Thread: Honing and strops for first timer in South Wales (UK)

Hello! I feel like I’m all dressed up with nowhere to go – I’ve got a straightedge, I’ve even got soap, shaving oil and a brush all be they cheap, but my straightedge couldn’t cut warm butter! It was leant to me by a friend who’s had it from new many decades ago and it seems like a beautiful number – Chris R. Johnson - Sheffield? he said he'd sharpened it for me but it hasn't passed any of the sharpness tests mentioned here

So this question is for the welsh contingent of this great forum – where can I get a honing stone and strop in or around the Cardiff area of Wales? I studied as a cabinet maker when i left school so i’m pretty good at sharpening hand tools but I don’t have a lot of money to spend having been made redundant recently thanks to this fabulous ‘credit crunch’ those in power have steered us into but any help at all would be much appreciated.

P.S. fantastic forum everyone!! Everyone makes a fantastic contribution and you all seem so friendly. Thank you in advance for any advice

Tool shops not much cop, around swansea anyway.....axminster tools are a good bet for reasonably priced waterstones. make a strop from a decent sized wide leather belt from a charity shop, i've made a few, dearest £1.99 - 2 1/2" wide. Don't spend a fortune there is no need. Don't give up.........
Welcome to the most frustrating, satisfying and addictive hobby in the universe and also to the best web site for help and advice, you could hope to find.
If you have no luck, i'll hone and strop your razor for free.
Good luck,

Mark............

Thank you for the advice Mark!! i didn't realise you could strop with an old leather belt! that's a great bit of thrifty advice!! and thank you very kindly for your offer

Since you are just starting out, I would just advise reading up on stropping and be careful with your technique. Keep strop taunt and apply no pressure with the blade. Otherwise, you risk rolling the edge on the blade. This will lead to a very uncomfortable shave if you can even get the blade through your beard.

NathJD- you wouldnt happen to have attended the first SRP:UK meet with another member of your family perchance, would you?

Sorry sidneykidney, you've got me confuised with someone else i'm completely new to all of this!

netsurfr, thanks for the advice! i've watched videos and read some information around this place and i think i'm ready to try it and see!

Originally Posted by NathJD

Sorry sidneykidney, you've got me confuised with someone else i'm completely new to all of this!

No worries. We had someone called NathanJones at the meet and his Dad came too. Hence I thought NathJD might be NathanJonesDad.

No worries.

Originally Posted by NathJD

Hello! I feel like I’m all dressed up with nowhere to go – I’ve got a straightedge, I’ve even got soap, shaving oil and a brush all be they cheap, but my straightedge couldn’t cut warm butter! It was leant to me by a friend who’s had it from new many decades ago and it seems like a beautiful number – Chris R. Johnson - Sheffield? he said he'd sharpened it for me but it hasn't passed any of the sharpness tests mentioned here

So this question is for the welsh contingent of this great forum – where can I get a honing stone and strop in or around the Cardiff area of Wales? I studied as a cabinet maker when i left school so i’m pretty good at sharpening hand tools but I don’t have a lot of money to spend having been made redundant recently thanks to this fabulous ‘credit crunch’ those in power have steered us into but any help at all would be much appreciated.

P.S. fantastic forum everyone!! Everyone makes a fantastic contribution and you all seem so friendly. Thank you in advance for any advice

If you send me your name & Address in a PM I'll give you a shave ready razor to get you started. Like a lot of our members I do have a few odd ones lying around. It will also give you some idea as to the feel of a shave ready razor. I am not a honemiester but I think youll find the razor sharp enough to get you going.Paul

Thank you Paul! you have a PM

This is a pretty good thread on using abrasive films to hone straight razors. It's a pretty inexpensive way to get started in honeing.