Thread: eager to get started, but...

I have a few questions. I have read the FAQ and the CRITICAL INFO stickies, and they're very informative, but they aren't worded such that they are unambiguous vis-a-vis my specific concerns.

Let me start by saying that I purchased and have received the following starting kit:
Gift Sets & Gift Ideas

After reading some of the HOWTOs on Classic Shaving I was somewhat annoyed that the kit didn't come with seemingly "essential" items, such as a strop conditioner, hone, hone accessories, etc.

Then I came here and saw information that seemed a bit more comforting, yet still leaves me asking:

1) Does the "PRE-SHARPENED" razor that comes with the above kit qualify as "shave ready"? The FAQ mentions "If you buy a razor from Classic Shaving...honing services...Lynn Abrams", but it isn't clear if this means that I've bought a properly honed shaver. It could mean only that if I wanted a properly honed shaver then I should've requested that service with my new razor.

2) What common household products can I use to break in/condition a new strop? I have an old bottle of LEXOL (a leather conditioner I bought for some shoes a few years back) and of course mineral oil. Are any of these okay or would I be commiting some horrible malpractice against my equipment by employing such "off-label" uses?

I have other questions, but I think these are the two that are keeping me from starting today. Luckily I have 3 cartridges left on my 5-bladed gilette monstrosity, so I can keep the lycanthropy at bay a bit longer.

First, I'm not certain that stop conditioner, hone, or hone accessories are essential items (when first starting anyways). I know that I've been straight shaving since February and I didn't use a hone until just last week. So I don't think you should be annoyed.

I can't answer to #1 since I've not really looked into a razor from them and as to #2, there's no reason that you have to use a strop conditioner to start using a strop. I would say that you only really need to use it when the strop is dried out and in need of conditioning. So if you can find out if that razor is truly shave ready, you're ready to go.

Ask Classicshaving if that razor was sent to Lynn Abrams. If not then the razor needs to be honed. Post a thread in the honing forum asking for someone to hone the razor for you.

Rubbing the strop with your hands will put oil on the strop. A couple of drops of lexol should also work.

An abrasive pasted paddle strop to maintain the edge sharpness is a higher priority than a hone right now. For abrasives use 1.0 micron and 0.5 micron.

Just before each shave strop for 30-50 roundtrip laps. Use the abrasive pasted paddle strop only when the razor starts to pull while shaving.

Hope this helps,

I bought the same starter kit about 5 months ago from classicshaving and I love it. However, although the razor gave me good shaves (or I thought so then), it is not what I would consider shave ready. You can do what I did, buy a hone (I bought a Norton 4k/8k) and practiced honing my razor until it was shave ready, or you could simply send it off and get it honed by a professional. As for the second question, I have been using my strop everyday for 5 months now and have never put conditioner or anything on it and it works great for me. Hope this helps.

I'd like to recognize the effort you people are making at helping me arrive at the information I need. With good humor, I also recognize that "personal preference" is already creeping into the conversation.

Byron, about the strop conditioning: I had read that strops should be "broken in". Having zero experience, as I do, with straight razor shaving I don't have anything to compare to. The brand new strop, just intuitively, seems a bit stiff (but perhaps this is good?).

Randy, the FAQs left me with the impression that 0.5 and 1.0 micron grit pastes are mainly for finishing (read: aesthetics, polish). While I do appreciate the need for this, my main priority right now is a great shave. I also want to avoid, if possible, having to order more "kit". I was hoping the so-called "gift set" would set me up right. Which brings me to....

Mike. First-hand opinions on the kit in question is very much appreciated. Although I had >hoped< to avoid having to place another order, your advice on the Norton stone seems to jive with everything else I've read so far. On the other hand, maybe I ought to try shaving with the blade anyway. "PRESHARPENED" [but not perfect] might still be a positive motivation-building experience.

I still would like to hear from more folks. Basically I'm looking to get cruising on this sooner rather than later and without having to order a lot more stuff. I do not want to "send off" my brand new tool. If it must be honed, I would prefer to do it myself. I'd like to keep it simple (at least for awhile) to prove to myself that it can be simple. Tell me if my vision is realistic or not. Here are the tools I'd like to stick with in the first year:

1) The kit I bought (razor, hanging strop, mug, soap, abrahms video). (more soap as needed, of course)
2) 4000/8000 Norton hone
3) Electrical tape (to protect my "first" razor when stroping or honing)

I may embrace this as a hobbyist someday--but I want to prove to myself that it can be simple and practical first. I appreciate any anecdotes and insight that will help me achieve my goal.

Thanks to all who have responded and will respond.

If you purchased your razor with the "Honing Service" for an additional cost of about 15.00, then it should be in shave-ready condition except for the stropping. I believe that Lynn Abrams usually does the honing for Classic. Be careful when stropping to keep the strop taunt and the pressure light. Otherwise, you can roll the edge of your freshly honed razor and it will feel like you are pulling the whiskers out one by one.

The best advice we give a new guy is to have someone else hone their first razor. Then you know what a shaving edge feels like. If you attempt to hone it yourself then you have no benchmarks for reference. In addition, honing is the most difficult skill to learn in str8 shaving. Practice
on some old razors first, not your best razor.

Regarding the 1.0 and 0.5 abrasive pastes.... they are typically used after the 8000 or finer hone for finishing. But.. they are also used to refresh a shaving edge that has started to pull.


Hope this helps,

I'm using, right now as my starter kit, two razors (sent to me shave ready), a very basic strop (a Tony Miller starter), brush, soap, and a mug from my pantry. With most edges that have already been hand honed remaining shaveable for 3-6 months, I'd say that a hone isn't really required in a starter kit. I can gain a good deal of proficiency before needing a hone.

You mentioned electrical tape, do you mean for taping the spine? When you do start honing, ask around about taping the spine. It does protect the spine, but it can alter the angle of the bevel. I haven't heard anything about taping the edge for stropping. As the goal in stropping is to keep the blade flat on the strop, I'm not sure taping would really help, and I doubt your strop would cause any cosmetic damage to your razor.

If you're wanting to learn to hone, you'll probably want a cheap beater blade to practice with, and will probably require a basic microscope.

Hope this helps some. I'm no expert, I'm completely new, but above is all info I've gleaned from the forums in the last few weeks. Another thing you'll probably find out is that there's a huge range for personal preference.

Originally Posted by foundlingofdollar

You mentioned electrical tape, do you mean for taping the spine? When you do start honing, ask around about taping the spine. It does protect the spine, but it can alter the angle of the bevel. I haven't heard anything about taping the edge for stropping. As the goal in stropping is to keep the blade flat on the strop, I'm not sure taping would really help, and I doubt your strop would cause any cosmetic damage to your razor.
.

I know your intentions are good but this advice is fundamentally wrong. I use tape at all stages of honiing but not for stropping just before a shave. The tape does not make a difference for honing purposes. Remember, the strop has just a bit of slack in it.

The tape does change the angle of the bevel a minute amount but that is of no consequence at all. What is important is that a person be consistent in the honing process.

The purpose of using the black electrical tape is prevent unsightly hone wear along the spine.

Hope this helps,

Thanks so much for the correction! Being new around here I've been reading so much lately that I'm afraid I was getting a little muddled. I went back to read the thread and it was concerning using thick, multiple layers of tape to reset the bevel.