Lots of questions

I was going to try and stick these in the relevant threads but figured it might easier to just lump them into a new thread and ramble a lot instead of bumping loads of threads.

Strops:

Will I see much of a benefit from getting something with a cotton/linen side? I've got a Tony Miller latigo hanging strop, basically just a piece of leather, I can't remember what it was called and it doesn't seem to be on his site anymore. One side rough leather the other smooth. I do find that stropping on the rougher side before moving on to the smooth side to be beneficial, just wondering if things will improve much with some cotton or linen. Also if I do go for the cotton/linen option do I use the rough leather before, after or never?
I was gifted a rather old looking bench strop with my first straight razor, the leather side is still usable but the material side is unfortunately badly warped. It certainly gives a different edge to the latigo, I've not yet decided which I prefer. Being only about six inches long it does prolong the stropping process but it's nice to know that I've got something I can loan out friends along with a straight, and I do enjoy simply using something with a good few years on it.

Hones:

Can one determine the grit size of an unknown hone easily, roughly? maybe buying a loupe? I've got plenty grits of syringe diamond pastes to compare it with. Will I get a rough idea of the grit by playing around with an ebay special, the hone and a load of diamond grits on balsa or somesuch?
My dad gave me a hone he has had lying around for years, he can't recall what it was bought for. One side does appear to be on the rough side but the other appears to be pretty smooth. I was thinking about buying the king combo stone but now I'm quite keen to know roughly what I've got first. I'm thinking if the fine side is around the 1000 mark then I could use the money I was planning on buying a king combo 1k/6k and a thungarian with to get a small coticule - all I've got atm is a Chinese 12k. I'm the UK and the Norton combo seems rather expensive.

Oil:

I've got plenty clove oil, tea tree oil, olive oil etc around the house. Should I buy something else? how regularly should I be oiling the blade and should I be wiping it all off before I shave, or before I strop, or at all - would the strop like a little oil? The longest a straight is likely to be left unused is a few weeks.

Steel:

I've only got two straights, one a Blue Fox San Antonio Texas, (Germany) 5/8th Spike Point I bought here, the other a Mappin Brothers 3 shilling wedge, barber's notch from Sheffield, I recently bought at B&B. Any ideas on what sort of steel these are? Carbon or stainless?
As a bonus, and to keep my dad happy, anyone know roughly when the Sheffield, almost wedge, might have been made? My web-fu on Mappin Brothers is giving me a 200yr leeway

Apologies for lurking so long and then posting tons of questions.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Proinsias

I was going to try and stick these in the relevant threads but figured it might easier to just lump them into a new thread and ramble a lot instead of bumping loads of threads.

You really should post your questions in the places where they will get the most attention, you'll get more info and probably better info that way.

Strops:

Will I see much of a benefit from getting something with a cotton/linen side? I've got a Tony Miller latigo hanging strop, basically just a piece of leather, I can't remember what it was called and it doesn't seem to be on his site anymore.

Many like having the other side and swear by it, but as with almost everything in straight razor land YMMV. If you have the funds and desire go for it.

Hones:

Can one determine the grit size of an unknown hone easily, roughly? maybe buying a loupe? I've got plenty grits of syringe diamond pastes to compare it with. Will I get a rough idea of the grit by playing around with an ebay special, the hone and a load of diamond grits on balsa or somesuch?

Depends on the stone... if it's really course you can tell that it's course pretty easily, but it gets really tough as you get into finer stones...you can do scratch tests on something like a steel washer, or a knife. I'd be surprised if it is good for anything other than rough work though

Oil:

how regularly should I be oiling the blade and should I be wiping it all off before I shave, or before I strop, or at all

I keep my razors dry and in use, so I don't use oil much. I would wipe it off though before touching the strop (but that's me). some guys oil their strops from time to time with a leather conditioning oil, but I have yet to do that... again YMMV

Steel:

probably carbon steel blades, don't know about the dates without looking them up.

Apologies for lurking so long and then posting tons of questions.

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Good luck, I would highly recommend a trip to the wiki... lots of great info there

It would be best to post pics of what you have along with the decriptions of any words/ writing on those items. That will help.

Do you NEED a fabric component with your strop? NO. There's much debate on how effective it is. My theory is it gives you a warm up lap so when you hot the leather you're primed and get a "better" edge, due to your better stropping because you took a practice lap. Again, that's MY crazy theory.

If you think the stone your Dad gave you is around 1000, that's considered fairly rough grit to shave off. Most finish at 8000 and up. 12K and 16 K more often. Big jump from 1000, which is common for setting the bevel.

Seems the other choices of stones you want are good. But...honestly....wait a while. I mean, no need to hone if you don't know how to shave. You won't know what's supposed to feel right or this and that. And, honing will go into what you want to do...restore, touch up, finish....

It is my understanding that the oil is to prevent rusting. This is typically used for razors that would be placed in storage or not used. Surely, oiling whenever can't hurt it, but may prove pointless. I dunno. You were talking about oil for a blade, right?