Thread: Frustrated Rookie

Welcome to SRP! A lot of great folks, as you can see, and info here.
Yeah as beginners we ALL have done things in our journey to the great BBS shave.

Good on you getting the second straight to keep for a backup. But watch it, keep the two of them fr apart or they somehow seem to multiply

Enjoy and have fun

Originally Posted by Dieseld

But watch it, keep the two of them fr apart or they somehow seem to multiply

Enjoy and have fun

Hahaha, if only that were true. I would save a fortune. Maybe mine are all male razors or something. I have always respected their privacy but if this is a possibility I will start checking before I make my next purchase

Hang in there.
I slashed three strops up during the first few months and I rolled my edge a number a times.
It took a 3 inch strop for me to get straightened out.

I’m a new shaver as well. While my shaves have a long way to go, I’m think I’m doing well with stropping and will share how I achieved this. I’ll count on the veteran’s to correct anything I’m saying that isn’t correct.

Lynn Abrams of SRD has really good instructional videos. Google ‘lynn abrams youtube stropping’. This was the most powerful tool. There are many shaving focused YouTuber’s. My experience is that Lynn brings the best level of competence. I don’t know him personally, though gather that he is a ‘do it right or don’t do it at all’ kind of guy

I don’t try to strop quickly. Also, I bought a cheap strop which simply won’t work well.

Another powerful tool is the SRP Library. There is a even audio on how stropping should sound.

Whipped Dog has a beginners kit for roughly $25 that has been very helpful. It comes with a basic strop which works well and was great for me to start with as I cut it many times. I’ve since upgraded to Straight Razor Designs English bridle leather strop, which is the cat’s meow.

You mentioned sending your razor in to be honed from turning the edge. I have both turned the edge and dinged the edge on the faucet. I was able to correct both of those with the Whipped Dog beginner’s kit.

It comes with a piece of balsa wood with green abrasive on one side and red on the other. I was able to fix both issues myself with this and then by taking my time while stropping.

I don’t think it makes sense to get a good strop until achieving the skill level of not cutting it. Having said that, my SRD English bridal leather strop also has a nylon web strop. I love that strop. You can upgrade to traditional materials, but SRD says that the nylon webbing is awesome and I have to agree.

I've watched Lynn's dvd and all of his youtube videos multiple times to make sure I'm doing things correctly or go back over material.

I stropped and stropped my razor slowly taking my time, however, at the toe their appears to be a small nick that is scratching up my strop. I suspect I did it the one time I dropped my razor on the floor and didn't notice right away. So I figured I should send it in to be safe.

That makes sense. I'll be glad when I stop getting weepers and cutting myself and when you get settled as well.

It sounds like the ding from dropping it was worse than the one I created.

I would recommend holding off on the 3" strop until you get comfortable with what you have. It's often recommended that you do an X stroke on a thinner strop to get full coverage but it's not necessary. You can get the exact same coverage by doing Street strokes. You can stop it 10 times on the heel section of the blade and 10 times on the tow section of the blade. This is equal to doing 26 strokes on the strop with a much simpler motion.

Stropping is all about muscle memory. The more you do it the more natural it will become. While your razor off to be repaired, practice stropping with a butter knife.