Razor Honing

Razor honing is a sharpening process in which a razor's bevel (insert reference to bevel definition here) is skilfully cut and polished to form a fine, shaving edge. An adequately honed razor should be able to provide a comfortable shave. Once a razor has been honed, it is often stropped (see stropping) before each shave.

Depending on the condition of the razor's edge, there may be damage such as chips or pitting that needs to be addressed, or perhaps the existing bevel is unusable and needs to be completely reset. A razor in such condition will need more aggressive edge repair techniques before the actual honing can take place.

Razor hones

Hones are a subcategory of whetstones which are suited to be used to sharpen a straight razor. Hones may be natural, meaning they are used in the same form they are mined, or synthetic, meaning they are man made from natural or synthesized abrasives and binders.

The word "hone" may also be used as a verb in place of the word "sharpen;" one could "hone a razor on a hone."

Hones by Grit Range

Very Coarse - Under 1k

Hones under 1k are typically used only for restoration honing - the correction of chips, frowns, or other problems with the razor. Here, synthetic hones are much more popular than natural hones. Some common choices are the Norton 220 (which can be found as a single grit hone or one side of the Norton 220/1k hone), the DMT 325 (which can serve double duty to lap other hones) or DMT 600, the Shapton 500, the Naniwa Superstone 400, and the Naniwa Chosera 400, 600, or 800. These are aggressive hones, so honers will often use one or more layers of electrical tape on the spine of the razor to prevent excessive wear and flattening of the spine. The tape may or may not be removed when setting the bevel on the 1k hone, depending on the honer's personal preference.

In the under 1k grit range, many of the hones are soft, and will dish while correcting even a single razor. As a result, the softer hones will require more frequent lapping.

Coarse - The 1k Range

The hones in the 1k range are used to set the bevel on the razor. The process of setting the bevel establishes the sharpness of the edge, which will then be refined on the higher grit hones. At this level, most honers decide if they want to use tape or not and then maintain the same number of layers of tape throughout the rest of the honing. (The main exception is when a double bevel is applied at the later stages of honing by adding an additional layer or layers of tape.) Here, the most commonly used hones are synthetic, though the hunt for a natural bevel setter is ongoing for many who are afflicted by HAD.

Some common choices of synthetic hones are the Norton 1k, Shapton 1k, Naniwa Superstone 1k, Naniwa Chosera 1k, King 1k, and DMT 1200.

Some natural hones that can be used in this range are the Amauksa Red and the Amakusa White. Both are Japanese natural hones. In many tests, Amakusa Red hones have too many hard inclusions to be used to hone razors. But some users have been able to lap through hones to areas without inclusions and successfully set bevels. As far as I know, the Amakusa White has not been extensively tested. At this time, I do not know of any other natural hones in this grit range.

Additionally, some of the finer natural hones can be used with heavy slurry to set the bevel. But for anything other than a full hollow razor which is close to having the bevel established, this becomes a very time consuming process. The most popular choices are faster cutting coticules or Japanese natural hones with a variety of different nagura. These may be used in a One Hone Progression or integrated into a multi-hone progression.

While all the bevel setting hones yield very similar results, honers will typically have a hone they prefer based on aggressiveness, hardness, feedback during honing, how the edge interacts with the rest of the hones they use, or a number of other factors. Some honers may prefer different hones for different steels (stainless vs carbon) or for different razor starting points (a razor that was restored vs a standard bevel set) or different grinds (full hollow vs near wedge) etc.

Medium - The 3k to 5k Range

The hones in the 3k to 5k grit range are used to begin to polish off the scratches left by the bevel setting hone and to refine the edge. This begins the process of making the sharp edge into a smooth one that will provide a comfortable shave. At this level, more natural stones begin to enter into the mix, or a honer may choose to branch off into a One Hone Progression.

Some common synthetic hones in this range include the Norton 4k, Shapton 4k (High Carbon or Ceramic on Glass) and Naniwa Superstone 3k and/or 5k (these can be used interchangeably or as a progression). The Naniwa Chosera 3k and 5k are also becoming more common, but have not been extensively documented at this time.

Some of the common natural hones in this range include the Aoto (Japan) and Dalmore Blue (Scotland). There are also a number of other Japanese natural hones that are suitable in this grit range. An Arkansas hone (USA) can also be used, but these seem much less common due to their slow cut speed. These will typically be used starting with a milky slurry, which is diluted until just water remains.

For honers who branch off into a One Hone Progression at this stage, the most common choices are the coticule or various Japanese natural hones, but nearly any finishing hone (natural or synthetic) can be used.

Fine - The 8k Range

The hones in the 6k to 8k grit range further polish and refine the razors edge. A razor that has been properly honed through this grit range should provide a close and comfortable shave with no pulling or tugging, though most shavers will continue on to higher grits. In this grit range, there are a number of synthetic hones and even more natural hones to choose from.

Some common synthetic hones in this range include the Norton 8k, Naniwa Superstone 8k, Shapton 8k (High Carbon or Ceramic on Glass) and DMT 8k.

Some common natural hones in this grit range include the BBW (Belgium), Tam O'Shanter (Scotland), Dragon's Tongue (Wales), and a slew of Japanese natural stones. Some of the finer Arkansas hones (USA) may also be used, though they are again less common because of their cut speed. Again, these hones are often used starting with a milky to light slurry, which is diluted until just water remains.

