Thread: girlfriend bought me a straight razor for christmas...

hey im obviously a newb with a few questions any help would be much appreciated

1. must i hone my blade before i shave or can i just strop it?.
2. i bought a strop today. oil came with it. do i oil my blade or the leather of the strop?.
3. where can i get a good price on a good honing stone?.
4. im impatient and tried to shave today before i knew that my shave ready blade wasnt shave ready, or about honing and stropping before shaving, have i caused any irepreble damage to my blade?.
5. now that ive shaved (kinda but not really) can the razor not shave anything else for 24 hours??.
6. if i cant shave with the blade for 24 hours after using it, why can i strop right after?.

thanks in advance

she got me a colonel conk made in solingen west germany. if that helps, or if you just wanted to know.

Originally Posted by DeathMetalDremel

hey im obviously a newb with a few questions any help would be much appreciated

1. must i hone my blade before i shave or can i just strop it?.
2. i bought a strop today. oil came with it. do i oil my blade or the leather of the strop?.
3. where can i get a good price on a good honing stone?.
4. im impatient and tried to shave today before i knew that my shave ready blade wasnt shave ready, or about honing and stropping before shaving, have i caused any irepreble damage to my blade?.
5. now that ive shaved (kinda but not really) can the razor not shave anything else for 24 hours??.
6. if i cant shave with the blade for 24 hours after using it, why can i strop right after?.

thanks in advance

she got me a colonel conk made in solingen west germany. if that helps, or if you just wanted to know.

Hello and welcome to SRP!

To answer your questions:
1. Unless your blade came from a reputable source that prehoned it for you; then you must hone/have it honed.
2. The oil is probably meant for the strop, but a new strop should not need to be oiled. Only later to keep the leather supple over many years. It is, however, a good idea to apply oil to your blade before storing, or just after use to keep the blade rust-free.
3. Lee Valley Tools, http://www.Classicshaving.com, http://www.theperfectedge.com, http://www.woodcraft.com are great options. There are many more I'm sure others will reply with.
4. Not at all, you were more likely to have caused irreperable damage to your face.
5. The 'resting steel' myth has been debunked before, It's not required that you rest the blade after each use.
6. See answer 5.

Hope this helps! Welcome to the forum; wishing you many comfortable shaves!

-Dave

cool. thank you ever so very much.
i want to hone it myself so ill have to just go ahead and buy one haha.

k so i just stropped. both sides leather than canvas. the hair test is so/so my razor cuts my gfs hair that i pulled from her brush but its kinda 50/50 like im bringing the blade up not chopping down on the hair. its prolly in need of honing isnt it...=(

Welcome to SRP.

I agree with Lordkappa's reply. I suggest you get Lynn Abram's DVD. It is excellent. It's over 3 hrs and even demonstrates a straight razor shave. It's on sale now at Straight Razor Designs.

Go over all the info in the Wiki (toolbar above). There's much information to digest and many new skills to learn. Move slowly and take baby steps. Don't worry about honing now. There are plenty of talented hone meisters (see classifieds) who will put a shave ready edge on your str8. How do you know what a shave ready blade is if you have never used one?

I have a 5/8 Col. Conk with Cracked Ice scales. I am getting ready to send it to be honed. I want to take up honing in 2009. First, I want to have my str8 technique down, second, I'll read everything I can find here about honing. Then I'll buy my stones and practice on a str8 I picked up for $10 in an antique shop.

You don't have to shave your entire face with a str8. In the beginning, just shave your cheeks with the grain (WTG). Finish your shave with your old DE or cartridge. The chin and jawline are difficult. Shave them after you have mastered the str8 on your cheeks. Soon you'll be shaving your entire face with the str8, but you have new skills to learn. When in doubt, ask here. There's always someone here that can help.

Enjoy.

Dave

Originally Posted by DeathMetalDremel

k so i just stropped. both sides leather than canvas. the hair test is so/so my razor cuts my gfs hair that i pulled from her brush but its kinda 50/50 like im bringing the blade up not chopping down on the hair. its prolly in need of honing isnt it...=(

Canvas first then leather...

Canves is not always needed and some never use it. PERSONAL preference here

But either way. Basic can be 25 laps linen and then 25-50 on the leather.

Remember let the weight of the blade do the work. Keep the strop taught and DONT push down its a very light drag across the strop in an x patteren.

It may need honing... it may be a rare factory blade that is ok to use. but you wont know until you get it stroped up correctly. A perfectly honed blade that is stroped badly can make for a bad shave.

Here... check out some of the videos we have here on the board...

Videos - Straight Razor Place Forums

Originally Posted by DeathMetalDremel

k so i just stropped. both sides leather than canvas. the hair test is so/so my razor cuts my gfs hair that i pulled from her brush but its kinda 50/50 like im bringing the blade up not chopping down on the hair. its prolly in need of honing isnt it...=(

Strop canvas first, then leather. I strop 25 laps on my canvas and 50 on the leather. Remember to flip the razor on the spine, not on the edge. Flipping on the edge can damage the edge, strop, or both.

I have one shave ready str8, a Dovo, and it does not pass the hanging hair test (HHT). The real test is the shave and my Dovo shaves wonderfully. That is why it is important to start with a shave ready str8. It gives you a point of reference.

Dave

is it true that the canvas acts kind of like a hone?

In my personal experience, canvas doesn't really act like a hone per-se but it does have a sharpening effect on the edge. My guess is that because it's a rough surface it erodes any steel on the edge that has oxidized, and that it 'smooths' the steel rather than actually removing material.

Everyone has their own opinion about the canvas side of the stop, some don't use it at all, others swear by it. Time will tell what works best for you. Best to take all advice with a grain of salt as so much about this art is personal opinion and experience.

Happy Shaving!
-Dave