Thread: Hi everyone!!

hey guys,
I'm brand new to all this. I just ordered what I think might be everything I need to get shaving. I ordered from classic shaving a:
DOVO 3-Piece Set, Olivewood, 5/8 Stainless Steel which includes a best sliver tip bader brush with a matching Olivewood handle.
Lynn Abrams "World of Straight Razor Shaving"
DOVO Russian Leather Strop 17'' by 1 3/4''
Norton "Waterstone" 4000/8000 3"
DOVO Strop Paste (yellow and white)
Taylor of Old Bond Street Shaving Soap in Wooden Bowl

So, I was wondering 3 things:
1) Does this sound like everything I will need?
2) Being new to this, will I "ruin" the razer learning to strop and hone on it or will it make it though with me? (keep in mind after buying all this I am to broke to buy a second razor to practice with)
3) When I get it, will I just need to strop it, or will it need to be honed and stroped?

Thanks very much!
I am very suprised this website exists, it's excellent!! A bunch of people as excited as me about this stuff who actually know what there doing!!
Nick

Welcome aboard Nick. Investing in the honing service by Lynn and buying an antique practice razor would have been a better start but you can do this anyways.
The razor will not be shave ready out of the box, so you will need to hone it on the Norton. Before you do, make sure you lap the hone (there are several threads on that topic, use the search function). IIRC from watching that DVD once, Lynn offers some instruction on lapping the hone. Make sure you watch the whole dvd as it's highly informative.
The help files section contains a lot of useful info on honing. Make sure you watch the video on the x-pattern and read the article on the pyramid honing method.

sounds like you are off to a great start, however "need" is a relative word when it comes to this forum. I think you have all that you need to wet your appetite for more. the various "acquisition disorders" are very contagious, and your definition of "need" will probably soon change.

Welcome aboard.

Matt

Thanks a lot guys!

Ok, another thing, I did a liitle searching around this site on lapping a hone, and it seems there is no clear answer. There are so many different things people are doing and useing, I have no idea what to get.

I read about a DMT stone, a flatting stone, using granite slab with sand paper, and plate glass, and plexi glass, and all different grits of sand paper from 400 to 1200. I'm very confused about what i need to get next, before I can even start shaving.

Also, where would you buy plexi glass, plate glass or granite?

I'm really just wondering if there is a simple answer to this, the best thing and easiest thing to use to lap a stone, that is also easy to buy somewhere.
thanks so much,
Nick

Hi Nick,
Seeing as you live in Canada, the easiest thing to do is to buy the Norton lapping stone from Lee Valley - it will run you near $30, but seems to be the easiest ting to get your hands on quickly and without too much fuss. I reckon it's also the one Lynn uses in his DVD.

Hope that helps,

Mark

I still think sandpaper is easier to get, a lot cheaper and does the job equally well. So, . . .

BTW it was said:' DON'T use plexiglass' !!

welcome nick,

lapping seems confusing, because you can do it in many ways and they all will work. the cheapest is sandpaper and a flat surface - not sure where you get marble/granite/glass in canada, probably in home/tools/hardware kind of store. I thought that the marble plate of my wire cheese cutter may work as well - haven't tried it yet since i've got few good honed razors and a lapped hone for whenever i go to it.
the lower-grid diamond hones seem to be very liked by few members here. Look at Josh Earl's posts.
In any case I think if you can spare another 25-35 it will be wise to get a shave-ready razor from this forum. It won't be brand-spanking-new like your Dovo, but will actually shave and you'll have a benchmark as to what to aim for.
Not sure how fast classic ships, but if you've just ordered it may be worth while giving them a call in case they haven't yet shipped your order. the idea is to amend it to include honing.

Anyways, glad you found this place - I'm a newbie myself and it's been invaluable

I agree with Nicolas, the cheapest way to lap a Norton, from what people have told me on the thread I started on that exact topic, is to get some wet/dry sandpaper, tape it to a piece of granite you can get at home depot or as a scrap from a counter store, and do it that way...I reckon that's what I'm going to do as well actually.

I just thought you may have wanted the "easiest" way to do it, which would be the Lee Valley route.

Good luck,

Mark

I'd also get the Norton. Kinda got sick of using the sandpaper/granite method. As for the grits, if you decide to use what I'm currently using, do 180 grit until the pencil marks start coming off and then just smoothe it over with 600 or 1000. That'll save you a whackload of time.