Very Fine - 10k and beyond

The hones in this range are the finishing hones; this is where the final polishing and refining of the razor's edge takes place. Some honers may use one, while others may use two or more in a progression. A razor that has been properly honed through this grit range will, without any doubt, provide a close, comfortable, and smooth shave. In this range, there is a huge range of both synthetic and natural hones, due to the addition of synthetic barber hones and exotic natural stones. The quest to find best hone for the ultimate edge fuels the fires of HAD and spans across the forum. Ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference, though that won't end the debates over which finisher stands above the rest.

Some common synthetic hones include the Shapton 16k and 30k, Naniwa Superstone 10k and 12k, Naniwa Chosera 10k, and a massive selection of barber hones.

Some common natural hones include the coticule (Belgium), Thuringian (Germany - note that Escher is a brand of Thuringian), Guangxi / C12k / PHIG (China), various Japanese natural hones, and a whole slew of exotic hones.

Hone history

barber used coticules and eschers until synthetic barber hones came along.  etc

Hone manufacturers and miners

The major hone makers today are blah, blah, and blah.  There are still some mines in operation, blah and blah.  Vendors can be found here (main article vendors, or possibly vendor links)

Using razor hones

Prepping a hone for use

Lapping and Chamfering

All hones should be lapped before the first time you use them, and many hones require periodic lapping thereafter. Some honers lap before or before and after each honing session, while others lap only when they feel their hones require it. Harder hones, especially finishers, may never require lapping after their initial lapping.

(Hone Lapping 101)

A light lapping can be used to clean the surface of the hone of any embedded metal and/or swarf, or to raise a slurry on the stone. This can be done with a lapping plate (such as a DMT or other diamond plate), a lapping stone (such as a Naniwa or Norton lapping stone - note these also require initial and periodic lapping), or a smaller stone designed for this use (such as a Norton prep stone or slurry stone).

After the initial lapping of a hone, and also after one or more periodic lappings, the hone should be chamfered. This is the slight rounding of the edges of the hone. Chamfering a hone smooths the harsh edges of the hone, which, if left, can damage the edge of the razor. Chamfering is not necessary, but is highly recommended.

Water and Oil

Most hones are not used dry; typically water is used, though others require oil. A hone that requires water is a waterstone; a hone that requires oil is an oil stone.

The more porous waterstones (such as the lower grit Norton hones) often require soaking. This helps to saturate the hone so that, during honing, the hone will not absorb all the water added to the surface. If these hones are not soaked, more water will have to be added at a more rapid rate in order to keep water on the surface during honing. Other waterstones, especially those with resin binders (such as the Naniwa Superstones) cannot be soaked. Soaking them can interfere with the binding agent and have detrimental effects. For hones that do not require soaking, periodically adding water to the surface of the hone during use is all that is necessary.

Oil stones may be porous or not, but typically, they are not soaked. Instead, oil is added as needed before and during honing in order to maintain a coating of oil on the surface.

Honing

Honing information

Beginner's guide

This article will provide a basic overview of honing and everything it entails. It will discuss the objectives of honing, required and recommended equipment and basic honing technique. It will also provide some helpful tips to ease the learning curve, and describe some potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Honing strokes

This article focuses on the various honing strokes, or techniques, we use to hone straight razors. While the precise movements may vary from person to person, there are some general patterns that are common to most honers. It will discuss these common strokes, how to properly perform them, and the strengths of each stroke.

Bevels and bevel setting

This article addresses the most fundamental step of the honing process - setting the bevel. It will begin by describing what a proper bevel is, and it will also explore some of the more common problems with bevels and how to correct them.

Overhoned/wire edge

This article discusses what a wire edge, or overhoned edge is. It centers around how a wire edge is created, how it can be removed and corrected, and how to avoid creating one in the first place.

Sharpness Tests

This article describes various tests that can be used at the various stages of honing to ensure that you are getting the optimal results from each hone and to track the progress you are making throughout the entire honing process.

Honing methods

Restoration honing

This article will discuss the restoration aspect of honing; problems such as chips, cracks, and frowns. The correction of these issues really falls outside of normal honing, so this area contains more advanced techniques. Some areas of discussion include how taping can be used during edge restoration, the proper techniques for honing a razor with the spine off the hone, and how to transition from restoration honing back to normal honing.

Circles and X's

This article will discuss the application of circles and X strokes, and how they can be used together on a progression of synthetic hones to consistently deliver sharp and smooth edges on any razor.

Pyramid honing

This article will discuss pyramid honing, a honing method which focuses on alternating between two hones of different grit (such as a 4k and 8k) in order to yield a consistent level of sharpness and smoothness from the higher grit hone.

One stone honing

This article will discuss the one stone honing method. It centers around the idea that, if you start with a razor with a properly set bevel, you can achieve shave readiness using only a single, fine or finishing stone. It discusses the use of slurry, which honing strokes and what pressure to use, and when to use them.

Japanese Naturals and Nagura

This article will discuss Japanese natural stones and nagura stones, how they are named, how they perform, and how to use the various stones and slurries they create to hone your razor to shave readiness.

Storing hones (possibly separate article?)

don't let your norton get moldy