Back to life

Dear friends,

About 15 years ago I tried to start shaving myself with a straight razor. I bought a kit and had no success in the attempt: lack of information, newbie and some cuts made me forget it.

After all these years, I wanna try again. So, I will let you know about my remaining kit and hesitations for you to help me.

Regarding the razor, I am very happy with my venerable Filarmónica Sello Oro 13, an old Spanish quality razors maker that I think that has already disappeared. I must take it to be sharpened by a dedicated sharpener. Once it is perfect, I won't need to do it again for a long time. It will be enough to be kept with the strop and maybe a stone. I also own this stone. I can remember it was a good quality and pricey one.

I still have a merely new strop that was only [wrongly] used once or twice spreading the original Filarmónica softener paste on one of its sides. So, the other one is still brand new and clean. I think that using a good fine grain diamond paste (0,1) on one side might be enough to keep it sharpened. I don't want to mess with different grain sizes and strops if I can avoid it. On the clean side I would prepare the razor for the pasted side. Is this strop better or worse than the leather hanging one? Is it a proper plan? I guess that the paste I currently have must be in bad conditions after 15 years or so in a [dry] box.

I want to do the things the best I can but do not make it too unnecessarily complicated and difficult. If one paste is enough for a good result, I prefer to simplify. If this stone is only for skilled sharpeners, I prefer to take it to the shop every now and then. If with this two sides strop can manage it all, that's what I want. In other words, i want to find a balance between effectiveness and simplicity.

Look forward to your concerns, corrections and suggestions.

Regards.

welcome to srp

you can strop the razor on the clean side, that's not for preparation, it's for final stropping before the edge goes on your face. i am not familiar with that paste, but if it's abrasive you need to get it out completely from the leather before putting in a finer abrasive, it's not too easy and i wouldn't bother.

your hone is quite good, it's belgian combination hone, and you probably want to lap it for good measure, just to be sure. but you don't need to wory about hones and abrasives for a while.

Welcome back to straights!

Looks like you made some fine choices in equipment when you purchased them years ago! :)

I'm sure you will enjoy them, and if not, I'd be glad to take em off your hands :nj

Quote:

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Originally Posted by avatar1999

Welcome back to straights!

Looks like you made some fine choices in equipment when you purchased them years ago! :)

I'm sure you will enjoy them, and if not, I'd be glad to take em off your hands :nj

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Hi,

I am self amazed. I never thought I could have made such a sharp choice beck in '95. No jokes now, I am proud of being back to razors, though my prior experience was limited to a couple of shaves and a few cuts.

Let's stay in touch.

You have some excellent equipment there my friend… or should I say "premium equipment" for straight shaving.

Now all you need is the patience and will to put them to work.
Most razor manufacturers would sell razors that were sharp, that is, it could cut you if you rubbed it the wrong way. But they were never “shaving sharp” out the box so the customer would have to sharpen it before it could be used to shave…. In comes the hone.

If you want to go this the hard way you could hone it your self, however it is easier to have someone who knows what he is doing sharpen the razor with the hone for you, then all you need to do is strop the razor on the clean side of the strop before each shave. At some point, the clean side will not sharpen the edge like it once did, so you use the pasted side to bring the edge back, then the clean side again before each shave to keep the edge sharp (you don’t use the pasted side often). Depending on your type of whiskers, this “cycle” would be good for a few months (or longer) before it will need to visit the hone again.

If you prefer to hone it your self at that time then you will most likely use the yellow side of the hone to re-sharpen the razor, then strop on the clean side of the strop and you should be good for another few months (or longer). However as advised in a previous post you may need to lap the hone before you hone the razor. Get yourself some 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper and a perfectly flat surface such as a sheet of glass or kitchen counter top, put the paper on the flat surface and sprinkle some water and rub the stone until the stone’s surface is nice and smooth, do this to both sides of the hone.

There are plenty of posts on honing, stropping, and lapping in the Wiki here are a few links... please give them a read through before you do anything, and don't be afraid to ask about anything that's not clear to you... we are all more than happy to help:
Beginner's guide to straight razor shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki
Category:Straight Razor Maintenance - Honing & Stropping - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Interestingly, I cannot find any reference to your strop in the Wiki, however if I am not mistaken, your strop is what’s called a “paddle strop” and the principle of use is the same, so give this link about hanging strops a read through.
Razor stropping - Straight Razor Place Wiki

I hope this helps my friend.

Welcome. That is very nice razor. Stay at it and I think you will come to love this style of shaving.

Welcome to SRP! Like you I used a straight 20 years ago, took a break, and now I'm back. :) This time around it is much more enjoyable, due to the education received here at SRP. Make sure you take a look at the excellent documentation here, especially the Beginners Guide.

