When to hone or not hone

[shavedhead]

I am in the process of putting my Vision to rest and getting a straight razor. I was wondering how often would one hone a razor and do you strop always before shaving? Thx

[Kyle76]

Always strop before shaving. Honing depends on many variables, but you should only have to hone every few months at the most.

[Squire]

Always strop, hone about every 3-4 months, depending on the razor.

[Leighton]

I am in the process of putting my Vision to rest and getting a straight razor. I was wondering how often would one hone a razor and do you strop always before shaving? Thx

Hone the razor when you notice a decrease in the quality of the shave and you cannot live with it any longer. Any sooner and its redundant. Nothing bad will happen other than premature wear on the razor, but its unnecessary.

[brothers]

The process involved in getting hones and learning all the associated practice and lore is often overlooked and/or greatly underestimated. If you don't love it and can't afford it or just decide you don't want to be bothered with it, (meaning the whole world of honing, etc.) then your other two options are either selecting a honemeister you can send your razors to, or, giving up shaving with a straight razor.

[Utopian]

I disagree. Honing is not rocket science. I got by for several years with nothing more than a Swaty. It doesn't have to be complicated and shavers 100 years ago did not mail out their razor to a honemeister. They figured it out for themselves and made it work. Maybe the edge won't be as good as what comes off of $1000 worth of hones, but anyone can maintain a serviceable razor with just a little effort and one small hone.

[ghart]

shavers 100 years ago did not mail out their razor to a honemeister. They figured it out for themselves and made it work

I agree with this, but I think that it's worth saying that the standard of hones and sharpness has risen hugely since that time. I learned how to shave with a straight razor by watching my grandfather when I was a boy, over 50 years ago. He used to shave every day, but the result was far from BBS—my younger brothers would tickle their hands by gently stroking his jaw! He had 2 oilstones, and they were all that was available at the time. The results were rough! I have inherited his razors, some of which are still useable, and most show uneven hone wear. The level of sharpness that it's possible to get with the modern waterstones is, I suspect, far superior to what most razors were like in the days of oilstones and do-it-yourself.

George

[brothers]

I read once that the reason King Gillette decided to try to invent a double edge razor with a disposable blade was because the absolute necessity of maintaining an edge on a straight razor was so much trouble and there wasn't any option. There must have been a lot of guys who agreed, because they bought a lot of his razors and blades. I'm sure my grandfather and everybody else's grandfathers' grandfathers might have had such thoughts once in a while also.

Anyone who shaves with a straight razor certainly has the option of doing their own sharpening with whatever tool works for them. There's nothing mandatory, and that's the way it should be. I for one would love to read some posts from guys who are doing it the simple and old-fashioned way, and are getting the results they want.

[Utopian]

I for one would love to read some posts from guys who are doing it the simple and old-fashioned way, and are getting the results they want.

That would be me. I have a rotation of 7 razors in my gym locker that I have maintained for over 5 years with nothing but a Swaty. The shave with those razors is not quite as good as I can achieve with my high end hones, but they still shave perfectly well and irritation free.

[brothers]

I am interested in the best way you have found to use your Swaty. I have one that I have recently lapped, and I want to be able to put it to good use on my straights.

[Leighton]

I disagree. Honing is not rocket science. I got by for several years with nothing more than a Swaty. It doesn't have to be complicated and shavers 100 years ago did not mail out their razor to a honemeister. They figured it out for themselves and made it work. Maybe the edge won't be as good as what comes off of $1000 worth of hones, but anyone can maintain a serviceable razor with just a little effort and one small hone.

Didn't they take the razor to their local barber or simply go without shaving? Assuming they even had a razor. I'd imagine a razor was a luxury. Hence, people would pay the barber to shave them.

[Utopian]

I am interested in the best way you have found to use your Swaty. I have one that I have recently lapped, and I want to be able to put it to good use on my straights.

Some people recommend using it dry but I've never seen the benefit of that. I prefer to use it wet with slightly soapy water. If you use just water it will bead up and get pushed off the hone after the first stroke. Instead, put water on the hone, touch your lathered brush to the water in the hone, and then spread it around with your fingers. I usually just do three to five strokes and then strop and shave. Sometimes it can take few days to get it right.

I keep my locker razors in a leather roll stored with the tails up. If I judge a razor to need a touch up after the shave, I store it tail down to flag it as needing honing the next time it comes up in the rotation. So if I hone one and still am not satisfied with how it's shaving, it goes back in the roll with the tail down to remind me to hone it again.

[brothers]

That sounds easy enough, Thanks!

[shavedhead]

gentlemen I appreciate all you responses

[fritz]

I keep my locker razors in a leather roll stored with the tails up. If I judge a razor to need a touch up after the shave, I store it tail down to flag it as needing honing the next time it comes up in the rotation. So if I hone one and still am not satisfied with how it's shaving, it goes back in the roll with the tail down to remind me to hone it again.

Strange coincidence-- I store mine in test tube holders, but I use the same tang up/tang down convention.