Thread: Rounded tip or not

So, ever since I fell into the art of straight razor shaving a few weeks ago, I have been religiously trolling the forums for advice to better my technique in all areas from lather, pressure, angle and stropping. There is so much information, it becomes overwhelming and confusing. One example is the subject of stropping. There are so many opinions on this and they all seem slightly different.

One particular part of the subject is the part of rolling the blade. I read this all the time from members replying to new members posts. When someone starting out comments about their shaves not working out, at least one person states that the edge could be rolled due to improper stropping.

My problem is, how do us new guys know? We could continuosly send our razors in for re-honing but that seems a bit crazy. I read somewhere that a new guy sent his razor in for honing fearing a rolled edge. The person doing the re-honing stated that he only had to strop properly to return the edge to shave ready.

Some say that a modular strop is best for learning, others say that modular strop are very pressure sensitive and can cause more problems. How is someone supposed to practice and get better while fearing their equipment is faulty? How can we learn to strop fearing we will ruin the edge on our newly honed razors?

I am going to persist on concentrating on my technique before I start questioning my equipment. I will concentrate on stropping, pressure, angle, and lather. I can only hope at this point, that I am teaching myself proper technique.

You're a good man. You'll do well with wet shaving.

You want to learn and seem willing to take the time to do things right.

Modular or hanging strop you'll get used to either.. I don't know what rolling the edge is because I've never done it.

I really wouldn't send your razor out until it can't be stropped back to acceptable shape. Waste of time and money sending it otherwise.

Have you got a chromium oxide Strop? Touch up hone?

Practice without fear. Fear for me led to mistakes and cut strops.

Also don't buy a super expensive Strop for your first one or if you did buy a cheap one and cheap blade and get your strop on.

Your title question is round tip or not?
Which looks better to your eyes?

Rounded tips are more forgiving.
Especially for beginners.

Don't worry if a 60+ year old, me, can tech himself to shave with a straight razor you can too. Lots of mistakes will be made along the way also but that is normal and you learn from them.

As for rolling an edge there are ways you can check for it. If you search the site there will be some posts on how to do that.

Nobody likes to send a razor out for honing but as a beginner you will dull a blade more often than someone who has been at this game for a while. That is normal too.

Bob

A tip I give new guys learning to strop is practice using a butter knife; you acquire proper technique, gain muscle memory and won't cut your strop. For stropping before you shave until you do learn proper technique lay your strop flat on a counter top or use a paddle strop.

when stropping DO NOT lift the spine, DO NOT use more pressure that the weight of the blade. If you do those 2 things, you won't roll the edge.

Originally Posted by jrudd

One particular part of the subject is the part of rolling the blade. I read this all the time from members replying to new members posts. When someone starting out comments about their shaves not working out, at least one person states that the edge could be rolled due to improper stropping.

My problem is, how do us new guys know? We could continuosly send our razors in for re-honing but that seems a bit crazy. I read somewhere that a new guy sent his razor in for honing fearing a rolled edge. The person doing the re-honing stated that he only had to strop properly to return the edge

I think the suggestion of a rolled edge is far more common than a rolled edge. There is a good YouTube video that shows all the basics of checking out a edge for faults that Euclid has posted many times.

The problem is new guy says I have a problem and none of us can see the blade so we fire off the most common ailments and hope it helps. You can learn to check out the edge yourself or better find a bit local help.

It's not as complicated as it seems so go slow, light and do plenty of laps. Strop even when you don't need to. Spend 10 minutes a couple times a day and in a week it seems easy. Don't over think it just keep a taught strop and light touch and you will be fine.

No round toe is my recommendation only because I find I have problems with a square toe on my neck in the hollows when I need to use the toe to scoop inside the hollows.

As a beginner, first shave may be tomorrow, I would get a Cheap 440 stainless razor and practice stropping. This is what I've done. The trick is how you roll your wrist and thumb with the blade to keep from lifting the edge on the strop dulling it.

Okay, so I shaved this morning after stropping 20 times on the cloth side then roughly 60 on the leather. The shave went great. One pass with the grain, one pass across the grain and one pass against the grain. It felt pretty good until a few minutes after finishing. I had red rough skin on my neck, chin, and at the edges of my mouth. I am glad a I have a full arsenal of post hair removal lotions and oils thanks to the wife but I should have to use it. I am starting to feel like I am a teenager just learning to shave.

Originally Posted by jrudd

Okay, so I shaved this morning after stropping 20 times on the cloth side then roughly 60 on the leather. The shave went great. One pass with the grain, one pass across the grain and one pass against the grain. It felt pretty good until a few minutes after finishing. I had red rough skin on my neck, chin, and at the edges of my mouth. I am glad a I have a full arsenal of post hair removal lotions and oils thanks to the wife but I should have to use it. I am starting to feel like I am a teenager just learning to shave.

Classic "too much - too soon" results, and we have all been there.

The irritation is most likely a combination of too much pressure - one of the harder things to get a handle after using carts - and too many passes (with too much pressure)

But if you have not bled out by now, this is going to be easy to fix.
Give yourself a break for a day or two if you can to let the face heal/recover.
And when you do shave, think; "comfort is King" and "only enough pressure to remove the lather"

Conventional wisdom (whatever that is) is to start with the WTG pass and follow up with a DE when you are starting out - adding passes (XTG, ATG) in stages.

Comfort first, closeness and speed will come along shortly...