Straight Razor Place Wiki:Books/Beginners Guide - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Good luck with your return to straight shaving. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by smythe

You have some excellent equipment there my friend… or should I say "premium equipment" for straight shaving.

Now all you need is the patience and will to put them to work.
Most razor manufacturers would sell razors that were sharp, that is, it could cut you if you rubbed it the wrong way. But they were never “shaving sharp” out the box so the customer would have to sharpen it before it could be used to shave…. In comes the hone.

If you want to go this the hard way you could hone it your self, however it is easier to have someone who knows what he is doing sharpen the razor with the hone for you, then all you need to do is strop the razor on the clean side of the strop before each shave. At some point, the clean side will not sharpen the edge like it once did, so you use the pasted side to bring the edge back, then the clean side again before each shave to keep the edge sharp (you don’t use the pasted side often). Depending on your type of whiskers, this “cycle” would be good for a few months (or longer) before it will need to visit the hone again.

If you prefer to hone it your self at that time then you will most likely use the yellow side of the hone to re-sharpen the razor, then strop on the clean side of the strop and you should be good for another few months (or longer). However as advised in a previous post you may need to lap the hone before you hone the razor. Get yourself some 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper and a perfectly flat surface such as a sheet of glass or kitchen counter top, put the paper on the flat surface and sprinkle some water and rub the stone until the stone’s surface is nice and smooth, do this to both sides of the hone.

There are plenty of posts on honing, stropping, and lapping in the Wiki here are a few links... please give them a read through before you do anything, and don't be afraid to ask about anything that's not clear to you... we are all more than happy to help:
Beginner's guide to straight razor shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki
Category:Straight Razor Maintenance - Honing & Stropping - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Interestingly, I cannot find any reference to your strop in the Wiki, however if I am not mistaken, your strop is what’s called a “paddle strop” and the principle of use is the same, so give this link about hanging strops a read through.
Razor stropping - Straight Razor Place Wiki

I hope this helps my friend.

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Hi, Smythe,
Thanks for your help and kindness. Very clarifying indeed.
I start seeing how it works. I must strop before every shave, touch up with paste once in a while.
Can honing with a stone replace or complement the pasted strop? Can you forget stone honing and let it for the honemeister?
If I decide a pasted stropping to keep the sharpness, should I use different grain size? Diamond perhaps?
I would prefer using a single padded strop with paste on one side and clean on the other to avoid excessiveness in tools and substances.
If not, I would use two leather strops, pasted and clean.
Do you agree?
Regards.

there are many ways to keep the razor sharp. the paste that you have on the strop may be sufficient, or may be not.
since pastes tend to round the bevel if after a while you decide to use the hone you will need to use slurry on it to cut faster.

but as I already said, get your razor sharp and worry about honing later. you already gave up once, may be you'll give up again before your razor needs a touch up.

Welcome to SRP. I am another one who tried straight razor shaving many years ago and gave it up. Through the resources provided by SRP and with the help of the members here I have learned to use and maintain my straight razor. Stick with it and you will too. Lovely razor and hone you have there. :gl:

Hi Cristobal,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cristobal41

Regarding the razor, I am very happy with my venerable Filarmónica Sello Oro 13, an old Spanish quality razors maker that I think that has already disappeared. I must take it to be sharpened by a dedicated sharpener. Once it is perfect, I won't need to do it again for a long time. It will be enough to be kept with the strop and maybe a stone. I also own this stone. I can remember it was a good quality and pricey one.

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That razor is considered premium grade. Filharmónica indeed ceased production, and their razors fetch high prices nowadays. Not your concern, but that razor has been a good investment.:)
They take great edges that have a reputation for shaving very soft.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cristobal41

I still have a merely new strop that was only [wrongly] used once or twice spreading the original Filarmónica softener paste on one of its sides. So, the other one is still brand new and clean. I think that using a good fine grain diamond paste (0,1) on one side might be enough to keep it sharpened. I don't want to mess with different grain sizes and strops if I can avoid it. On the clean side I would prepare the razor for the pasted side. Is this strop better or worse than the leather hanging one? Is it a proper plan? I guess that the paste I currently have must be in bad conditions after 15 years or so in a [dry] box.

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The general consensus is that a razor needs to be stropped on a clean leather strop before each use. (the typical job to do while the lather on your face is busy softening your beard).
Most people do that on a hanging strop, and I believe it yields the best results.
The loop strop you own, is excellent for applying sharpening paste. With this paste you can revive the edge, if regular stropping on clean leather no longer succeeds in getting the razor in perfect shaving condition.
However, seeing the beautiful hone you have, you could use that for doing the same job.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cristobal41

I want to do the things the best I can but do not make it too unnecessarily complicated and difficult. If one paste is enough for a good result, I prefer to simplify. If this stone is only for skilled sharpeners, I prefer to take it to the shop every now and then. If with this two sides strop can manage it all, that's what I want. In other words, i want to find a balance between effectiveness and simplicity.

