To Hone or not to hone

[mfarber]

As a newbie, I am wondering how often you typically have to refresh a blade on a hone and do more serious honing?

I plan to purchase my first razor shave-ready, along with a strop. Not sure if I want to hone the razor myself or have someone else do it. There's a guy a local shop suggested to me in Toronto who hones razors for about $20. How often would I likely have to send the razor out if I shave daily and strop before each use? Alternatively, can I maintain it myself and what would be the cost to get set up (conservatively)?

Thanks (in advance) for the info.

 

[noahpictures]

As a newbie my guess would be you'd have to hone your razor once a month. You can hone on lapping film, that's the least expensive option. The sheets cost about $30 or less depending where you buy.
A coticule costs around $100 depending on the size.

 

[gary haywood]

you could easily strop on crox sharpening paste and keep going for months if not a year.. then send it out for a rehone ..

 

[ouch]

The Catch-22 of straight razor shaving is that when you know what you're doing, you can go a long time between touch ups and honings, but when you're new you may need to address the edge frequently.

 

[Acmemfg]

As a newbie, I am wondering how often you typically have to refresh a blade on a hone and do more serious honing?

I plan to purchase my first razor shave-ready, along with a strop. Not sure if I want to hone the razor myself or have someone else do it. There's a guy a local shop suggested to me in Toronto who hones razors for about $20. How often would I likely have to send the razor out if I shave daily and strop before each use? Alternatively, can I maintain it myself and what would be the cost to get set up (conservatively)?

Thanks (in advance) for the info.

I was really leery about having to go through the whole honing production when I first started using straights. I picked up a coticule bout (later moved to a larger size rock) along with a Norton 4k/8k and began to watch and listen. Now it's no trouble at all to sharpen up a blade every 6 weeks or so, less of a hassle than mowing the lawn. I dis pick up a King 1k and Naniwa 12k after a while. That should prove to be all I need for razor maintenance as I see it. For sure the jNat guys are gonna disagree, but I'm not that much of a zealot.

Prices vary...I got a deal on my 1st coticule (less than $50). The Norton was about $60 (and in reality you could stop right here). The King 1k was less than $20. Naniwa (not a "must-have") was around $75. So in reality a honing set up could run you all of $50-$75...about the price of 3 or 4 honing jobs done by someone else.

 

[Lomez]

Definitely hone,

Film will be the cheapest route, you really cant lose by owning some film and a cheap piece of thick cut glass.

It sounds like you would prefer a Naniwa 3/8 over the more involving coticule.

 

[Mo-beffah]

To play devils advocate here if you are brand new honing is difficult. I have a few razors I am trying to sharpen at the moment and not getting the edges where I want them for a comfortable shave. So I am reverting back to my DE to get my shaves until I can get a quality edge. This is also my fault as i tried to hone multiple razors instead of just one. I think if you are getting into honing try some film, but also buy a few used razors that you can send out all at once to get professionally honed and also only try to learn honing on one of them so that you have an edge (the others) you can still shave with while learning. The balsa crox from whipped dog never really worked for me. I just kept sending razors out to very kind people on here offering to sharpen my razors. This was also very beneficial because you get to try different edges. When I tried the one that I liked the best I picked his brain a little and that's how I knew what stones I wanted to try.

 

[Proinsias]

Maybe go for a bit of both. Get one blade sharpened by someone with a good reputation and learn how to keep it sharp, get another blade and learn how to get it sharp.

 

[Mo-beffah]

This exactly^^^ he gave the short version of what I tried to say.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I never have to re-hone a razor any more. I hone one when I acquire it or make it or modify it, then that's it. No more honing.

I strop after every shave on a block of balsa, 3x12" with .5u diamond paste on one side, .1u on the other, about 4 dozen laps on the .1u side. I only use the .5u side if it ever needs it, which is rarely. This keeps my edges nice and sharp all the time. CrOx is popular but IME the .1u diamond gives much better results.

The best use for CrOx is softening a harsh edge, and then I prefer it on a hanging felt, linen, or leather strop, not balsa or a paddle. YMMV

 

[Gamma]

Honing isn't difficult.
Maintaining a blade requires a finish stone only.
A Coti bout can be around $40.00, maybe less.
A Thuri can be similarly priced if you look for one.
Finishers show up on the BST all the time at all price points actually.
Crox on a strop will work - runs about 6 bucks a bottle.

 

[mfarber]

So do you need a strop for daily stropping (a clean one) and another to use with CrOx, etc.?

 

[Gamma]

Yes, you can use a cloth hanger or the Crox, or leather, or a paddle made of balsa.