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  1. #1
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    Default Advice for a newbie

    I have been wet shaving since I started shaving and have used a DE razor for about a year, started with a non adjustable and have worked up to an adjustable using Feather blades. I've decided to switch to a straight razor and bought the Cullinan that English had for sale, so I have a razor, a collection of brushes and some soap. My father said he will give me his Illinois #206 strop, it hasn't seen use since I was a kid probably (15+ years) and I am wondering what might be needed to put it in top condition or if it would be better off to go ahead and invest in a strop from The Well Shaved Gentleman. I progressed to this state because my face is easily irritated and I've been fed up with buying and tossing cartridges/blades so of course I'm interested in learning to hone as well. What is the minimum equipment I need to learn honing and what are some good razors to practice with I can find on ebay for a minimum price (I don't want to waste my efforts on one of those "Pakastani" razors), I'm in grad school so funds are tight. Anything else I forgot (excluding stypic pencils and witch hazel)?
    Thanks for your help,
    Zac

  2. #2
    illegitimum non carborundum Utopian's Avatar
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    If your father used to use that strop, then that's an in-person resource so ask him how he took care of it and how he used it.
    Basically just clean it and condition it and use it. I use saddle soap, which some on this forum object to using. You can condition it with neatsfoot oil or some comparable leather conditioner. Then just rub it a lot with your hand to loosen it up. I am assuming that nothing else will need to be done to get it usable unless you dad nicked the heck out of it. The strop section of this forum has lots of further resource information for how to recondition a strop.
    Given that you don't yet know if straights are right for you (there are a few mutants out there) it would be more economical for you to initially use the old strop while you are giving the straight a test drive. If it turns out you are not such a mutant, then there is ample opportunity later to buy more strops, more razors, more hones, more razors, more brushes, more razors, more soaps, more razors, and more razors!
    Good luck with it!

  3. #3
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    Unfortunately my father is not a good resource for straight razor shaving, he didn't grow up learning to use one but attempted to switch in his 30s (presumably because he found the idea romantic and likes sharp things) he didn't have this awesome resource at his disposal and I believe he quit using one rather quickly stating "my face is too sensitive and too bumpy and I slice myself up" I have seen the strop hanging for years with no use and possibly minimal care and his razors have since rusted to a "pile of dust" which got discarded. Oddly, now he only uses electric shavers.

  4. #4
    JAS eTea, LLC netsurfr's Avatar
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    You may not need to do much at all with your father's strop other than apply a bit of leather conditioner.
    As far as the honing equipment, the answer to your question is naturally, it depends. I know, just what you wanted to hear. If you just want a stone to touch up your blade when it starts to slightly pull, then I would highly recommend a yellow coticule. Howard at The Perfect Edge has a good selection with good prices. If you want something a bit more course, then the Norton 4K/8K is a nice choice. You will need to lap it to ensure flatness and I do this before each honing session. You can do this on sandpaper on a plate of glass or you could use a DMT-8C; this is a coarse diamond hone.

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