Newbie with Dovo 5/8 and strop kit from SRP initial questions...

Hi,
I have some (dumb?) initial questions as I venture into straight razors (from safety razors). I'll keep digging in the forum, but if anyone has some quick answers, I'd really appreciate the guidance. I just did my first shave today, and plan on shaving every other day (like I do with safety razors).

The strop that comes with the kit, a 2" leather and some form of webbing strop. When should I use the webbing strop?
Should I just use the leather strop, as a beginner?
I hear 20-30+ passes to strop the blade. Do I do that in between shaves or both before and after each shave? If in between, is it better to do just before?

Cream: I have Taylor of Bond Street cream from using the safety razor. It seems to dry out very quickly with the straight razor use, such that there seemed to be flakes floating in the air. Never saw that with my safety razor.
Is that something others' have seen?
Is it only with certain scents (I use lavender, avocado, sandlewood)?
I was using creams, as when I tried a soap years ago with a safety razor, it didn't lather much. Any suggestions there?

The Dovo came with a plastic case, and a small cloth (oily) pouch (and a bottle of oil). I keep all my shaving gear in the drawer of the vanity in the bathroom.
should I keep the blade in the cloth pouch vs the case?
Should I apply oil to the blade after each shave or just use the pouch?

There sure is a lot to learn, but this is a blast!

Welcome to SRP!
Make sure you read the beginner's section in the Library and obviously ask questions. We are here to help.

You use the webbing strop to clean your razor before you use the leather strop. That way your leather your stays clean.
30 X strokes on the webbing and then 50 X strokes on the leather before the shave is typical. Then after the shave another 30 X strokes on the webbing and 30 X strokes on the leather to clean and dry the blade so that it doesn't get rust in the microscopic teeth.

Taylor of Bond Street is a pretty good soap. If it is drying out on you then you might want to try lathering just the part of your face that you are shaving at the moment. As your technique improves, the time it takes to shave will decrease.

I store my razors in just the pouch. I use the plastic case only when I travel.

I apply a drop of oil to the pivot pin about once a week.

Welcome to SRP pcm: If you purchased your S.R. from SRD don't strop before your first shave. It should already have a "shave ready edge". Many new shavers roll the edge and ruin the sharpness through improper stropping.

Might want to catch a video and/or read up on stropping...try the library and welcome to the fun

There is a wealth of information available on the Internet.

When I started, I found Lynn Abrams' straight shaving videos on the Internet particularly useful.

Storing straight razors in a bathroom is not recommended.
As they are considered to take a better edge, most straight razors are made from carbon steel - that is to say steel that is not stainless and can corrode.
Bathrooms tend to be more humid and increase the risk of corrosion.

Some straight shavers may keep their razors in bathrooms without adverse effects, but living near the coast in a hot and salty environment, I don't risk it and do not suggest someone should.


You may experience some disappointment in your early shaves, as it takes some time (>60 shaves) getting used to this shaving technique, but with perseverance you will find that a straight shave will give smoother and closer results than all but very few (e.g. R41) DE razors.
Without doubt, straight shaving is the more satisfying and rewarding way to remove beard growth though.


B.

I do 6 passes on the canvas, followed by 50-70 (depending on the blade) on the leather.

Hi and welcome. 25 linen or webbing followed by 50 leather pre shave is a pretty safe place to start. Many do a smaller number of both webbing and leather after to make sure all residues and water are removed from the blade before storage. It is a good idea to leave the razor partly open to air dry before storage and not to store in areas of humidity. The sock is great for storage and is meant to keep moisture from the razor. A thin coat of oil to the blade is recommended for areas of high humidity to combat rust. Good luck and always feel free to ask questions. Asking questions can save a lot of heart ache and damaged razors.

Thanks! I was wondering about the webbing part of the strop. I have the blade in the pouch right now.

I did spend 30 minutes shaving the first time, so maybe that is why I was seeing the drying, which I never saw with the DE razor (which takes me about 12 minutes). Going slowy with the straight!

Yeah, I stripped after, 30 times, figuring that I'd rather not do it enough that over do it, while I'm still learning.

@beluga I did get to watch some videos on the Internet, and saw Abram's DVD. LOTS of info on that disk!

I was a little concerned about the storage location. I'll move the blade to the dressing room, just to be safe. Thanks!

I recall how difficult it was when I started with DE razors, so I'm setting expectations low initially. I was actually surprised how well the first shave came out, but clearly need lots of work on technique to avoid nicks and reduce irritation.

Practice practice practice both making lather and stropping. More strops is better. practice lathers are cheap. You either don't have enough water in the lather ot it may be too hot. That brand does not like heat

I'll chime in on the lather question: if it dries up, there's not enough water. Trick is, you need to add just a few drops of water at a time and then 'whip' the lather back up.... when you get it right it shouldn't be running, but it shouldn't stick to the sides of your bowl (or another way to think about it is that it should easily be rinsed from your blade under runnning water, but shouldn't drip off the blade when shaving. An added suggestion: you're new and probably taking your time, so lather your face in 4 quadrants (one cheek or half neck at a time... that will help keep the lather drying out while you 'slowly' shave

In terms of the strop, you'll do well to remember that the number of laps on the strop mean less than the pressure used.... don't pull the strop insanely tight, and play a game to see how light and slow you can go without coming away from the strop.

I have about 18 razors, I keep them out of the bathroom, but I always have my 'next' blade in the main washroom..... I never use oil and have never seen any rust (well no rust not related to me missing a spot while drying my razor after use)

edit: when I said 'but it shouldn't stick to the sides of your bowl' I mean, it shouldn't stay on the sides without and lather at the bottom of the bowl... it should slowly be falling to the bottom

@ecormier, @cubancigar Thanks for the tips. I'll check the water content, as it doesn't rinse off the blade that easy. It surely does take me longer than with the DE, so lathering in quadrants may help too.

Will see how things go tomorrow, with my next shave.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pcm

Yeah, I stripped after, 30 times, figuring that I'd rather not do it enough that over do it, while I'm still learning.

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You cant over do stropping if done properly. If not done enough you will find that your razor will not be as sharp. Try up it to at least 50 going slow and light. Good luck