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

I had a small discount for the Iberia, so it cost me $40 to get this, and its edge seems to be flawless:





I also bought this old stropping tool. The cuts on the leather are too deep for the strap to be saved, I guess. I shouldn't use this without changing the leather, right? Anyway, I'm willing to refurbish this old thing. It was only $8.5.





It seems that I will start using the Iberia, and the Ern will have to wait until it gets honed. Now the question is... Would it be enough to get a cheap stropping leather (or use a belt) to start using this Iberia? I have a feeling that I already know what your answer is going to be...

If you are going to try to hone those yourself, please read up on honing with tape. Those razors are too nice to be ruined by incompetent honing, which happens far too often. If you tape the spine, and replace it regularly long before it wears all the way through, you potentially will prevent decades of hone wear during your very first honing session.

Excellent deal on those 2 razors. Looks like you will need to replace the leather on that strop before using it on your blades. Listen to the advice here and see if you can get help honing. If you manage to find an old school barber, perhaps they still have their honing equipment and can help you out. Straight razors were not meant to be disposable items, so even if they use shavettes now, they may have had experience in the old ways.

Without a mentor to assist you one on one, you are taking a big risk damaging the razors honing yourself or at minimum not achieving the desired shave ready results. That ERN is a wonderful razor, but it will require some work to remove the edge damage. Maybe someone else here can provide information on those hone brands you suggested, but I am not aware of their viability for putting a quality edge on straight razors.

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.

Originally Posted by zeedl

Now the question is... Would it be enough to get a cheap stropping leather (or use a belt) to start using this Iberia? I have a feeling that I already know what your answer is going to be...

Yes, you know!

The thing is, the quality of your shave initially depends on the quality of the honing but from then on the quality of the shave is maintained by your stropping. Unfortunately, you cannot keep a good edge if you are stropping on a poor surface.

a professional honing is only as far away as a mail box,,, they have postal service in Turkey, and buying cheap crap hones just makes you spend bad money,, learn to shave after its honed then learn to strop right now with a decent strop or make you a newspaper strop for the time being. Tc