Sharpening Fundamentals - Honing an Ern Razor

In this video I provide my advice on honing for those who are just starting to hone razors, or are thinking about beginning to hone their razors. Be aware that there are multiple ways to approach this, I'm presenting mine.
Thanks go to @billm.2677 for making me aware of using polystyrene packing peanuts for edge testing.

[@seanstapelfeld2192]

Great video Greg! Learning a lot from your videos, thank you!

[@Martins-Shaves123]

Excellent video Greg! I've just subscribed 😊 That's the most in depth explanation video I've had to privilege to veiw ❤

[@greggallant5058]

Thank you Martin. I subscribe to, and thoroughly enjoy, your content as well.

[@Martins-Shaves123]

@@greggallant5058 I made full mention of your abilities in todays video ....loading now ☺️

[@riverrazors7915]

Great video my friend

[@greggallant5058]

Thank you Boris! When I learned the history of Ern's Hexe machine, I had to have a razor made by his company.

[@riverrazors7915]

@@greggallant5058 i am proud to say that all my razors are honed following what i have learned from you and i have never gotten better results. The latest dr matt video where he shaves with the 9/8 i made him was honed based on your honing routine.

[@billm.2677]

Nice presentation. Any inquiring mind should be able to glean some information they can find useful. I love your style of pencil illustrations on the stones. I always find the heel of a razor needs extra work to balance the performance evenly. It is my theory that cause resides in the normal tendency to so easily drop the heel off the abrasive while most of the razor will ride the full width of the stone.

[@greggallant5058]

Hi Bill - Thank your for the kind comments. I agree. There is a tendency to drive the heel off of the stone. When I edit my videos I'm appalled to see that I do it more than I realize. The accumulation of uneven wear from sharpening at the edge, _and_ at the spine, is the cause of most geometry issues that I find in old razors. If you haven't done enough work at the heel (or anywhere else on the edge), the scratch pattern and edge testing will tell you. When was the last time you saw someone do an HHT on the heel? :)

[@billm.2677]

@@greggallant5058 Performance on the heel is important to me because of my normal shaving pattern. No razor is done for me in till it all matches up. One of the side effects of using a crowned surface is that due to reduced contact area, one needs to pay more attention to where the honing energy is applied. I find in my style in the processing balance, the heel needs the most time, followed by the toe, and the center mostly just falls in place. More difficult challenges often get more hollowing in the back bevel. The added straight line clearance to the edge and/or added steel flexing at that area seems to improve things for me.

[@greggallant5058]

Yes, I assumed that even distribution of material removal would take more skill with a curved hone than with a flat hone. Though I don't have time for it now, I have a bunch of questions for you and Jarrod that relate to the difference between grinding a razor initially at the factory and using the same method for edge maintenance year after year. I've sharpened knives on a wheel but not using a sharpening guide that also takes a wear pattern from the wheel as I sharpen. At some point, I look forward to learning what you have to say on this.

[@billm.2677]

@@greggallant5058 I’d love to chat with you sometime. While I limit my forum activity these days, I retain good member standing at The Shaving Cadre. When initiating private information exchange here on YT, I sometimes suggest the free sign up, then giving me a PM there.

[@greggallant5058]

I'm aware of The Shaving Cadre from your videos, and from Barber Dave's. Plus, like several of your members there, I enjoy a good cigar. Most of my time is spent on Reddit, but I'll introduce myself over on the Cadre.

[@borbelyhaz321]

Hi Greg. Very nice and informative. Do you prefer bench strops to hanging strops? Would you recommend the shapton glass stones + the nani 12k to a beginner? Thanks. Have a nice weekend

[@greggallant5058]

If you are just starting out with razor honing, then I suggest that you just use your hanging strop. I use bench strops because they are part of my knife sharpening process. No, I would not recommend the Shapton Glass stones for a beginner. They are expensive, have different feedback from most other stones, and punish poor technique. For someone starting out, I would recommend two combination stones and an inexpensive diamond flattening plate. I don't have specific product recommendations at this time, but I will fairly soon. I'll suggest purchasing higher quality combo-stones (Naniwa, Suehiro) and using them for your kitchen knives in addition to your razors to help justify the cost.

[@leeknoz935]

If i shave my head and face, how long should the edge last.? Been shaving a month with a boker elite carbon 3.0, that wasn't shave ready. to me. So i put it on 1500, 5000, 8000, la lune. But in 3 days its pulling and scratching

[@greggallant5058]

How long an edge will last is somewhat personal; especially if you can refresh your own edges. And, of course, each person's beard type and shaving technique comes into play. From a technique perspective, and if you aren't already doing it, try to shave at lower angles (spine closer to the skin). The edge is quite thin and higher angles introduce more shear forces at the edge, _perhaps_ accelerating edge degradation. Three days seems very short, however. Sometimes, with new razors, the metal quality at the apex will improve after a couple of refreshes. I've seen this happen with two brand new Dovo Bismarcks that I've honed.

[@aglandorf75]

Taking a sharpening class in 5 weeks time to learn sharpening knifes and razors. Its a small knifes making Business in Germany. will take 8h include basics of different Steel etc. You can bring your own Kindes etc.

[@greggallant5058]

You will use that knowledge for the rest of your life; especially for your kitchen knives which, typically, get the most abuse.

[@aglandorf75]

@@greggallant5058 looking forward to it. Got 3 razors, 1 from Ralf Aust, 1 Dovo and 1 Thin Blue Line from Hart Steel. I used to let them sharpening them from a experienced Guy but he retired and now I need to train myself.