Thread: Just made my next purchase

I've been thinking about "What about when I'm on the road" and just purchased a paddle strop.

Since my initial contact with the Straight Razor retailers was West Coast Shaving, I got a Harold 81Ri from them.

I saw some for about half the price on e-bay, but I didn't know about what sort of quality I would get.

There seems to be quite a bit of initial output (moneywise) when you first start this, isn't there?

There are so many options to wet shaving that you could purchase for a long long time before you got to a place of contentment. Many people want to try so many different things and before you know it you have quite the collection. There is just so much cool stuff out there it is easy to get lost in trying everything.

Basically you can get away with one razor, a brush and a strop. Then be good for life*. 2 razors are recommended for incidents of the dropping/faucet variety, as you have learned.

*May need a hone for touch-ups, or pastes, etc. But you can just ship them out to the honers.

It's always good to go for quality stuff...

Everything else is just learning preferences/exploring the multitudes of options and the benefits there in. I have heard of people buying alot and then minimalizing their collection to just what they prefer.

If the intention is to be cheaper than disposable cartridge razors, in the long term it might be cheaper. Depends on the razor, strop, hone, brush, choice of cream/soap.......and how bad the 'sickness' is.

Originally Posted by quicksilver

If the intention is to be cheaper than disposable cartridge razors, in the long term it might be cheaper. Depends on the razor, strop, hone, brush, choice of cream/soap.......and how bad the 'sickness' is.

I think it's got me bad...

Although I intend to get another razor so that I will have on in the house when I send my first razor back to SRD for free honing, I already ordered a Norton stone set.

The Norton Waterstone Woodworker Package (220/1000, 4000/8000, flattening stone, tray, and Woodworking DVD) for $140 just seemed like too good a deal to ignore. Maybe I can use the DVD like a frisbee.

Hope that takes care of my frenzy for a while.

Originally Posted by howdydave

I think it's got me bad...

The acquisition disorder is a cruel mistress

Originally Posted by howdydave

I think it's got me bad...

Although I intend to get another razor so that I will have on in the house when I send my first razor back to SRD for free honing, I already ordered a Norton stone set.

The Norton Waterstone Woodworker Package (220/1000, 4000/8000, flattening stone, tray, and Woodworking DVD) for $140 just seemed like too good a deal to ignore.

Hope that takes care of my frenzy for a while.

Like all addictions you will find you need another fix sooner than you expected

Your new hones will tide you over for awhile, but then the itch will return!

A paddle strop is good to have no matter what IMO. I actually use it occasionally simply because I don't feel like a have the dexterity to use the hanging strop at that time

Hello... my name is Dave and I'm an addict!

Originally Posted by howdydave

The Norton Waterstone Woodworker Package (220/1000, 4000/8000, flattening stone, tray, and Woodworking DVD) for $140 just seemed like too good a deal to ignore.

From my years of experience I will tell you that the Norton set will do everything you need with the exception of the flattening stone. Not that it doesn't work, but they go out of flat and then you have to flatten them to get back to normal. A Dia-Sharp D8C 325 will last years used properly, and doubles for honing kitchen knives.

As for honing the razors. The 1k is slower than the naniwa or shapton, but it does the job. You'll rarely need the 220 unless you're correcting a badly chipped edge or a frown. The 4/8 is a great workhorse and knowing what I know now, if I were you I'd make a resolution not to buy another hone until you can shave well off edges you've honed to the 8k level.

Anything above that is icing on the cake, and if you can't get an edge to shave well @ 8k you're not ready for a 12k. The hones can become a greater acquisition disorder than anything else I've come across. Don't ask me how I know.