Thread: Various questions

Howdy,

I learned to "straight" shave with a shavette that takes 1/2 a DE blade. A couple days ago my first straight arrived, pre-honed with a strop. Now I have a few questions about my new toys, if anyone cares to share a bit of their knowledge.

1) My strop has canvas and leather. Which one do I start with and which one's a finisher?

2) My leather strop is ever-so-slightly curved from side-to-side. If I lay the blade across it as if I'm just about to do a lap, only the middle of the blade touches. Normal? I know by using an x-pattern all parts of the blade will eventually pass over the high part, but only for a second (or less). Might it take a heck of a lot longer to strop? Or could I even damaged the blade slightly?

3) What kind of store would sell chromium oxide paste or powder? I'll buy it online if need be, but I'd like to avoid shipping costs. I have a thick beard and I can tell already that I'm going to need some sort of maintenance abrasive. I thought I might paste the canvas. I've read about that elsewhere at SRP.

4) A technique question: do you rinse your blade under water to get off the cream and whiskers or do you wipe it off with your finger (carefully) like my barber did when I was a kid? Why?

Thanks in advance.

Peace,
Tom

Okay, now to the meat:

1- On your Freshly Honed straight, start out on the leather with light passes. The Blade is at it's peak and shouldn't need too much. After a few shaves, divide your passes up between the two surfaces, starting with the linen. I always use the linen after touching up on a CrOx paddle. I now routinely do 25 linen roundtrips and 50 leather roundtrips. You won't hurt anything by doing this same thing with a freshly honed edge unless you strop incorrectly. Bottom line, linen before leather.

2-Not so normal. You should flex the strop in the opposite direction I think. Do this by grabbing it by the sides and squeezing it then run your hand up and down the length to pass the squeeze over the length of the strop. Pay attention to how you grip the strop too as that can effect the shape of it. A pinch grip between the thumb and side of forefinger works well for me without deflecting the strop. You can also use a glass beer bottle to flex along the length of the strop. Post some pictures and if all else fails repost the question in the strop forum.

3-I would get some from chrisl on this very site. You don't need much and he can sell it to you with pasting instructions that are very thorough.

4- I rinse my blade under water so as to keep from doing any harm to the edge by mis-wiping ( i have serious butter fingers!). You HAVE to be very careful not to ding the blade against the faucet though. Either way is fine, but if you wipe, use a very light stropping motion on a towel or tissue. Just keep in mind that you want to protect your edge no matter what you are doing and you will be fine!

good luck and keep us posted!

hope this helps...

-Rob

Thanks.

I'll try to 'manipulate' the strop and look for chrisl. The faucet, yeah. That's why I started to use my finger. Didn't want to risk dinging the faucet.

The razor is a Dovo Special. Shaves pretty well, but doesn't cut my whiskers like butter, the way a new DE blade would. On the other hand it's less 'nicky'. With a fresh DE, it's very easy to nick, especially around the mouth.

Welcome to the brotherhood of the blade.
You can also wipe the razor on a wet washcloth to remove soap using a stroping style stroke.

Keep us posted...