Thread: newbie with few questions

Originally Posted by JasonMurph

As a way of background....I have a JA henckels razor that i bought off ebay. I have a badger hair brush with no stand and I've been using a leather strop.

My razor was sharpened prior to when I bought it but I'm worried its not sharp enough. How do I know if its sharp enough?

There are tests, see the Wiki, but the best one is to shave with it. Bear in mind, you're new to this and some, if not all the problems you're experiencing could be down to lack of technique (this was very true for me). It's a steep learning curve, but well worth it.


Wetstone. I don't have a wet stone and the guy I bought off of said I probably wouldn't need to sharpen for about a year if I strop. I've been stropping but I think my razor is dulling. How often do I need to hone and what hone should I buy?

The key here is if you strop correctly. Peoples experience as to frequency of honing differ. A barber's hone would be the usual, well priced and good recommendation, for simple edge maintenance. Equally, a coticule or other finisher. Again, see the relevant parts of the Wiki or forum.


Strop. I have a standard linen and leather strop. Do I need to use any kind of cream or anything to maintain the leather? It seems to be getting scratched up.

Neatsfoot oil but this really shouldn't be necessary at this point. Just rubbing it with the palm of your hand should keep the leather in good condition. It shouldn't be getting scratched up, could be stropping technique or slight imperfections on the spine or edge?


Soap. I've been using a shave soap out of a wooden bowl with a lid. Its not very deep though. Should I be getting the soap out of the bowl and then frothing it up in something else or is the wooden bowl designed to be used to make the lather and then take it right on my face.

Your choice, I use a separate soap dish but face lathering works as, I assume building the lather direct in the soap bowl would but it would need to be deep enough and you'd probably get through more soap than is strictly necessary. I don't know about this third as I've never tried it. There are some good lather making tutorials in the Wiki and good lather is a very important part of achieving a good shave.


In general I'm having problems shaving without cutting myself and the razor is dragging a lot which is why I'm worried its not sharp. I've looked through theforums and other web sites but haven't been able to find the answers. I'm hoping someone with experience can shed some light for me.

Try experimenting with the angle of the blade. That thirty degrees was less than I thought, one and a half to two spine widths off the face. Bring it even flatter to the face if going across or against the grain. Also, minimal to no pressure should be used.

Thanks!

Hope this helps and welcome. Don't give up and keep asking questions. It's a great bunch of lads and lasses here that have helped me immensely with their generosity.