newbie with few questions

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

Thanks!

First off, welcome to the SRP. You have certainly come to the right place. I am only about 5 months in to str8 shaving myself and by no means an adept, but I had been wet-shaving for nearly a year when I took up the straight and have had a fairly smooth transition. Sounds like to me your razor needs honing, but there are so many variables. Having it properly honed will eliminate one of those variables. Check the Vendor's Corner, or there are several members here who offer free honing. With that said, I would hold off on getting a hone; get your shaving technique and lathering down first. As long as your strop is not too nicked up, it should be fine until you have gotten better at stropping, then spring for a good one. And the nicks can be repaired with a pumice stone, or sanded out. Lathering is another thing; read all the tutorials you can. For a little over a year I used a lather bowl after loading the brush with soap. 2 months ago I switched to face-lathering; wished I had started off this way. I have very hard water though, and lather building has always been tough for me. Well, that is my two bits; surely someone more qualified to offer advice will come along and help you more. Good luck and hang in there.

JLW

Oh, and about maintaining the strop; most guys agree that just rubbing it with the palm of the hand several times (or 20 or so) prior to stropping is sufficient. Some recommend various oils, but I have no experience with them. I would highly recommend getting Lynn's DVD "World of Straight Razor Shaving". One of the best purchases I have made thus far on this venture (except seeing his collection of razors, soaps, etc. really aggravates the ADs)
-JLW

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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!

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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.

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Originally Posted by JasonMurph

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?

Thanks!

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Per the advice listed, I'd just send it to one of the honemeisters here to get it sharpened to elimiate that variable.

There are several tests for sharpness which you can find in the wiki, but the simplest one that I use is will the blade shave dry arm hair when it the edge is held about a 1/4 inch above the skin-- you should hear "pinging" sounds and see a bunch of hair fall onto the blade. Note, at this point the edge could still be in not-so-great-shape in terms of smoothness, but it will give an indication if the edge is keen enough.

-Chief

After shaving with a straight for about 6 months I discovered what a big difference it makes when you stretch your skin with your other hand.

Yeah, I think that the blade is not nearly sharpe enough. I just tried shaving and its barely shaving anything. I'm going to try to find the part of the forum and see if I can find someone in NYC to hone it for me.

Thanks,

Anthony

Hi and Welcome to SRP :) helpful link for yah along with all the great advice :Straight Razor Place Wiki

Hi Jason, I read your initial post and I am wondering if you are rolling the edge of your razor onto/into the strop, hence the scratches in the leather as well as a dulled blade. Go slow and study your technique, if needed make adjustments. Welcome to SRP

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Originally Posted by JasonMurph

Yeah, I think that the blade is not nearly sharpe enough. I just tried shaving and its barely shaving anything. I'm going to try to find the part of the forum and see if I can find someone in NYC to hone it for me.

Thanks,

Anthony

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There was a thread about a NYC meetup between a few members here:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/get-t...-7th-11th.html

That should give you some info on active members in the state.

In addition, there is a member map located here:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/vbgooglemapme.php

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Originally Posted by JasonMurph

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?

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Well, of course many here will tell you to shave with it. If it shaves well, then the razor is sharp enough. Go no further.

But what if your shaving technique is not "there" yet? You might have a razor that is sharp enough, but still get a poor shave. So how do you tell then? Should you just assume that you need to re-hone, re-strop, and then re-test shave? That could be a lot of wasted time and effort.

After stropping do the "Thumb Pad Test." Of course this will also take some time to learn. Determining just what a proper keen razor edge feels like on the wet thumb pad is a skill in itself. It really helps to have an in person tutor.

Well, I've tried several of the tests. It doesnt cut a hair at all if I try to cut a hair with the razor, it really drags no matter where and how I seem to shave. I think I may have dulled the blade by stropping too hard and by doing a stupid thing and using the blade to cut the soap up into my wooden dish. Thats why I'm hoping to find someone local that can confirm this and hone it if necessary.

Stropping has to be light and cutting anything other than whiskers will blunt it very fast. It needs to be re-honed. Send it out would be my advice, or go along to the meet.

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Originally Posted by JasonMurph

Well, I've tried several of the tests. It doesnt cut a hair at all if I try to cut a hair with the razor, it really drags no matter where and how I seem to shave. I think I may have dulled the blade by stropping too hard and by doing a stupid thing and using the blade to cut the soap up into my wooden dish. Thats why I'm hoping to find someone local that can confirm this and hone it if necessary.

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I don't think it is possible to dull a razor by stropping too hard as you say. I've put a lot of pressure on my blades and they don't dull. Make sure the strop is pulled out fairly firmly (minimal sag).

It may be that the razor was not properly honed to begin with. Or the razor was honed correctly, but not stropped enough (easily determined with the thumb pad test). Or, again, your shaving/ prep technique needs practice.

It's your call if you want to send the razor out for honing. But it might just be that you didn't strop the razor enough.

Oh yes - don't use your razor to cut anything but whiskers. I'd even try stropping after cutting the soap (or did you "shave" the soap into the bowl?). Unless the soap was super hard (soap is usually softer than beard hair) I'd be surprised if much, or any, damage occurred that a strop couldn't fix. Or did you use your razor like a cleaver and chop up your soap?

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Originally Posted by JasonMurph

using the blade to cut the soap up into my wooden dish. Thats why I'm hoping to find someone local that can confirm this and hone it if necessary.

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It definately needs to be honed.

When I started, I struggled with everything. When I bought my second razor (professionally honed) everything fell into place like clockwork. Absolutely get it honed. That way you know it's good.

Thanks all. I'm sending it in to a web site (classic shaving) which offers a 20 buck honing service which seems reasonable to me. Then I'll know if it was dull or not and see if I can get a good shave.

Thanks.