Getting Started on the Cheap

Hello,
Like some of you in this forum I am an SR newbie. While I’ve enjoyed using a cup and brush for many years I’ve just made the leap to the straight razor. In the past month I’ve acquired three razors; one from eBay, one from craigslist and one from an SRP member. All were in need of help, none of which would even cut the hair on my arm (shall we say, butter knife blunt). I don’t own any of the proper hones or stones and my Tony Miller strop hasn't arrived yet. I was excited to get started but not having the right equipment I had to go into MacGyver mode.:thinking:

I’ve been a woodworker for many years and have sharpened tons of hand tools, so I know some things about putting an edge on steel but not to the extent of a razor (although you can shave your arm with one of my plane irons). So I got industrious (might I add primitive) and got out some 1200 and 2000 grit wetordry sandpaper and an old pair of denim blue jeans. After taping a piece of each paper to a counter top and wetting them down I went to work. I used the pyramid honing method and a very light touch between the two papers and the jeans for stropping. After some effort I actually got all three razors to pass the HHT and they shave GREAT.:)

I don’t mean to imply that this is by any means the correct way to take care of your razors but it did work for me, at least enough to get started. My real strop will be here tomorrow and I surely intend to get a real hone. In the mean time this is getting me by.:tu

One more thing I’ve learned… pink lather is bad.:(

Best of luck and skill to all.

Pelkey

welcome to srp

the razor may shave you but it won't be very comfortable. the edge needs to be better than such sandpaper can produce.
if you look through old posts you'll probably find that people like randydance use successfully sandpaper to clean up the edge and set a rough bevel. may be worth taking a look at these, iirc a curved surface helps.
other than that it would have been better to get one razor that it already honed properly, but you can always do that, or send one of your current ones for honing.

Thanks for the welcome.

My intension is to send the razors off to Lynn and let him work his magic on them. Referring back to the tool sharpening, I completely understand the need for an edge to be properly honed before it can do its job correctly. As I said, I know this is not the correct way to care for one's razors but it was a way to start and allowed me to get some, albeit imperfect, experience. Let's just say that this got me far enough to see if I wanted to go even further (which I most certainly do).

Ah yes, off in the distance I can hear that perfectly sharpened Dovo Perlex from Lynn calling my name.:y

Interestingly I think if you used American or European grit-rated paper you took it up to the Norton 8k level, but I agree with Gugi that even at this level sandpaper is not designed to sharpen it is designed to abrade and I bet its not to good on the edge (microchips?).

Hi Khaos,

I agree that the sandpaper is undoubtedly not as smooth a cutting/polishing surface as a true water stone even though a profilometer may register a similar surface profile. I'm guessing it probably has to do with the compactness of the particulate materials. More space between the pieces on the sandpaper would allow the metal edge to catch them and put micro-chips in the steel.

I've got a 12K Chinese and a 4K/8K Norton on their way. I'm a habitual tinkerer and enjoy sharpening (I used to part-own an industrial tool sharpening business with 13 employees). Add to that a touch of perfectionism and I think you can see where I'm heading.

As Gugi suggested I will have at least one of my razors honed by Lynn so I have a bench mark to work from. I like to learn all facets of any new interest. My attitude is "in for a penny, in for a pound".

Thanks for the input. It's always appreciated.

Pelkey

If you're such a sharpening buff I think you won't be satisfied with just those rocks! I'm sure in a few weeks or months you'll have quite a few more lol. Keep up the great work! I wasn't trying to be critical just putting in my .02

No criticism taken my friend.:)
And you're probably right about getting more stones. For me it's always been more tools is better tools.

Pelkey

Welcome to SRP. The norton is a darn good workhorse and the chi 12k is no slouch either. Look forward to hearing how your honing goes once you have 'em. :beer1:

Hi Jimmy,

Thanks for the reply, welcome and encouragement. I will certainly let you all know about my progress. I'll probably never become a honemeister but I'll sure have a lot of fun trying.

BTW, the first line in your signature has been some of the best advice I've ever gotten. God bless old barbers. I've enjoyed reading yours posts.:tu

Best wishes - Pelkey

They are indeed wise words... I'll tell you a secret. I read that way back when, and listened to it, and while I took my share of cuts and nicks on the learning curve, and still get nipped once a month or so as a reminder, I feel like I get less nicks too. Thats damn good advise.

Well I promised an update after getting my stones.

I worked on all three razors yesterday using all three grits (4K, 8K 12K), a polish honing on newsprint (I plan to make a hard felt pad for diamond spray) then finished up with a good latigo stropping. All of them passed the HHT right off the 8K hone.

The shave this morning was incredible. Effortless, totally BBS and no nicks. I guess I've moved beyond the "cheap" stage. I love interactive hobbies. :)

Pelkey

I wonder if shaving off a 2k grit might help newbies with learning the correct pressure. It seems that rough of an edge would really reach out and get you if one got a little heavy with the pressure. All I can say is what a man, might of well just used your bowie knife. :tu

You might be onto something. You sure get a lot more nicks with a dull razor than a sharp one. I think the natural tendency must be to push harder thinking that you're not getting a good shave because of your technique instead of it being a dull razor. I know it was for me. But when those babies are really sharp it doesn't take any pressure at all. Totally a night and day difference.

I wonder how many people have tried a SR only to be discouraged by nicks, cuts, razor burn and overall lousy shaves and have given up. For me if it hadn't been for SRP and a lot of reading I might have given up too. There's a lot to learn, it's not just whipping out your Mach 3 and having at it. But I'll say this after having held a piece of cold steel to my face every morning for the past 40 years... I'm sure having a good time learning.

Pelkey

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jasongreat

I wonder if shaving off a 2k grit might help newbies with learning the correct pressure. It seems that rough of an edge would really reach out and get you if one got a little heavy with the pressure.

---

You seem like a good candidate to test this, let us know if you decide to give it a shot ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gugi

You seem like a good candidate to test this, let us know if you decide to give it a shot ;)

---

Funny thing is I am no longer wondering about that, now that its time to put up or shut up.:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bobpell

I think the natural tendency must be to push harder thinking that you're not getting a good shave because of your technique instead of it being a dull razor. I know it was for me. But when those babies are really sharp it doesn't take any pressure at all. Totally a night and day difference.

I wonder how many people have tried a SR only to be discouraged by nicks, cuts, razor burn and overall lousy shaves and have given up.

---

Yeah, and the thing is that even if the razor is sharp if you don't use it correctly pressing harder will make it shave worse. Getting a razor prepared by somebody with experience easily removes the razor component of this, so that's the standard recommendation here.
And in your case the razor being a problem was very clear because of how you honed it :) Good thing you were able to fix that.

There are many new guys that get discouraged by bad equipment. In some cases I've seen the stuff they were using and it was just terrible. I'm glad they gave up instead of trying to shave with those edges, even though it would've been better to have gotten a good edge instead.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jasongreat

Funny thing is I am no longer wondering about that, now that its time to put up or shut up.:)

---

LOL, there are many great mysteries in life :)

i have been trying to hone my own razors with less then desirable results
finally got a few sent out for honing now
as a comparison i bought a shavette while i wait and for me that feels like a really smooth blade

im not sure all those small cuts and all that irritation is the best way to learn tho

actually im pretty sure its not