New guy from WV

Started yesterday with a vintage Grevemeyer and a Van der Hagen starter kit. I added a Rasier Messerstein three line hone and repurposed an old belt for a temporary strop. I started with a partial shave as recommended, but the razor needed to be sharper. After reviewing some more videos, I got a better lather this morning, and I had a sharper razor - still not sharp enough. Part way through I dinged the razor on the faucet and decided to put 10 more strokes on the hone and restrop. The razor felt much better after that, but by that time the razor was wearing out its welcome on my face.

Yesterday I was excited. Today I am slightly frustrated, but I believe the experience will improve with time. I think that the hone is working well, and that I am at the threshold of the edge that I want. I am frustrated that my face dries so quickly behind the razor (I have always shaved in the shower before). It is more difficult than I had imagined to get at the odd angles, but I believe that a sharper razor may give a sufficiently close shave without going against the grain. Overall, I love the feel of my face that results from the soap and brush. I have taken to using witch hazel as well to follow my shave. I think the most important part of enjoying this sport may be perfecting the art of honing.

The part that noone told me was how addictive it can be to buy razors on ebay! I already have a Boker and a Daly & Holland on the way. I have to get this under control soon; before these two razors, I had spent less than $50 for the Grevemeyer, shave kit, and hone.

Thank you to everyone here who puts so much time into passing on your knowledge. People like you and the advent of YouTube are reviving and preserving many dying arts. I could never have found the information I needed without your help. Thanks, again.

Hello. I am Brian and I am a razorholic. Lol
Hi Chris and welcome to SRP. I am pretty new and I started with VDH as well. One thing you will hear very consistently here is start with a razor professionally honed. That takes a big variable out of the learning curve. I started with a razor honed by Lynn Abrams. I use that as a baseline for what a proper edge feels like. It will be a struggle starting out even if you have the best edge possible. Over time you work out angles and technique being confident that your razor isn't the problem. I am sure some of the veterans will chime in on this topic.
Have fun shaving!

Brian

Welcome to the most friendly, helpful and informative site on the web!!

You will find members here of all different backgrounds, ages and occupations from all corners of the world and all with a quest for more knowledge about using and maintaining a straight razor!

If you take the time to search, 99.9% of your questions can be found in the Library (WIKI) however feel free to ask us about whatever it is that you are wondering about or having a problem with. It does help if you’ve done some research before hand so it narrows the problem down a bit.

As stated a properly honed straight razor is a MUST. Many newbies manage to destroy an edge by improper stropping. Remember that. Now to the belt, as an emergency tool yes, daily stropping no. I would counsel to set aside any more RAD (Razor Acquisition Disorder) and spend those funds on a beginners strop. I highly recommend the Illinois 827, it can be found at Amazon and usually with free shipping. Glen (GSSIXGUN) has used one for 30 years, I have one along with my SRD English Bridle strop.

I advise against buying the SRD strop until you have learned how to use the Illinois as while they have excellent strops you more than likely will cut your beginners strop.

There is one thing that you MUST have when learning this age old art and that is Patience! If you don't have the patience then you will Fail. With that said, I tell you this as I want you to Succeed! Please remember that this art has a Huge Learning Curve and it takes time to even semi master all involved.

Welcome to an Older but Better way of shaving. :tu

Sanfte Rasur, mein Klingenbruder!

(Smooth Shaving My Brother In Blades)

We all go through the stage that you're in now, but things get better with practice on all aspects....face prep, lather, stropping and shaving. Just take your time and quit for the day when you feel things slipping some. Finish with a DE. Above all, just go slow, but keep at it. SR shaving is still a fun part of my day....now more than ever.

Welcome.

You are well on your way to a new skillset. Having at least one professionally honed razor to compare your own work to is very beneficial. You will be able to get a razor sharp but to know true smooth get at least one from a pro lots of them here

Welcome to SRP!

Just wait until you reach the point that you are frustrated because you have to wait a day until you can shave again.

As others have said, invest in a real strop and a pro hone, you will be pleasantly surprised by the difference.

as stated ,, how will you know if your razor is properly honed ,if not for trying one that is? this unlike a lot of products is not something most people know ,, good luck ,, tc

Welcome! I'm right on the border of WV in Maryland... just south of Harper's Ferry.

