Thread: Newbie Questions

The primary difference between technique for a straight and a shavette style razor is the shaving angle. A straight has to be at a much lower angle, with the spine almost, but not quite, touching your skin.

OK, so here are some pics finally. It's a half inch blade, I believe, full hollow ground? The last pic is from the same distributor, but a little better made and in mint condition, so I am saving it for when I know how to get a shave ready blade. I used the 4K/8K Norton but without much cutting improvement, so right now I'm guessing my stropping technique is at fault. I had one time I was cutting arm hairs, that was after using a pasted strop then stropping as normal, so I'm going to continue to experiment with that. Any comments on the razors, or on stropping technique. I did notice some small cuts at the near end of the strop, so I'm going to have to be more careful to start my stroke before the razor touches (I know to roll it on the spine). I also noticed I don't get the same "whisk" on my away stroke, still trying to figure that out. I almost wish I got a 2" rather than 3" strop, because unless I pull it real tight I almost get the sense it's concave + not stropping the center of the blade well.

So first, you want to clean that blade, the bevel and spine have active rust on them. A single edge razor blade, 000 steel wool and WD40 will remove most of it.

All that rust will transfer to your strop and contaminate it, rust is very abrasive, once it is imbedded in you strop you will never be able to remove it completely.

Which method are you using, to ensure the bevel is fully set? Most probably your bevel is not set or you have damaged steel at the edge from rust.

A good start is reading the first 3 threads in the Honing Forum. Cuts on the strop are from not stopping before you flip the razor. Slow down, you do not have to hold the strop excessively taught.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

So first, you want to clean that blade, the bevel and spine have active rust on them. A single edge razor blade, 000 steel wool and WD40 will remove most of it.

All that rust will transfer to your strop and contaminate it, rust is very abrasive, once it is imbedded in you strop you will never be able to remove it completely.

Which method are you using, to ensure the bevel is fully set? Most probably your bevel is not set or you have damaged steel at the edge from rust.

A good start is reading the first 3 threads in the Honing Forum. Cuts on the strop are from not stopping before you flip the razor. Slow down, you do not have to hold the strop excessively taught.

OK this is very helpful. I will do rust removal asap. I am not sure there is any on the edge, from the pics it looks like I may have forgot to wipe the blade after a forearm test. I did start my honing with a 1200 King stone, so the bevel should be reasonably set. So the problem may be rust. I still think my stropping is not helping. Will look into those threads. Thanks again.

Originally Posted by Mohawkshaver1

OK this is very helpful. I will do rust removal asap. I am not sure there is any on the edge, from the pics it looks like I may have forgot to wipe the blade after a forearm test. I did start my honing with a 1200 King stone, so the bevel should be reasonably set. So the problem may be rust. I still think my stropping is not helping. Will look into those threads. Thanks again.

I used WD 40 and some #2 steel wool on the razor - after cutting myself and not making any progress, it appears the spots may not be rust - they appear to be black smudge marks.
I tried the 4K/8K pyramid, still no luck, but I did notice that the bevel seems to be uneven and does not run the entire length of the blade, so my next course of action is to go back to the 1.2K King stone.
Question - I see Lynn and others on this page only using one hand to hone - is it a sin to guide the point with the other hand? I'm trying not to apply pressure & just keep it flat, and it feels better to me. Another question is, at what grit stone after honing should I be able to shave arm hairs? 4K?

I find this video very good about showing how to hold the razor while setting the bevel.

I use just the slurry after cleaning the stone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y53SL9QMq6I

Originally Posted by Mohawkshaver1

I used WD 40 and some #2 steel wool on the razor - after cutting myself and not making any progress, it appears the spots may not be rust - they appear to be black smudge marks.
I tried the 4K/8K pyramid, still no luck, but I did notice that the bevel seems to be uneven and does not run the entire length of the blade, so my next course of action is to go back to the 1.2K King stone.
Question - I see Lynn and others on this page only using one hand to hone - is it a sin to guide the point with the other hand? I'm trying not to apply pressure & just keep it flat, and it feels better to me. Another question is, at what grit stone after honing should I be able to shave arm hairs? 4K?

You should be able to shave hair from your arm very easily, the whole length of the blade, off the 1000 grt. stone. The other stones are to refine the bevel, so it shaves smooth and easily. It can take a bit of time to set a proper bevel on some razors, hours eaven.

Which method are you using, to ensure the bevel is fully set?

No sin at all. If you use two hands great.\
The idea is to have equal pressure along the edge without lifting the spine through the length of the stroke.
Think torque, just think it while doing a x-stroke. Pressure towards the tip , yet no lifting of spine. Water in front of edge at all times. Must have water.
X-stroke, as you watch a video, shows a full across blade start,
Finish of that stroke ends with the blade 1/2 way on the hone. Make a pencil mark at the middle of the ENDS of the hone.
Try 50 laps and tell us what you feel. We may be doing another 50 laps but lets see. Reason pressure changes how many strokes we use.
Simple answer 50 laps, x stroke laps, with a King 1500. Check back. If questionable. Do another 50 x-strokes with lighter pressure than first 50 strokes.

Lets remove the black gunk. WD/40 works. Goof Off works. High grit sand paper works, Heck windex and the green side of a Scotch Brite pad will work.
Pretty clean steel is happy steel. Lets get it as clean as possible, while its dull.
Reason , you already found that out, so moving forward always clean up a straight as much as possible before the hones.
Hones are last in our order of operation of restoration no matter how small we restore. Sharpen last. Safety first. Clean blade , Happy blade.
1.2 King will cut hairs when its dialed in. Albeit at a coarse cut. No popping hairs at 1.2, just cutting regular thick normal hair. Not old man hair or baby fine hair.