---

With paste on a strop, you'll be able to keep the razor in shaving condition for a long time. But eventually, it would need resharpening by someone who knows how to do that.
With your Coticule hone, you could probably (depending a bit on the abrassiveness of your beard) keep the razor in shaving condition forever.

Best regards,
Bart.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cristobal41

Hi, Smythe,
Thanks for your help and kindness. Very clarifying indeed.
I start seeing how it works. I must strop before every shave, touch up with paste once in a while.
Can honing with a stone replace or complement the pasted strop? Can you forget stone honing and let it for the honemeister?
If I decide a pasted stropping to keep the sharpness, should I use different grain size? Diamond perhaps?
I would prefer using a single padded strop with paste on one side and clean on the other to avoid excessiveness in tools and substances.
If not, I would use two leather strops, pasted and clean.
Do you agree?
Regards.

---

Yes, the hone can replace the pasted strop; in fact, it is the preferred method to sharpen (touch-up) the edge when the strop no longer does (pasted strops, if used often enough will round the razors edge which will then require more agresive honing to get the edge back when the time comes).

Yes, you may send it out to a honemeister, he will put on an initial shaving edge and return it (some folks will do this free of cost, others charge around $20), then you only need to strop before each shave to keep it sharp for some time… and you may return to the honemeister again for a touch-up when needed… in fact, some folks don’t hone there own razors at all, they simply send the razor to the honemeister when needed.

The strop you have should be just fine, and even though the paste is over 15 years old it should still be good to go... (a little baby oil will get it flowing again). My only concern is, I think your strop may be a bit short... but that's my opinion, there are folks who do just fine with that strop.
But you could replace it with a hanging strop. Most good hanging strops will also come with a linen strop, and if at some point in the future you decide, you may put paste on the linen strop and keep the leather clean.

Just a note on getting your razor shapened-- I've heard some stories on the forum here about folks taking their razors to knife shops to be sharpened-- with pretty terrible results. Probably the best way to get your razor initially sharp is to look at the classified ads here and send it to one of the honemeisters.

When you get it back, don't strop it the very first time. This is to ensure you know what shaving with a properly sharpened razor feels like (sometimes a new person will get a newly sharpened razor back, then strop it incorrectly and roll the edge). After the first shave, you must strop the razor before every shave. Be sure to read up on how to strop your razor correctly.

As mentioned before, since you have a really nice hone, forget using the pasted strop. It looks like you have a coticule hone, there is a really good article on the wiki on how to use that particular one.

-Chief

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BHChieftain

Just a note on getting your razor shapened-- I've heard some stories on the forum here about folks taking their razors to knife shops to be sharpened-- with pretty terrible results. Probably the best way to get your razor initially sharp is to look at the classified ads here and send it to one of the honemeisters.

When you get it back, don't strop it the very first time. This is to ensure you know what shaving with a properly sharpened razor feels like (sometimes a new person will get a newly sharpened razor back, then strop it incorrectly and roll the edge). After the first shave, you must strop the razor before every shave. Be sure to read up on how to strop your razor correctly.

As mentioned before, since you have a really nice hone, forget using the pasted strop. It looks like you have a coticule hone, there is a really good article on the wiki on how to use that particular one.

-Chief

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Thanks for your clever advise. I will follow it all.
Regards.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Welcome to SRP. I am another one who tried straight razor shaving many years ago and gave it up. Through the resources provided by SRP and with the help of the members here I have learned to use and maintain my straight razor. Stick with it and you will too. Lovely razor and hone you have there. :gl:

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Thanks for your comments. I am absolutely decided to star all aover again except with honing. Though I have a brand new Belgian stone, I dare to slap it to let it evenly flattened, I don't dare to keep the edge of my razor after the honemeister did his job on it. I would like to be able to keep the sharpness and soften it with the strop, but using the Belgian scares me a bit. I love my razor, specially after your comments and I don't want to damage it due to my ignorance.
Concerns, please.

Regards.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cristobal41

Thanks for your comments. I am absolutely decided to star all aover again except with honing. Though I have a brand new Belgian stone, I dare to slap it to let it evenly flattened, I don't dare to keep the edge of my razor after the honemeister did his job on it. I would like to be able to keep the sharpness and soften it with the strop, but using the Belgian scares me a bit. I love my razor, specially after your comments and I don't want to damage it due to my ignorance.
Concerns, please.

Regards.

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If you think that someday you might want to learn to sharpen your own razor without sending it out, check on ebay and pick up a cheap little razor on there. That way you can practice the technique withfear of messing up your shaver's edge.

I've sharpened my own knives for years, and honestly, other than restoring a completely dull edge, maintaining and "touching up" the edge is VERY easy for razors. That's just my opinion tho, cause I'm sure there are many people out there that it is a challenge for. :)