Thread: Total newbie with a Genco and a Clauss ....

From a relative newbie here, I recommend send them to one of the honemeisters here. They can check them out and get them shave ready. I have a Clauss and it is a great shaver!

I also recommend that since you don't have a strop to get one (KenRup has a good starter and the Illinois are good as well) and practice stopping (even on a wide belt if you must) while your blades are out for honing. Even with a butter knife, practice is essential unless you wish to tear up your new strop and perhaps even send your razor back for rehoning! (Don't ask me how I know).

Read the wikis, read them again. Ask questions before you leap (plenty of willing and qualified help here). Then, go back and re-read the wikis.

Have fun. Did I mention re-read the wikis?

Originally Posted by Bootstrap

Is there any particular reason not to go with Williams shaving soap, which is readily available and cheap?

I find that most shaving soaps are fairly cheap considering how long they last. It is up to you - I have never used Williams, but enjoy several others. Part of the joy of str8 shaving for me is the lather and aromas that certain soaps provide, such as bay rum, sandalwood and almond to name a few.

Originally Posted by Bootstrap

I assume that the local guy who sharpens straight razors can tell me whether I need to get the razors restored, not just honed....

Honed will get you a nice shave ready condition, provided there are no black worms/pitting at the edge.

Then it will need restoring to an extent. A competent honer with a 10-15X lens will tell you this and how much steel needs to be removed.

The other kind of restoration which is purely aesthetic is taking away all the superficial rust/pitting and taking the blade to a satin or mirror polish. This is entirely your choice as it does not affect the function; although it will certainly prevent them from worsening provided you dry them adequately after use.

Originally Posted by Bootstrap

If I had asked some questions before buying, I might have bought the razors here in classifieds, but it's too late for that now. I've already made that particular gamble, and we'll see what comes in the mail.

Is there any particular reason not to go with Williams shaving soap, which is readily available and cheap?

I assume that the local guy who sharpens straight razors can tell me whether I need to get the razors restored, not just honed....

EBay is a gamble but I think you'll be okay as long as there aren't any major cracks. It is tough to see in those pictures but I'd wager that at least one, if not both, can be shavers with a little work. Cleaning them up is a whole other issue, though.

I'm not familiar with that local guy. Unless they're an SRP member/vendor or have a senior member vouch for their service, I'd suggest sending one razor out to get honed to give you a baseline. Then take the other razor to the local guy and compare the shaves -- if it's good then you have yourself a local honemeister.

I have bought several from ebay that looked similar to yours. Based on my experience those two should work just fine. Your plan is not a bad one in my opinion, cuz that's what I did and it turned out ok. Where are you located? There may be an SRP member nearby that could help get you up to speed.