Thread: need some help....again....

okay folks - so I reckon I am still a newbie here I thought I was making good process but apparently I was attempting to put the cart ahead of the horses again. Well I got two straight razors for Christmas and one of them is dull as a coffee cup and the other one seems to be sharp enough for the HHT. I have put together a homemade strop out of an old leather belt with rubbing compound applied to the strips as instructed from I believe a reliable friend. I have examined the blade itself and do not see any blunting on it and have stropped it as best I can, keeping it flat on the strop, very little pressure applied and 5 complete passes of the razor. However I always end up going back to my shavette because the edge does not seem to be holding on the straight razor at all. What am I doing wrong here????

Lots of variables to consider in there. A little detail as to the strop and compound would be useful. Did the razor that passes the HHT come from a source that said 'shave ready'? If it's straight from the factory it almost certainly isn't and would benefit from a proper honing as could the other one. What are the razors? Some brands will never hold an edge (eg Zeepk).

The technique for a true straight as opposed to a Shavette differs. I've never used one but some of the differences between the two tools are gone into here. Equally there are some great articles on shaving with a straight on this page. Good luck and keep asking questions. Others will chip in soon, I'm sure.

i dont see you mention 20+ passes on a clean strop?

I seem to understand to keep my distance from ZEEPK...thanks though....and as far as the number of passes I have read and heard that 5 should be plenty...perhaps that is bad information though....

Originally Posted by jcash1

....and as far as the number of passes I have read and heard that 5 should be plenty...perhaps that is bad information though....

For optimal results you are going to need more than 5 passes on the strop. Most of us typically use between 20 and 60 passes on unpasted leather before shaving. Also, using a strop pasted with rubbing compound every shave may actually be damaging your edge instead of making it keener.

I would recommend getting a fresh strop and changing your routine to incorporate a lot more passes (on the razor that you think seems sharp enough). Then, send the dull razor to a pro for honing. Without a truly shave ready razor to use as a reference it's pretty tough to know where the problems are coming from as you are learning to use your straights.

Bill is giving you the right info. Buy a real strop with a canvas, linen or fabric and a leather component. Do not apply any paste or compound and do 50 linen and 50 leather. Here is the 1961 barber manual excerpt. The last couple of pages are on how to strop correctly and the first part on honing. Send the razors out to a pro and all will be well soon enough.