new razor is in danger

I am getting my first real razor this week. A Dovo. Since I'm making the transition from disposable blades to a real stra8 I will also be learning anout maintaining the blade, which leads to my problem.
I have read the horror stories on this site about people (even though they think they are being very careful) ruining the edge on their brand new stra8 razor due to poor honing technique. I would love to have another razor to be able to use as a backup and to compare against the one that I'm stropping, but I simply can't afford it.
I just don't want to rely on one razor and then not be able to use it because it needs to be repaired from poor stropping.
Assuming its not srtopped properly, can correct stropping fix it or does it need to be rehoned?
lastly, do the razors from SRD.com come shave ready? I just keep hearing that most razors don't ship shave ready and have to be worked on before they can be used.

most of the wendors on this site sell shave ready razors SRD sell nothing else unless you ask
sometimes you can strop it back sometimes not that depends on the damage
take it slow, keep the spine on the strop at all times and again take the time you need

if theres heavy drag on the strop make sure the pressure you use dragging the razor is consentrated on the spine

Razors from SRD will all come shave ready. Lynn Abrams (SRP founder) also started SRD, and his honing is second to none! I got a Boker Edelweisse from him and the honing was absolutely first rate..!

In terms of the stropping, the key is to roll on the spine, never the edge, and to take it slow at the start. Dont try and speed up until you are comfortable with the stroke or you may roll the edge or nick your strop. Keep the razor flat on the strop at all times.

If you want to practice stropping, get a butter knife and practice stropping that. No chance of rolled edges or nicked strops with that..! Take it slow, and you'll get there.

Also, read the Wiki if you havent already and check out the youtube videos of stropping to see how its done.

Another invaluable bit of kit is Lynn's World of Straight Razor Shaving DVD. It covers everything from honing, to restoration and shaving and I still refer to mine all the time. Its a really great resource and shows how to get these techniques down!

In the case of a rolled edge, it really depends on how much you rolled it. If it was just a little lift the one time, you can correct it with stropping and you probably wont even notice it. But if you did a real number on it and it wont shave at all, then it'll need a honing.

Dont worry too much about the stropping, its not as hard as it looks! And a bit of practice with a butter knife will really help as well..!

Good luck!

As I understand it, all SRD razors come truly shave-ready, honed by real human beings, and talented real human beings to boot, such as Lynn (he may hone all of them actually - not sure to be honest).

For your first shave, you shouldn't need to do anything. No honing, no stropping, just straight to shaving. That should give you your benchmark of what it feels like when it's in tip-top shape.

My recommendation is practice your stropping with a butter knife before hand. Read everything you can, watch lots of videos, and build the muscle memory before you try it on the razor.

If you can avoid the *huge* mistakes (dinging it on a faucet, dropping it while open, pressing down so hard you roll it badly, etc), you should be ok. Lots and lots and lots of stropping can often times mend minor damage. This was the first thing I was recommended to do when I banged up my blade. It didn't work, as the damage was too much (and, turns out, may have had as much to do with what I was using to strop as it did with how I was stropping). But I've read plenty of success stories with people bringing back a minorly dulled blade with 100+ strokes, or stropping on newspaper, etc.

As an aside from my experience having to send away my only razor because I destroyed it, I would recommend that, if you can, you invest a little in a proper strop. A Filly goes for 20 bucks and SRD has some pretty cheap packages.

Christian, the razor will come shave ready from SRD. Learning to strop a razor is a bit intimidating but this 1961 barber manual excerpt from the SRP Wiki here can get you started correctly. The stropping instruction is in the last couple of pages. The honing part is very good too but you shouldn't need to worry about that for awhile if all goes well.

Pay attention to their instruction to hold the razor between the tips of the thumb and forefinger. Begin by learning to flip the razor before you move your arm in the stropping motion. If you feel more comfortable using a butter knife or some such to begin with until you get the motion down there is nothing wrong with that. :gl:

Go with the Stropping Wiki.

I found this part particularly useful: Razor stropping - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Click on and listen to those sound clips, then watch the videos. The one of Seraphim is really a good visual; as he shows, the whole "no pressure whatsoever, lighter than air" doesn't work for everyone.. I personally use a small amount of pressure, just enough to see the blade SLIGHTLY deflecting the strop (it should ONLY deflect at the razors spine, you NEVER want deflection around the edge!)

