Mail order honing

[Substance]

Sorry mate was late arvo at work then pretty well out to dinner,
Massage answered @Ferret619 all good in the next month then I'm off on holidays for a couple of weeks but no problems either way.

 

[Ferret619]

I've picked up some more stones and have decided I have to learn. The more I thought about it I would have a hard time relying on others so I've got an 8k and a 12k on the way plus I already have my green pasty balsa.. should be able to get something happening otherwise my straight ownership could get costly

 

[Arnold J Rimmer]

Jump onto YouTube. There are a lot of really good videos, that explain what you need to do in order to get a nice, fine edge.

It isn't difficult, but you need a light touch.

Start here:

It is a 4-part video, and I think he describes what he is doing quite well.

 

[Turtle]

Sorry to necro this thread, but who are the local honemeisters these days.

I want to send mine away, for that good edge. But was also hoping for a recommendation on a stone to keep it sharp. (Not ready for full rabbit hole)

 

[Arnold J Rimmer]

I haven't heard from @Mark on here in a while, but that could just be me. I don't dig too deep...

@Substance would probably be your go-to guy in this case. I'm happy to help in a pinch.

As for stones, and if you are looking to maintain the edge going forward, I would recommend a good strop first. It is definitely reasonable to get 4-6 months post-hone, by lightly stropping the blade before and after each shave.

My Puma was last honed around October last year, and is still as keen as that day.

If you are still after a finisher, I would look to a 12-15000-grit stone. You may get away with 10k, though, with some good stropping after.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Water-S...173105&hash=item3627841054:g:7dEAAOSwubRXKxWG

 

[pvsampson]

Good info from @Arnold J Rimmer above.Those cheap Chinese stones can be a bit soft though you won't be using it often,and all stones need to be lapped flat before each use.I use a bit of 120 grit wet/dry paper on a piece of granite.Another option for edge touch up is some 0.5 micron diamond paste on balsa.The balsa needs to be glued to something dead flat,like a piece of glass or stone then lapped before pasting.Can even go to 0.25 micron.Guy in Hong Kong that sells little tubs of paste for $10 each and is good quality.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1-bottl...0-Gram/261426890461?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
@Substance as mentioned will put a shaving edge on a blade for you.Good guy to deal with and chat to as well.

 

[Turtle]

Thank you for your responses, I already have the strop, and have been using a puma, but it is starting to get very grabby (it wasn’t super sharp to begin with), so I think it needs a touch up.
I’ve emailed substance so hopefully will hear something soon.

 

[Substance]

@Turtle email replied to mate

 

[Substance]

I would recommend a synthetic 15k hone like the Naniwa SS over a natural as a starter, purely because it is a tried & true performer, known uniform grit & binder & as it is well documented & videoed online to learn to use it
well worth the coin spent & would last a lifetime of only touching up a couple of razors

alternatively you could also try making yourself a Balsa paddle strop
all you need is a piece of 75 x 16-20mm thick Balsa from bunnings
sand 1 side flat on glass ( or a diamond plate ) with 2000 grit paper
then add some Chromium Oxide powder or a pre made crayon etc
and good to go

Look for these Kremer pigments ( they are top quality & uniform sized ) in art supply stores, I got mine from out of Melbourne
Kremer Part numbers
Chrome Oxide #44200 is 0.3 micro
Iron Oxide # 48100 is 0.1 micron
These will cover you for a lifetime

be wary of some Chippies green polish & Chrox pastes used for Chisel's etc, as they can be mixed sizes & harsh on razors