Thread: Newbie intro.

New to straight razor wet shaving. I am from Canada and I bought my first razor and am having trouble honing it. Please see my thread in the honing section if you would like to help. I hope to learn some things and meet some people on here that I can get along with. Thanks very much!

Welcome to the forum

Hello to Newfoundland from Ontario.

Congratulations for starting your straight shaving journey.

Was it a new razor that was made shave ready by whoever you bought it from, they're not shave ready from the factory whatever it says on the box.

Although it not completely impossible, I would learn to shave comfortably before trying to hone. You need to recognize a sharp razor before trying to produce one

A strop is your best friend so concentrate on getting that right, it will do wonders for you edge.

I would go to the BST thread and buy a cheap razor, if a seller here says a razor he's selling is shave ready you can bet your house it will be.

Then send your first razor to one of the guys here that can put a laser edge on it so you learn what a truly sharp razor is. Then you will know what your aiming for on the hones.

Honing is very useful and definitely worth learning but you really cant put the cart before the horse, learn to shave, learn what a sharp razor is then worry about making one yourself later.

Just out of interest, what hones do you have?

Thanks for the warm greeting Steve. It was a restored Greaves & Sons sheaf works that was labelled shave ready on ebay. The razor came about as sharp as a mail opener! which I was sort of hoping for. I have a novaculite oil stone and a naniwa 12k. I will definitely get a shave ready cheapo razor that is sound advice and I appreciate it immensely. I am going to try and hone my first razor myself. I am more than glad to solve this problem. I love the idea of creating an edge that I can shave with as my first go at it. I have a naniwa 3k/8k combo stone coming to me that will be shipped tomorrow. I am already proficient with a shavette so I imagine it can't be much harder? This is only speculation on my part.

Welcome from Ontario. You live in a beautiful part of the country.

The Canadian contingent at SRP will likely be along to welcome you in full as time passes. We have folks from coast to coast to coast.

Steve’s suggestion about getting a true shave ready razor from BST here is a good one. It’s the only way you will be able to establish a benchmark for what shave ready can mean.

He is also right on about getting a decent strop. There is no question that you will slice your first strop while developing your stropping technique and muscle memory, so don’t spend a lot on your first one. You can often pick up a decent used strop from ETSY or eBay for not too much, but buyer beware!

You will need a 1000-1500 grit stone to set a bevel properly. I have no experience with the novaculite, but I know they come in different grits, so you should let us know what variety you have. A picture will help. There are a lot of SRP members who swear by their Arkansas stones, so you will have an expert base to consult.

I suggest you visit Paul’s Finest https://www.paulsfinest.com/. He’s in the Maritimes and ships within a day of placing the order. He also has some of the lowest prices in Canada for good quality stones.

Read the introductory info on the SRP home page about stropping and honing. It will give you a good headstart.

Sad to hear about the passing of Gordon Pinsent, a true Newfoundlander and a proud Canadian. I’m sure the province is in mourning.

Welcome to srp.

Learn to shave and strop with pro honed razors first. Then after the first year you can try honing. As by then you will know what a razors edge should be like.

The shavette, depending on what one you have used will be different than a real straight. Its somewhat the same but not the same.

Learning to shave with a straight takes time too. But a pro honed razor or two and a strop are what is needed to start. Leave honing for the year after you learn to shave.

Welcome aboard.!

I'm with them. ^ I started with a straight when I was 17. I'd already had experience with honing all sorts of edged tools n knives, starting at around 8 years old. So honing a razor seemed like it should be a piece of cake. Ha! It takes the whole cake, a gallon of ice cream, a few cavities, and a bald patch or two on your head, getting it dialed in.

And that's just setting a proper bevel.

Gonna need to learn anyhoo, so any thing we can do to help with, were here for ya. You might even like to learn how to restore your own razors, that's what I came here for. Got perty dang good at it too, for being done by hand, mostly. ( limited tools )

Creating your first shaving edge is very rewarding, indeed. But bringing one back from the dead....A indescribable feeling of accomplishment, of what most people would think of as, impossible. That's me.!

Hence my avatar. Young Frankenstein

Welcome to the forum. I will put the rest in your other thread.

Welcome to SRP!!
-Laramie-

Welcome to SRP. You have received good advice already. Stropping is the first skill you need to learn, even before shaving since you won't getore.than one good shave without knowing how to strop.