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Honing: Hobby or Task?

Brew said:
DMT, or Diamond Machine Technology makes flat plates that are impregnated with some sort of synth diamond on the surface. I draw some pencil lines on the hone and rub against the plate until gone. The plate was PIF'd to me. I'm trying to find out which one. I'll revert asap.
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Oh wow, that's very nice, it looks very easy, maybe this is doable someday.

Here's a good demo video I found.

 
When I used straights (over 1,000 shaves logged), I honed my own. I guess that means that I CAN hone, but I always found it a hit'n'miss thing whether I used Cotis, BBWs, JNats, Shaptons, DMTs, Nortons, etc.....

"Frustrating" is the best way I would describe my honing experiences.
 
woodpusher said:
"Frustrating" is the best way I would describe my honing experiences.
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I think learning to hone from setting a bevel is what gives many the most frustration. If you start in the other direction, you may never need to learn to set a bevel. I haven't yet.
 
It can be both. Learning to hone your own can be extremely satisfying. OTOH, while you are learning it can be very frustrating. I've honed more than my share of razors with all kinds of methods, stones, pastes and films. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you I put a perfect edge on every razor I touch, and I suspect if anyone does claim that, well, they may be stretching the truth a wee bit.
I used to shave exclusively with straights. But I kind of burned myself out by getting too may eBay specials and trying to bring them back to life. It seemed like I was always honing, testing, rebeveling, rehoning..... I just got tired of the constant work. It's my fault, I always had to shave with the razor to make sure it is truly shave ready, not just looking like it's properly honed (my personal opinion is that if you haven't test-shaved with it, you shouldn't sell it as shave ready).
But I am slowly getting the bug again to use a straight, but I will keep a half or a full dozen for myself and sell off the rest at bargain pricing.
 
I generally will not use a razor/edge that has shaved someone else, so no shave-tested razors for me, thanks. The folks who hone my razors, when I don't, know from bevel-set if the edge will be good. I am not one of those folks.
 
Brew said:
I generally will not use a razor/edge that has shaved someone else, so no shave-tested razors for me, thanks. The folks who hone my razors, when I don't, know from bevel-set if the edge will be good. I am not one of those folks.
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So you've never bought a vintage straight I take it?
 
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