Thread: New razor... not shave ready...

I was hoping my new 7/8 Hart would be an exception and actually arrive shave ready.
I wasn't too surprised when it didn't turn out this way.

The blade was well oiled, except for the edge. One small spot of rust could be seen.
I'm sure this will take care of itself when I get the edge to a hone.
New stones, & strop are incoming...

It's not a race, but it sure would be nice to be at that next step.

I read on the Hart site that they tape all their spines before final honing. I'll do the same when my 4 & 8 k stones land.
The 12k I ended up with came from a US vs Japanese seller so it's been waiting to see some action for a few weeks.

My R41 DE did a superb job tonight - but in the end it was still a DE and slightly disappointing.

Congrats on the new blade, yes, the wait can be difficult when you want to get started.

Quick question, you're not planning on honing that yourself are you?

I always try to steer people away from Hart. I wish I would have better spent my money than the Hart I have. Unfortunately they are priced so high that I will lose a considerable amount of money if I sell it. Anyways... good luck with your Hart and i hope you enjoy it.

If you can you may want to try crox on a strop first, of course you could always take a picture and email it to the vendor as well.

If you've never honed a straight razor before, I'd recommend starting and learning on a less expensive razor. Maybe a decent, but inexpensive eBay job.

Just in case.........knife sharpening experience doesn't really carry over to razors. Different animals, as they say.

Howard

Or better yet, take advantage of Razorfeld's offer in your other post. Take the stones and razor for a visit with one of them, you won't regret it.

Originally Posted by SirStropalot

If you've never honed a straight razor before, I'd recommend starting and learning on a less expensive razor. Maybe a decent, but inexpensive eBay job.

Just in case.........knife sharpening experience doesn't really carry over to razors. Different animals, as they say.

Howard

Or better yet, take advantage of Razorfeld's offer in your other post. Take the stones and razor for a visit with one of them, you won't regret it.

This seems like the best approach so maybe I'll get lucky and something towards the Holiday break will work out.
I have a full-hollow razor that will be my practice blade.

I have some good stones incoming (Naniwa Chosera\SS\Gouken 1k, 3k, 4k, 8k) & believe I have a good touch that will lend itself well to honing.

If all goes right, I can focus on strop work and shaving for a bit before diving too heavy into maintenance.

That's a good set of hones.

As hard as it is to be patient, take it slow and learn good prep, razor technique, etc..

Here's a video that touches on technique, prep and what to expect from a shave ready razor.

and hope it all goes smooth. Holler when you have questions.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93zQP7CToWQ