Thread: After reading all the tutorials i have aa question about straight razor shaving...

I plan on buying a new razor from classic shaving, either a Dovo or TI, haven't decided yet and opting for the honing by Lynn through their website.

I know that a razor should be stropped before every use of the razor, but if it is professionally honed and I strop before every use, does it have to be re-honed?

If so how often, if not, yay.

thanks!

Typically about once every two months.

Does the blade get dull or just not take an edge anymore after 2 months? even with stropping?

The blade needs a light honing, like 10 passes every 2 months. Stropping takes care of it for about 2 months and then it needs to be honed, lightly. A professional honing applies a bevel and sharpness to it. That sharpness is maintained on the strop, then after 2 months, it needs a light honing.

10 passes every two months? would a Spyderco Ultra fine bench stone hand that?

I'm sure AFDavis11 is suggesting 2 months generally for the average user, or beginner.

With time and experience/practice you may be able to go from 6 months to a full year + before re-honing. Just stropping on a good quality, broke-in double hanging strop. Even foregoing touch-up honing and without pasted strops.

I just add this to give you an idea of what is possible based on my experience. Not to dispute any other member's opinion. Just another member's perspective.

Scott

Yea, I think the Spiderco UF would handle it, but the number of passes could be wrong. You'd have to ask someone with experience with it. Scott's experience is a little unusual, but when you get really good you can go a very, very long time.

I usually put a very mild abrasive, drying compound on the linen and I can go about 6 months. I've never been good at waiting to hone, I actually enjoy the heck out of it.

Many variables define how much shaves you get out of a razor.

1. coarseness of your beard. Some people's whiskers are harder than others. Also, on the same face, there are variances: the hairs on your chin, right under the corners of your mouth, are coarser than the ones on your cheeks. Therefore I believe that people who sport a goatee might get more shaves out of a razor.

2. beard preparation. If the hairs are not completely softened by good lathering and beard preparation, the shave shall be less smooth.
You will notice the difference, but also your razor might notice and dull prematurely.

3. shaving angle. To shave close enough to the skin, we have to angle the blade. As a result, extra stress is exerted on the edge when it impacts the hair. During the very first learning stage, your shaving angle will inevitably be far from perfect, putting even more strain on the edge.

4. stropping errors. Too much pressure with too much slack (they often go together) will dull your razor prematurely. Not enough pressure will do nothing for your edge, leaving it not sharp enough for a comfortable shave. You'll be inclined to use more pressure while shaving, which will put a lot of stress on the razor's edge. A razor that is not honed well, has a hard time cutting through the whiskers. (see point 3)

5. stropping disasters. Accidentally lifting the spine while stropping, can round the edge a bit. Accidentally turning it over the edge, instead of over the spine can round the very end of the cutting bevel in an instant. A few light strokes on a polishing hone won't fix that.

Bottom line: don't expect your razor to be sharp for very long during your first few shaves. Be very careful and focused while stropping. In time your razors shall require fewer honing touch-ups.
2 months, or 6 months, that all depends on your shaving frequency, beard type, preparation habits, and the shaving angles you're using. But for now, I wouldn't expect more than a dozen shaves. Even less would be perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.
As long as you don't round the bevel with a stropping accident, you should be fine touching it up on any type polishing hone from the 8000 grit category. But it is very important that a proper bevel is initially set. Don't expect it to arrive from the factory with such a bevel.

Good luck,
Bart.

It'll kind of work out (timing between honings) once you get the hang of it. But you do eventually need to hone them, especially if you ding the edge somehow.

Also there seem to be hone guys and strop guys. I'm a strop guy, when they need a touchup they go on the pasted strops. Maybe once or twice a year they go on the hone but they probably don't even need that much. If there's no damage a pasted strop can keep the bevel fresh for a remarkably long time.

Don't depend on your new razor lasting 2 months before needing a touch up.

That would be true for a barber or experienced straight shaver who knows how to strop.

You will likely ruin your edge with improper stropping much sooner than that, maybe the first time you strop.

Be prepared to send your razor back a time or two to be rehoned as you learn.

IF you take it really easy and just use the weight of the razor on your strop, and never lift the spine, you might be able to make it last that long.

I really learned to strop while I was learning to hone. I made a lot of mistakes and ruined a number of edges and the mistakes are how I learned. But the mistakes created a razor that I could not shave with.

I think this is one reason why many of us have a number of razors in our rotation.

Just my $.02. Could be completely wrong about this.