Thread: how long

Hello Everyone...

I have been reading forums and threads for a month now and am getting close to buying a straight. If I buy a straight from Classic shaving that is pre honed by lynn and shave ready...and also get a good strop. How long can i survive with just the strop.

In other words i dont want to drop alot of cash in one sitting...so if i can go 2 months of shaving 2 to 3 times per week or do i need the hones right away.

or could i get by getting a paddle strop with some .5 paste...

just trying to by the least amount at a time so as not to break the bank...

There is no hard and fast amount of time between honings. But if you don't mess up the razor in any way I would say you could get by with just the strop for a couple of months. Add in the paste or CrO and you can go longer. I'm sure others would disagree though.

I was about to post a similar question in the honing forum.

I can get my daily razor to a point where I can get a good, close shave with a 4k/8k, coticule, and strop. However, I find that after 7-10 days, I start getting some irritation. No amount of stropping will take care of it but a few passes on the coticule and I'm back to BBS.

I'm confident that my stropping technique is OK. So, what's going on? Peculiarity of the razor? Sorry honing? Comments?

Thanks in advance.

if i could do it again i would get the same razor kit i got from Tony Miller (Dovo Best Quality razor, starter strop, brush, mug) but i would also spring for a four sided paddle strop as they come very well recommended and apparently work great for keeping your edge. it is still the next thing on my wish list and hopefully i can get one soon. my first razors edge lasted about 3 months and then started to get a bit dull. i then got a bit obsessed with the hobby so i started to buy used razors and ebay razors so i opted for the hones (norton220/1k/4k/8 chinese 12k). i do use a CrOx strop too as i feel it really smooths things out. from what i have read (sorry i have no real experience) a 4 sided pasted strop or even a 2 sided pasted strop in addition to your regular strop is something that will let you sustain an edge for a long time. i don't know about it getting knicks out or anything like that but lets hope those don't happen.

I probably isn't sharp enough yet. Though my first instinct is to say your stropping.

Can’t get by without a strop, you will need it at least once every day you shave. My good shavers need a bit of honing touchup after about 10 - 15 shaves. The tool of choice is paddle strop pasted with .5 micron green Chromium Oxide. Think of this pasted strop as an actual stone - it will give you all the honing “power” you need for months, given a blade that is even remotely shave ready. You will keep using it even if you go off the deep end and buy all the stones and paraphernalia. Very effective if you know what you are doing, and very forgiving as you make your mistakes achieving enlightenment. They are cheap - mine are 3” wide cowhide scraps from Tandy Leather glued onto discount store cutting board. Two costs almost the same as one, then you have a unpasted strop and a pasteable strop. Will easily keep you from buying real stones for 6 months. Of course, you will WANT the real stones before then, but that’s a different issue.