Quick Question (first honing)

[Mike78]

Hi all,

Im a complete newb to straight shaving and until a few days the thought of buying a straight never even crossed my mind. (I have been very happy with my DE for that past 7 or 8 years)

However long story short, there is a local shop closing down thats selling straights and I got chatting to the owner and he said he'd sell me a Dovo straight at a very decent price and hes going to give me a strop and some paste that he was using for demos in the shop and he'll give me them for free and he has a honing stone lying out the back that I can have aswell if I want.

Now heres the problem. He wont hone it for me. I have asked him, begged him and bargained with him and he just point blank refuses to do it. He also says I wont be able to do it myself that Id need to send it of to a honemeister. I looked it up on youtube and theres so many people/tutorials contradicting him saying that honing isnt that hard and anyone can do it.

I dont know what to think anymore. Im not looking to get amazing BBS shaves everyone seems to talk about. This razor has just came along at a nice price and if Id be able to buy and hone and strop it myself then I'll probably buy it. But I dont think I'll buy it if I need to send it away every year to be honed.

I wonder how our grandfathers ever managed.

 

[paco664]

buy it.... send it to me i will hone it for you....

then after you know what shave ready feels like you can put your edge on it and send it back... i will give you honest feedback and re-hone it and send it back to you....

we can do this for as long as it takes to get you over the learning curve....

he is a odd bird.... the refusal to hone it for you is kind of a strange thing to do tho.....

just saying....

 

[JLuger]

If you're interested in straights, get it. Accept Paco's generous offer to hone it for you, use it, strop it, maintain it. By the time you need to touch up the edge, you will have had plenty of time to explore all the options and ways to do so. Paco also offered to help you learn to hone, so you are really in good shape. Go for it!

 

[ouch]

I was going to say that one of our generous members would probably offer to get you started, but paco beat me to it.

As for the shop owner's not wanting to hone it for you, he probably did you a big favor. He may not even know how.

Honing isn't rocket surgery, but it's a very good idea to start with a shave ready blade, so you'll know what to aim for when you attempt it yourself. Have fun.

 

[paco664]

they took this photo of me at work the other day....

 

[Grips]

Definitely buy. Definitely take Paco up on his offer. You can't go wrong.

 

[Mike78]

Sorry it took so long to reply, I somehow managed to "lose" this thread and it I couldnt find it again. But turns out its stored in your profile

Anyway, thanks for the very generous offer Paco, I very much appreciate it. Maybe one day I'll take you up on that offer

It turned out the reason he wouldn't hone it is because he doesn't even hone his own razors, he sends them of to a honemeister in Germany.

After I went back to buy my razor we did some chatting and by pure chance he showed me, what in my mind, was the nicest razor I have ever seen. A wooden handled feather artist. It was a bit more pricey, but it never needs honing or stropping so I bought it on the spot. Im very pleased with this razor. Im absolutely ecstatic. Now... I just have to have to figure out how to straight shave.