Thread: Maintaining Your Razors - Newbie Poll

Shaotzo, when I started I would be lucky to get 10 shaves out of a razor, but as shave and stropping technique improved, so did the shave count. I have a couple around the 70 mark with no noticeable loss of sharpness. I heard of a guy down here who shaved with one strop and one razor for 20 years. I have also read about some of the Japanese barbers shaving 1000 customers with a razor before needing touching up. It is one of the things I find really interesting about this art.

When I was using the same razor all the time for pretty much a year I would refresh it every couple of months. That was with pretty much daily shaving too.

Originally Posted by HARRYWALLY

What happened Chef? When I was first learning this art, you were the guy I watched on YouTube. I hope you get better, and wish you a speedy recovery.

Who knows what all collectively did me in but it all came to a head just over a year ago, I collapsed and never really recovered. Now Fibromyalgia has set up and a few nerve problems. Decades of living on a gallon of Mtn Dew a day and Tylenol burning the candle at both ends will catch up to ya.... Also turns out for the past 4 years I have been allergic to my BP meds, glad that mess is over, I still have very little memory of that time as thinking and memory retention where toast...

I never stopped shaving with a straight razor but it sure is more difficult nowdays. I'm still doing it all myself just not as often as I was.

Still trying to get the right storage set up

Originally Posted by DwarvenChef

Who knows what all collectively did me in but it all came to a head just over a year ago, I collapsed and never really recovered. Now Fibromyalgia has set up and a few nerve problems. Decades of living on a gallon of Mtn Dew a day and Tylenol burning the candle at both ends will catch up to ya.... Also turns out for the past 4 years I have been allergic to my BP meds, glad that mess is over, I still have very little memory of that time as thinking and memory retention where toast...

I never stopped shaving with a straight razor but it sure is more difficult nowdays. I'm still doing it all myself just not as often as I was.

Still trying to get the right storage set up

I wish you well and hope you get better fast. Sounds like your coming back from it strong!

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

Shaotzu, foam core board cut 3" x whatever you want (actually 12" is most likely the best), heavy duck cotton cut 5" x 14" if going with the 12", rubber cement duck cotton to the foam core after notching the corners to avoid bulk when you wrap it to the back. Then, as they say, go for it. It works for some and it doesn't work for some. Cheapest way I can think of at the moment. And all the materials are available at Jo Ann's Fabrics or other craft/sewing stores.

To quote Lynn, "Have fun."

Or just paste the foam core with a good Chrome Oxide. Don’t wait for the edge to begin to fail and do a maintenance routine of once every 7 or 14 days.

Proper maintenance will keep you shaving indefinitely. The problem is learning to strop correctly and effectively.

Good point Euclid, but make sure Shaotzu, if you don't use the canvas, to make sure you are using pastes, not sprays. Foam core board is paper surfaced and fluids of any kind will destroy the surface.

Foam core is great for testing out new paste, it is cheap and quick. Buy the cheap foam core from the dollar store, it is a coarser paper that holds paste well.

Apply your paste in a 2-3 inch X pattern for best results.

And will last a long time.

It depends on the razor I use. I find that my new Dovo Best Quality requires more frequent maintenance than an old Ern.

I shave about 3-4 times a week, mostly on my Dovo. I used to go 4 months before hitting the 4K/8K hones again. After I got the Naniwa 12K, I do monthly maintenance on my Dovo with just 10 strokes on the 12K.

I had originally set the bevel and sharpened the Dovo with tape. However, I got tired of using tape every month for maintenance, I went back and set the bevel & sharpened it without tape. Tapeless maintenance goes much faster and smoother.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm about to place an order for the Chromium Oxide crayon and going to go with that and the Naniwa 12k stone for now. I figure I'll use the crayon the backside of the fabric for now. Next order, I'll probably try a diamond spray just to see.

And as for the 12k stone, I'm getting that for the refresh on this razor, but I also have a few ebay razors I'm going to try to build up to shave ready as well, so figure if I get the 12k from SRD, I get free shipping.

1- Average shaves before strop is not good enough? 15 to 25 shaves

2- Feel that alerts me about blade needs refresh? Small lay flat whiskers on ATG; especially on my chin.

3- Refresh? CrOx and then a 12K finishing stone. This is good for a month or two.

4- Stones when number three isn't good enough. 4K, 8K, 12K, CrOx, linen, leather, and it is a brand new edge.

I have not been SR shaving very long yet. So I have got to step four with two razors only once each. I like a very sharp edge. So I am trying to stick with the strop and keep improving with it. I also use just CrOx and then the linen and leather. Step three I've done twice now.

As my stropping improves the edge lasts longer. Earlier it was clear stropping was hurting more than helping. Getting a much better feel for a thumb pad test has really helped too. I can really tell the edge is coming up from stropping now.

Best,

Ed