Thread: Newbie is graduating!

So, I finally feel confident enough with the razor to my face to claim I am moving up from newbie to learner...

I have two razors, a L. Herder & Son razor with plastic scales made for the US Navy I picked up from an antique store with a shave-ready edge, and a beautiful Theirs-Issard carbon steel with brushed steel scales. I love using both of them, and I even have a list of favorite music I listen to while shaving (if you must know, mostly 1950's jazz...)

I found a place in town that caters to mug soap, with William's at $0.75 a cake, and Col. Conk's Almond at $6. I finally got the hang of stropping properly, and have everything but honing down.

So, it's that time... I caught the bug. I recently got a raise at work, and have Razor Acquisition Disorder like nobody's business. I can't stop looking at reviews online, eBay, Amazon.

So, the actual question in all of this is, where to? I guess I need to learn honing, but don't know what to purchase (I've read the 4000/8000 North- something or another waterstones are excellent) and, I REALLY want some more razors. Where could I get something that I don't mind shaving and experimenting with while learning to hone?

Also, I'm terribly thin, so if anyone has tips on shaving for thin faces... I can always improve.

Karl

Nice update Karl,

I don't think you need to learn honing if you don't want to, but if you'll be getting a lot of razors it's helpful. A lot of choices on what hones to get. For ebay razors you'll want to have a coarse hone on 1000grit level. Other than that a medium one (!4000grit) and a finishing (~8000grit) are what you want.
The only way to find out what works for you is to try it out.
Check the wiki, there's probably lots of good and helpful info there.

As far as thin, I'd recommend Heart Attack Grill Diet Center

And since you want to experiment, I'd say get the sample pack from http://thegentlemensquarter.com

Congrats. It is a great feeling when your confidence level goes up I have a thin face as well and I have to do a lot of stretching of the skin to get nice flat spots to shave. In some spots I just take real small strokes and use just the last inch of so of the blade if I can, but that all depends on the spot. I am learning to hone and I got a norton 250/1000, 4000/8000, chinese 12k and was lucky enough to find a yellow coticule. Most everyone here likes the norton stones and there is a ton of info on them.

blades with smiles esp. at the tip seem quite useful to get rid of the whiskers in the dimpled areas.

You don't need to learn honing at all. You just need to be prepared to send your razor out every 4-6 months for honing. If you only have a couple it is not that big of a deal.

If you want to learn to hone, buy a cheap razor on the b/s/t forum and use that for practice.

For my tight corners I like a smiling or bowed edge. I find it makes a huge difference in my ability to manoeuvre in and out of tight pockets.

X

Karl, it seem we are pretty much in the same boat. If you go to the honing forum and look at the sticky's for newbies, loads of information there. After reading and rewatching all the videos a few times, I order a norton set. This week I successfully honed my first razor I purchased off ebay. The info Gugi gave you is correct. I started with the 4000/8000 stone because I thought the razor was halfway sharp. It didn't work out, I had to go back to the 1000 grit to get the bevel right. In the end it takes a bit of studing, a lot of patience, and a bit of practice. If your determined you'll get there. The feeling of accomplishment is worth all the trouble IMHO. Good luck