oh dear its started

[mike1011]

I seem to be suffering the early onset of what is known here as RAD. Its only been just over a week since I bought (well got bought as a birthday present) my first razor and now I've just bought another off eBay.

I got it really to just have a practice at honing. Its an old blade labels Krauss. It doesn't look in too bad a shape, it needs rehandaling and a good clean up but that's all part of the fun Im torn between black G10 scales or some desert ironwood I have stashed.

Not sure if this link will work but this is the one is got, I only paid £9.50 so if I bugger it up its not a disaster

vintage KRAUSS cut throat razor | eBay

[MJC]

The Krauss looks like it will clean up well.
Most of us have been in the place you are at now...try to pace yourself.
And as the wise ones tell us, (Gssixgun etc.) I was better off starting with a Shave Ready - Pro honed razor and learning how to maintain it (first) and then progressing on to more challenging tasks.
As they say - if you don't know were you are going - how are you going to get there?

Smooth Shaving....

[Obie]

Mike,
Welcome to the sinners club. Your razor looks passable from the photo. For the future, though, be careful what you buy on eBay, waiting until you know your way around the straight razor world. The best of luck.

[Geezer]

Good razor, take your time and enjoy the clean-up! Then find a mentor or another honing person near bye to you and learn all you can. That will help in the future! And..yes RAD can easily deplete your funds.
An addiction is the the only vice that when you have quit for a while..you reward yourself by doing it again!!
Have fun!
~Richard

[mike1011]

Thanx guys, so you think that I might be able to get it into a useable state? Now that is begginers luck hehe

I got it really as a honing practice razor before I tackle my good razor (which to be fair unless it gets damaged I'm led to the understanding that it will never need a bevel reset just a refresh).

I was working on the theory that I'd be better off buying an old razor that looked in reasonable shape but cheep enough that if it turned out to be a piece of junk I wouldn't be upset. It was/would!d be a bonus that I might, if all goes well be able to shave with one day. I thought Its bettet to take a punt on that one rather than buying one of those razor shaped bits of metal from China that would never get a shaveable edge on even if my honing was spot on

[gramalkin]

I'm right there with you, Mike. I've been shaving with a SR for almost a year now and am just starting to learn to refresh and hone my razors, which kicked off a bout of SRAD. While looking on eBay for a razor to practice honing with, I got distracted and ended up getting picking up two nice razors that I really don't want to mess up. It'll definitely sneak up on you in a moment of weakness.

One of the important aspects of learning to hone is not just getting a good looking edge on the razor, but how it feels when you shave with it. You can practice keeping the blade flat on your hones/strop with a sub-par razor, but ultimately it'll be your face that tells you if you were successful at honing. I think you may have gotten right in that sweet spot of a good razor at a great price. I look forward to hearing how it turns out.

[carlmaloschneider]

Yeah, RAD does strike us all. I was ADAMANT I'd only need at tops three razors, but I HAVE been able to stop at 7. I've bought more but given some away or swapped them.

In regards to 'never' needing a bevel set (unless damaged), that's possibly not quite 100% correct. A razor's edge, I believe, will only take SO much refreshing before it'll degrade and will need to be taken back on a harsher hone. However, depending on how many razors you end up with (i.e. rotating between them) this could be several years.

I'm no honing expert but I'm pretty sure this is pretty well correct.

BTW, in regards to collecting razors, it's well worth mixing up styles. I really think one needs at least one of each of these:

A full hollow
A frameback
A wedge
A W&B (if not one of the above)
A French razor (because they're so cool, I am yet to find mine)
A Swedish razor (if not one of the above because the steel is amazing)
A kamisori (I'm yet to find mine)

Here are the razors I currently have. I use all of them regularly.

[mike1011]

That's a nice line up I particularly like that wade and butcher with the maple scales. I was in two minds whether or not to use wood as a scale material but after looking at your collection I find myself drawn to the ones with wood scales. My decision is made, wood it is...........but which wood.......oh dear

[edhewitt]

Yeah, RAD does strike us all. I was ADAMANT I'd only need at tops three razors, but I HAVE been able to stop at 7. I've bought more but given some away or swapped them.

In regards to 'never' needing a bevel set (unless damaged), that's possibly not quite 100% correct. A razor's edge, I believe, will only take SO much refreshing before it'll degrade and will need to be taken back on a harsher hone. However, depending on how many razors you end up with (i.e. rotating between them) this could be several years.

I'm no honing expert but I'm pretty sure this is pretty well correct.

BTW, in regards to collecting razors, it's well worth mixing up styles. I really think one needs at least one of each of these:

A full hollow
A frameback
A wedge
A W&B (if not one of the above)
A French razor (because they're so cool, I am yet to find mine)
A Swedish razor (if not one of the above because the steel is amazing)
A kamisori (I'm yet to find mine)

Here are the razors I currently have. I use all of them regularly.

You like your razors interesting dont you carl, i quite like the de pews (or dr pews as i once called it) particularly the tang, how do you find the longer tail, does it get in the way.
Oh and my swedish frameback is pretty much my one and only still. I have other razors but they are definately wallflowers in comparison

[carlmaloschneider]

You like your razors interesting dont you carl, i quite like the de pews (or dr pews as i once called it) particularly the tang, how do you find the longer tail, does it get in the way.
Oh and my swedish frameback is pretty much my one and only still. I have other razors but they are definately wallflowers in comparison

Yeah, I do (like them interesting). The De Pews is a great little razor really, though mine has a slightly warped blade which makes it difficult to hone. I use a rocking motion and so a ratio of 1:3 laps each side (1 lap on one side to 3 on the other) to make up for the fact that during the rocking motion not ALL parts of the edge are coming in contact with the hone. It seems to work.

The outrageous tail is, as afar as I can tell, pretty useless though cool looking; though that would depend on how you hold a razor. I use a three fingered grip with all my razors, with only one finger on the tail (as shown). The De Pews is a little hard to strop.

Sorry to be getting off topic Mike, Ed is ALWAYS off topic, and I tend to be bad that way too, so when we get together the thread can go just about anywhere... You wait, in a few posts we'll be talking about whether one should apply polish to one's boots AND buff using just one brush OR if one should use an application brush AND a buffing brush, and, indeed, if one should use a buffing CLOTH and if so, what type is best?