your experience is needed

hey guys, first timer here. i've been reading, exploring, and learning a lot from ya'lls experience, thanks for the site. have a couple of questions...i just recently bought my first set up from the art of shaving, TI Taos 5/8" and their perfect shave products. my first shave i didn't strope, due to the directions saying i didn't need to until after a few shaves, that was a lie. the second shave i stropped a bunch, and got a way better shave, a few nicks, but a way better shave. so, i applied strope paste to the strope because the guy at the store said i needed to, but from reading here, i might not have needed to do that just yet. did i screw up my strope by applying the paste to my one strope? do i need to get an unpasted strope now? also, the guy at the store said i didn't need to hone the razor but once a year. from reading here that might not be correct either. i don't have a stone yet, should i get one, and how often do ya'll find that you have to hone a brand new razor? sorry i wrote so much, just excited. thanks for help.

Your strop should be okay. It should be conditioner, not a honing paste that he gave you.

I hone about once every other month, but I use two razors.

thank you, makes me feel better. i reckon i'll have to get me a stone.

Um what color was the paste you used? It could be a conditioner if it is yellowy or if it is colored it could be a honing paste. Most TI razors are close to shave ready at the store but not there yet. So you might want to have it honed to be sure. Also you will probably need to have it honed every month to 2 at first if you are new and only have 1 blade because you don't know how to keep it up. That is why I would get a basic chromium oxide pasted paddle strop or a piece of balsa wood with it on it ot maintain the edge for much longer periods between hones. It needs to be stropped 50 laps there and back before each shave and do it slowly and carefully. Also don't listen to the AOS guys since they are not at all knowledgable.

it was in a white tube with yellow tape, it came out clear like. i should probably buy another cheaper razor to practice the hone before i mess up my 150 dollar razor.

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Originally Posted by encore

it was in a white tube with yellow tape, it came out clear like. i should probably buy another cheaper razor to practice the hone before i mess up my 150 dollar razor.

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Sounds like strop dressing "yellow paste", so no worries aboutthe strop... i would reccomend a professional honing of the razor for while many TI are almost ready, when they are not they tend to be very dull.

just my halfpenney

Before you get a hone you really need an abrasive pasted paddle strop with 0.5 micron chrome oxide or diamond paste applied to it. This is an edge "refresher" that you use when the razor starts to pull a bit. Some people use both a 1.0 micron and a 0.5 micron pasted paddle strop. It stretches out the time between honing sessions and gives a very sharp edge.

The most common hone used by the members of SRP is the Norton 4000/8000 grit combination hone. Get the 3" wide version.


Just adding to the chorus!,:)

thanks for everybody's input, much appreciated

another question then...is the stroping fine for now, or do you guys still think i need a hone for the new TI? i'm only hesitant to send it off to get honed due to this being my only razor.

Give it 100 round trips on the strop and see how it shaves. If you get a nice shave there's no need to get it honed. I recently experienced that stropping on the linen first improved my TI Silverwing a lot . You may want to try that first: 100 round trips on the linen followed by 60 on the leather.

So if I go out and get the norton stone should I go ahead and attempt to get the blade sharper myself. I think I can find the stone before I could find the paddle strope with the honing paste. I live in the Los Angeles area and I don't know of any store that carry paddle strops. anyway, so...to hone or not to hone myself, that is the question.

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Originally Posted by encore

So if I go out and get the norton stone should I go ahead and attempt to get the blade sharper myself. I think I can find the stone before I could find the paddle strope with the honing paste. I live in the Los Angeles area and I don't know of any store that carry paddle strops. anyway, so...to hone or not to hone myself, that is the question.

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You can go to Art of Shaving and get a paddle strop. They don't have too many to chose from, but they do have a good TI travel paddle with razor holder. I've been planning on getting one for travel.

I saw that they had one at the Westfield Mall in Canoga Park (the Valley) when I was down there last weekend.

I would strongly suggest that you have the first razor honed by someone from here at the SRP. That will give you a basis for comparison for future reference. Just post a thread for honing service wanted or look in the Classifieds section under Services.

I can't agree enough about getting it honed by an expert here.
While I'm all for learning it all, beginning by honing the razors myself really set me back.
Mostly due to not realizing my honing wasn't so bad, it was my stropping that needed work.
You really want to eliminate the question mark of honing in the equation, not add two possible reasons on top of technique should you not get good shaves.
It can be hard enough to get a good shave with a perfect blade, as it is, if you're new.

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Originally Posted by Friggin Joe

I can't agree enough about getting it honed by an expert here.
While I'm all for learning it all, beginning by honing the razors myself really set me back.
Mostly due to not realizing my honing wasn't so bad, it was my stropping that needed work.
You really want to eliminate the question mark of honing in the equation, not add two possible reasons on top of technique should you not get good shaves.
It can be hard enough to get a good shave with a perfect blade, as it is, if you're new.

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Yeah, me too. I got very hung up on the honing at first and then, stropping clicked. Always good to have a well honed and stropped blade for comparison with your other(s).

I agree with the above. Start with a professionally honed razor and then all you need for at least the first 20 shaves is a strop. Honing takes time and practice and you will probably be better off buying a few cheap ebay razors to practice on and make your mistakes. Keep your TI in good shape to use as your benchmark when you practice honing.

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Originally Posted by AlanII

Yeah, me too. I got very hung up on the honing at first and then, stropping clicked. Always good to have a well honed and stropped blade for comparison with your other(s).

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Originally Posted by Smalleyboy

I agree with the above. Start with a professionally honed razor and then all you need for at least the first 20 shaves is a strop. Honing takes time and practice and you will probably be better off buying a few cheap ebay razors to practice on and make your mistakes. Keep your TI in good shape to use as your benchmark when you practice honing.

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I agree with both you gentlemen but have something important to add: sending a razor to someone else for honing is not just for newbies. I have been shaving with a straight for 28 years and I have 10 razors in my rotation, which I hone myself. Some of them shave better than others and a couple of them I really didn't like. I always wondered if it was my honing or if they just weren't good razors.

Well, when I found SRP and began to improve the various elements of my technique, it so happened that my first razor needed to be cleaned and repinned and since I don't do that kind of work, I decided to send it off to moviemaniac in Austria. He cleaned, repinned and honed it for me for a very reasonable price and when it came back I was shocked. My worst razor had been turned into one of my best. So, I sent him my second worst razor for cleaning and honing. It turns out it was my honing after all. What I hadn't taken into account was that they were of harder steel and I just wasn't equipped to deal with them. The moral of my story is you will never be so good that you can't learn something from somebody else.

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Originally Posted by Chimensch

The moral of my story is you will never be so good that you can't learn something from somebody else.

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I think we can probably all agree on that.