense natural or Coticule next. I'm glad I found this place, you are all extremely helpful. Thanks again.

 

[alexo]

Aluminum Oxide lapping film. It's oriented towards smooth rather than sharp but it really gives you both if you start with medium pressure and end with polishing with a light pressure.

You'll need a glass plate to attach the film (comes with adhesive back) and I suggest get a plate that is half or one third the size of the paper since you don't really need such a large area for honing.
No flattening is necessary.

The 0.3 and 1 micron are fine for most maintenance purposes. The 5 and 15 are good for restoring old razors or fix damaged edges.

With the 0.3 you don't even need a strop.

Here's a link:
http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/...shop&Product_Code=ST-MAF.XX&Category_Code=THS

 

[SliceOfLife]

The only finishing grit synthetics I have a significant amount of experience with are Barber's hones, so take my recommendation with that in mind. I'm mostly a natural finisher user.

I'd recommend a coticule or an Escher or equivalent (vintage Thuringian or Modern 5x1 or 4x1 MST Thuringian).

If you get a JNat buy it from one of the dealers who are straight users themselves (I forget their names, but there are a couple who are members on SRP and maybe here as well). JNats tend to be a big crapshoot. The rating system they use is entirely opinion-based, so basically useless unless you know the dealer is trustworthy. I've gotten a 4++ grit stone that is far, far finer than a 5+++ grit stone I bought. I think most of the eBay sellers just pull the ratings out of their rump.

My experience with the New rock MST is mining (German natural Mueller hones, some sellers call them thuringians) and China 12k was less than satisfactory. They are good cheap alternatives (The mueller is only cheap if you are in the EU), but can't compete with the above stones in my experience. Others disagree.