Hi & welcome to SRP. Buy you a basic strop for now. Roy is right. You will more than likely cut your beginners strop & you don't want to do that to a good strop. You can practice with a butter knife for now until you feel comfortable with it but don't just jump right into it. Also I suggest you have one of your razors professionally honed by one of the experts on here. Look in the classifieds on here & there are experienced people that do honing. You might try Lynn or gssixgun to do your honing for you. That way you will know how a well honed razor will feel on your face. I hope you have watched the videos on honing & stropping but still I suggest you get one professionally honed & stropped. You are entering a whole new world & it is interesting & exciting to be able to use a straight razor like they did in the old days plus it is the best shave your face will ever experience. Do your self a favor & get one honed & while your waiting you can be practicing up, I don't know what kind of hone you have but you will eventually want to invest in a set of hones like a Norton 1k, 4k, 8k and a good finishing stone of about a 10k or a 12k or possibly even a 16k. It depends on your money situation but Straight Razor Designs has good prices on hones. Then once you are good with a strop & not cutting it, you can invest in a good strop from there as well. Do these things & you'll be on your way to a wonderful kind of shaving. Also look for other members in your area that you can get together with for them to help you along. We are here to help those out that don't have enough experience.

Thank you all for your welcoming comments and your suggestions. I am planning to purchase the strop and some good stones in the future as you have suggested. For now, I come to the straight razor as a result of learning to sharpen knives in general. I view the razor as the ultimate edge. I was disappointed when I first learned that a fine grit stone in an advertisement was considered coarse to knife makers. I thought I was getting a great setup when I reached the 400 grit stone only to find out that the guys who really have sharp knives start with 1000 grit only if their knives need new edges. Bummer. Now I have to get new stones... Well, it will take me some time to get where you are now, but this time I will purchase my way backwards from a good strop, to a 12,000 grit stone to probably a 4000/8000 stone as I am able. This will allow me to tackle all of the knives and razors I use. I do not know what to do with my almost useless Gatco set (unless I can sell it to buy the better stones), except to hold on to it for ... who knows what. I am really enjoying what I am learning, and I am making use of some no money suggestions like cardboard, newspaper, old belts and such. Doing this I have been able to achieve the tree-top cuts on my arm hairs that I read about ( my left arm has some bald spots), but shaving is not as comfortable as it seems that it should be.

Thanks again, and please have patience with me while I grow.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chrislipscomb

Thank you all for your welcoming comments and your suggestions. I am planning to purchase the strop and some good stones in the future as you have suggested. For now, I come to the straight razor as a result of learning to sharpen knives in general. I view the razor as the ultimate edge. I was disappointed when I first learned that a fine grit stone in an advertisement was considered coarse to knife makers. I thought I was getting a great setup when I reached the 400 grit stone only to find out that the guys who really have sharp knives start with 1000 grit only if their knives need new edges. Bummer. Now I have to get new stones... Well, it will take me some time to get where you are now, but this time I will purchase my way backwards from a good strop, to a 12,000 grit stone to probably a 4000/8000 stone as I am able. This will allow me to tackle all of the knives and razors I use. I do not know what to do with my almost useless Gatco set (unless I can sell it to buy the better stones), except to hold on to it for ... who knows what. I am really enjoying what I am learning, and I am making use of some no money suggestions like cardboard, newspaper, old belts and such. Doing this I have been able to achieve the tree-top cuts on my arm hairs that I read about ( my left arm has some bald spots), but shaving is not as comfortable as it seems that it should be.

Thanks again, and please have patience with me while I grow.

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That's a good choice, a 4k/8k grit stone & a 12k. You might also want to get a 1k for setting the bevel plus if you have a razor that has any very small chips in it, you would want a much coarser grit stone such as a 220 grit. It sounds like you have the right idea though. BTW there is a big difference in knives & straight razors which is why you need the 1k & 4k/8k stones also, not only a 10k-12k. Then when you get where you don't cut an old belt practicing with a razor, you can invest in a good strop. You'll be ok.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chrislipscomb

Thank you all for your welcoming comments and your suggestions. I am planning to purchase the strop and some good stones in the future as you have suggested. For now, I come to the straight razor as a result of learning to sharpen knives in general. I view the razor as the ultimate edge. I was disappointed when I first learned that a fine grit stone in an advertisement was considered coarse to knife makers. I thought I was getting a great setup when I reached the 400 grit stone only to find out that the guys who really have sharp knives start with 1000 grit only if their knives need new edges. Bummer. Now I have to get new stones... Well, it will take me some time to get where you are now, but this time I will purchase my way backwards from a good strop, to a 12,000 grit stone to probably a 4000/8000 stone as I am able. This will allow me to tackle all of the knives and razors I use. I do not know what to do with my almost useless Gatco set (unless I can sell it to buy the better stones), except to hold on to it for ... who knows what. I am really enjoying what I am learning, and I am making use of some no money suggestions like cardboard, newspaper, old belts and such. Doing this I have been able to achieve the tree-top cuts on my arm hairs that I read about ( my left arm has some bald spots), but shaving is not as comfortable as it seems that it should be.