Good luck!

Cheers,
Jeremy

salazch,

As the previous posts indicate, if you are getting your str8 razor from SRD, you needn't worry about it being shave ready when you receive it. In fact, for your first shave you may want to just skip the stropping and shave with it.

First and foremost, consult the SRP wiki...It contains video lessons on proper stropping technique that will be useful.

Second, consider purchasing a copy of Lynn's "World of Straight Razor Shaving. I found it to be an invaluable tutorial for me with respect to stropping, shaving, etc.

Third, go slow when shaving with your str8 razor. Don't try to shave your entire face. Do as Lynn says. Shave one side of your face, either the left or the right, depending on whether you are left or right handed.

Finally, try to avoid rinsing your razor while shaving to avoid chipping it on your bathroom faucet. Use a thick hand or bath towel to wipe the blade while shaving and avoid cutting yourself when doing so.

Afterwards, carefully rinse the blade of your razor, dry it with the bath/hand towel and consider applying a little mineral oil on the blade with a rag or a Q-tip every couple of days or so to prevent rusting.

I hope these suggestions help. Take care and have fun with your new Dovo.

Is it ok to not strop it for a few shaves? or is it best to strop before and after? i've heard everything from 'only use 40 passes' to '100 passes'. I just get conflicting info.

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Originally Posted by salazch

Is it ok to not strop it for a few shaves? or is it best to strop before and after? i've heard everything from 'only use 40 passes' to '100 passes'. I just get conflicting info.

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I do 50 linen and 50 leather before and 20 leather afterwards. Every day. So far so good. If you are going to shave with a straight you will have to learn to strop so you may as well do it however many passes you decide is right for you.

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Originally Posted by salazch

Is it ok to not strop it for a few shaves? or is it best to strop before and after? i've heard everything from 'only use 40 passes' to '100 passes'. I just get conflicting info.

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Zack,

You'll always get "conflicting" information here as everyone's approach to shaving and prep is their own, unique, as it were. Almost all will agree that stropping before shaving is essential for both quality of shave and maintenance of the edge. Now just how many strokes are needed, and on what, is wherein lies the fun. I'd start with 20-30 on the fabric followed by 20-30 on the leather. I use more, but am accustomed to stropping, so more is not daunting for me. I'm also trying to see if lots of many strokes on linen will postpone honing -- and it seems to be working in that direction although for this is for the possibly somewhat softer, but which may be more abrasion resistant, stainless steel.

If you find that you have bolloxed things up with compromized stropping and you need to send the razor back to Lynn for therapy, lemme know via a PM and I'll loan you a Dovo Best 6/8. I've honed it myself, I don't do it for others so the meisters needn't worry, but it does shave well.

:beer2:

So with this razor do i definitely want to get the strop, or just learn to use it and get the strop later?

salazch,

Yes, get the strop...Even if its been professionally honed and is shave ready, you'll need to strop your razor before your second and subsequent shaves. Just go slow, turning the blade on its spine for 20-30 passes at first and you'll be ok. I started with 20-30 myself.

Later, after a few shaves and some practice with the strop you'll have the confidence to increase the number of passes on both the linen and the leather of your strop. Be patient. Don't try to replicate immediately what SRP members who have been str8 razor shaving much longer than you have. You'll get there eventually.

Now I do 50 passes on both the linen and the leather--and I've only been at this since Christmas of last year.

Take care...

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Originally Posted by salazch

So with this razor do i definitely want to get the strop, or just learn to use it and get the strop later?

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You definitely need a strop. Good luck.

I just got my razor and strop today. I'm just afraid to strop it because i'm afraid to harm this beautiful shave ready blade.

Like the ad says: Just do it.

As some others have said, you can practice with a butter knife and just take your time. Don't imitate the barbers you see on TV and in the movies. Go slow at first and speed will come later.

BTW, shave with it before stropping to see what a sharp, undamaged blade feels like on your face. If you do mess it up stropping you'll know right away, and some minor stropping problems can be stropped back out. If not it can be easily honed back into shape.

Just hang in there and the details will fall into place. It's a learning curve we've all been through, or in my case still going through. :)