Thread: Here's my first straight razor! Now what...

We have a member in Sakarya, Turkey named Jaws. He is active and makes razors.

i would contact him for help.

Thank you all!

I am not going to try honing these. Don't worry! I am not even buying honing stones.

That Ern is going to get honed professionally, whenever possible. It doesn't even have to happen soon.

About the Iberia... I think that maybe it doesn't need honing. Yes, maybe it will be a bit dull without honing, but it looks like I can at least attempt to use it after only stropping.

So now, all I'm going to do about these razors, is to get a stropping leather, strop the Iberia, and use it.

If I can find a decent stropping leather, I will get it.

How does this sound to you now? Do you think I have to get the Iberia honed too? Don't you think it could become useable only after stropping?

I'm also going to clean that old stropping stick, and get a new leather strap for it, possibly from a leather workshop. Is there anything you would suggest me to look for when getting a replacement strap from a leather workshop?

Good deal on two good looking razors!


Mike

The Ern looks like somebody was cutting carrots with it, but after a professional sharpening the edge will be good as new and definitely shaveable. As already said, there are many honemeisters that the razors can be mailed to. Keep us updated.

Great idea, those are not the razors to learn to hone on, very nice find. While they are good razors, you will probably never find 2 in that condition and at those prices…

If there are razors like that laying around, find a couple beaters to learn to shave maintain and hone on, save those two and have them honed properly by a straight razor honer, someone who shaves with them.

Buy a good strop, SRP $50 with replaceable leather and learn to hone. Buy proper equipment from folks that specialize in them. Yes, you could make or have one made, but why. Eliminate as many possibilities and set yourself up for success. Learning to shave and maintain a straight razor is a bit tricky, why make it more difficult?

Nothing wrong with the Ern that a good honing will not fix. It was either put away wet, or someone did a “test pass” on their face to check the keenness of the razor and put the razor away with skin and stubble on the edge. The moisture from the smutch, rusted the edge. I see this occasionally on Antique Store razors, people…

Super nice find.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

If there are razors like that laying around, find a couple beaters to learn to shave maintain and hone on, save those two and have them honed properly by a straight razor honer, someone who shaves with them.

I'm afraid I need to start using the Iberia after stropping it myself.

You will probably say it's completely different to shave with a straight razor, but years of experience using a shavette gives me the confidence that I can probably get used to using one quickly. Am I wrong to assume? Also, I've been waiting for quite a long time to get my hands on one of these since I left my shavette somewhere.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Buy a good strop, SRP $50 with replaceable leather and learn to hone. Buy proper equipment from folks that specialize in them. Yes, you could make or have one made, but why. Eliminate as many possibilities and set yourself up for success. Learning to shave and maintain a straight razor is a bit tricky, why make it more difficult?

I ordered this one, as it was the best one available here (and I chose the paddle version over the hanging one, thinking it would be easier to carry, and better for a beginner):

MÜHLE Shaving Culture | Leather strop from MÜHLE for sharpening straight razors | purchase online

So... Can I now have the blessings of the community to go ahead with stropping it myself without getting it honed, and using it?

Have never shaved with a shavette but what I have read here you use less angle with the straight, spine closer to your face.
Purchased a similar razor a few years back. Filarmonica 12, it was NOS and I was able to shave with the factory edge. Not spectacular, but it did shave OK.
I would highly recommend practicing with a butter knife and newspaper so you can get a bit of technique going before stropping your razor. Not uncommon at all to trash a strop and the edge of the razor while learning.

Sent from a moto x far far away

Originally Posted by Grazor

Have never shaved with a shavette but what I have read here you use less angle with the straight, spine closer to your face.

Hmm... The technique probably differs from person to person, but when I use a shavette, I keep it as parallel to my skin as I can (the angled surface at the tip of the blade edge tangent to the curve of the skin surface). That's how I can get it shave further in one move, without the edge of the blade slipping over the hair or getting stuck.

Go for it…

I doubt you will be able to get a shaving edge on it by stropping. Stropping is the most difficult thing for a new guy to learn, it is all about pressure.

Be careful to not use too much pressure. Get some magnification and look at the edge, straight down on the edge, 60X will cost you but a few dollars.

If you look straight down on the edge and see any reflection, that is where the bevels are not meeting or is chipped.

Worst case, is you will need to send it out for honing. Make sure to clean the razor with 000 steel wool and a good metal polish or you will imbed your new strop with any rust on the blade.

Update: Fantastic shave!!!


Thank you everyone for all your help.

Thank you for stopping me from honing the Ern myself, and thank you for making me buy the Iberia and a decent strop, and thank you for all your warnings which apparently made me careful enough to do it properly!

Iberia was already flawless and with no rust or dirt of any kind that was visible. I cleaned it further, and stropped carefully, first on the green side of the paddle for 100 times, and then the plain leather side for 100 times. Then I shaved, after applying Cella as my pick of the day.

It was the easiest, most fun shave I ever had!

Easier to shave than with a shavette or DE. With a shavette, I always had to use it at as close to a tangent angle as I could, whereas with this straight razor, it cuts no matter what the angle is. A disposable blade on a shavette is probably slightly sharper and gives a closer shave, but it doesn't matter at all, as with this straight razor, I was able to complete an even smoother shave much quicker than with a shavette or a DE. With a shavette or DE, I usually get a few nicks. With this straight razor, I didn't need to use the styptic pencil at all! And no burn on the skin! I even forgot to use the balm.


Now, another question:

What is the proper way to clean the soap residue on the blade after a shave?

I used a microfibre cloth this time, but I wonder whether this is safe, considering the pressure from the fingers could bend the blade.

I did it very carefully, applying almost no pressure, grabbing it closer to the spine from both sides with as equal pressure as I could, moving the cloth in parallel strokes and always from heel to toe. I was wondering whether this is the best method.