Thanks again, and please have patience with me while I grow.

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Honing knives is just the thing that led me to SR's. I have found some differences between the two. For instance the tomatoes never complain when the knife blade doesn't feel smooth.:rofl2:
Having the one razor professionally honed has expedited my learning to shave as well as my learning to hone. I can't say enough about that.

Hi and welcome. If planning to buy stones you will also need a lapping medium to keep your stones flat. This is especially true if using the stones on knives as well. The atoma plate and the dmt d8c are popular choices for lapping. The d8c is also good for use as a lower grit stone when you need bigger chips out or major edge work. Good luck with everything and any questions feel free to ask

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eddy79

Hi and welcome. If planning to buy stones you will also need a lapping medium to keep your stones flat. This is especially true if using the stones on knives as well. The atoma plate and the dmt d8c are popular choices for lapping. The d8c is also good for use as a lower grit stone when you need bigger chips out or major edge work. Good luck with everything and any questions feel free to ask

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Thank you! I forgot to mention that as well. All new honing stones, need lapping. They don't come ready to use. I'm actually mentioning this to chrislipscomb.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chrislipscomb

Thank you all for your welcoming comments and your suggestions. I am planning to purchase the strop and some good stones in the future as you have suggested. For now, I come to the straight razor as a result of learning to sharpen knives in general. I view the razor as the ultimate edge. I was disappointed when I first learned that a fine grit stone in an advertisement was considered coarse to knife makers. I thought I was getting a great setup when I reached the 400 grit stone only to find out that the guys who really have sharp knives start with 1000 grit only if their knives need new edges. Bummer. Now I have to get new stones... Well, it will take me some time to get where you are now, but this time I will purchase my way backwards from a good strop, to a 12,000 grit stone to probably a 4000/8000 stone as I am able. This will allow me to tackle all of the knives and razors I use. I do not know what to do with my almost useless Gatco set (unless I can sell it to buy the better stones), except to hold on to it for ... who knows what. I am really enjoying what I am learning, and I am making use of some no money suggestions like cardboard, newspaper, old belts and such. Doing this I have been able to achieve the tree-top cuts on my arm hairs that I read about ( my left arm has some bald spots), but shaving is not as comfortable as it seems that it should be.

Thanks again, and please have patience with me while I grow.

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Knives vs Razors

I was a meat cutter for several years and I will tell you straight out that the difference between 'sharpening a knife' and 'honing' a razor is as different as black and white!!

IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD!!! As you've found what a person sharpening a knife would consider a 'finisher' (1K) we call a bevel setter.

Please take your time, go slow! Every Thing about this 'Art' involves Patience!!!

Honing can wait! Get the 'Basics' Down Pat!!! Just ask pinklather/a Mentor/why he chose that 'handle'!!!!! I'll give you a 'hint' what color do you get when you mix red blood and white lather? :shrug

When the time comes to learn to hone PM me and I'll do everything I can to help you. It might be links to videos or talking to you on the phone or emails what ever it takes.

Sanfte Rasur, mein Klingenbruder!

(Smooth Shaving My Brother In Blades)

I am a few weeks in now. I started making wtg passes only, then finishing with the disposable. I committed to not going back to the disposable so I would not get lazy. I have found that I am getting lost in my happy place while shaving lately. There have been frustrating days, but I love mastering difficult spots. It is enjoyable to feel more confident each day with the blades. I have three razors now which must last me until I master this art. I had to partially restore the Boker King Kutter I got from ebay for $37. I had to remove chips and put a new bevel on a $7 Day & Holland ebay find. This razor would not take an edge without two layers of tape on the spine. The third was a $15 W. M. H. Greavemeyer that was actually shave ready from ebay. I have finished all three with lapping film, and now I maintain them with a barber's hone and an old belt with some rouge in the suede side.
Yesterday I was too short on time and had to use the disposable. I was encouraged to find that I am now getting a better shave with the straights. This is a great way to start a day, and I look forward to trying new soaps as time passes.
Thank you all for making this forum so useful.

Great success today! I have been trying to adjust angles to reach the area under my jawbones. I also am working on more comfort. I achieved both today. I attribute this to a different honing regimen. I found that my razor was sharper off of my Messerstien hone than after the belt strop. I will not argue with with you about the quality of my strop or technique. I am obviously missing the mark there.
I have tried a few circular motions with the hone before shaving, and the shave has improved dramatically. I used the Grevemeyers today with the Van der Hagen soap. Even after the lather was shaved away, I was able to shave around my chin wtg with very short and light strokes until I could not hear any more whiskers and had no irritation. I also skipped the first wtg pass on the sides and neck without irritation. I also shaved a few minutes off of my process! Overall, I feel a little victorious today.