Thread: New Member - Australia

Marco, Welcome! There's lots of good information and suggestions here for beginners (like myself). Enjoy!

All the shaver shops are probably different, but the one up here in Brisbane suggested sending the razor out for regrinding when it needed to be sharpened! So be a bit wary. By all means ask them, but perhaps run their answer past us before making a decision. If you are in Sydney one of our members (Onimaru - Oz) lives there and might be able to help you out with honing initially.

You generally use the smooth side of the leather to strop on.

Straights have a built-in angle determined by the width of the blade and the thickness of the spine. In this respect honing them is perhaps easier than a knife. All you do is lay the razor flat on the hone, making sure the spine and the edge are always in contact with the hone, and move the razor edge first down the stone. Generally you do one stroke, flip, and repeat on the other side to maintain even metal removal on each side of the edge. The angle takes care of itself. Uneven grinds, warping, and uneven wear on the shoulders of the spine can influence this and make things a bit trickier with vintage razors, but these are nuances that should not be a major issue if you are buying a new razor.

James.

Originally Posted by Spartigus

Hey everyone!!
Thanks for the warm welcome!!!! Im in Sydney . On a side not, i was in Adeleide over christmas visiting family, and my knife maker grandfather just moved to adeliede, doesnt have his tools there yet . And we went to this custom knife makers shop in a small German town call handaarf or something?

Ill speak to the people in the shaver shop if they offer honing services too, but i would love to learn. Iv been reading through the wikki (and was almost late to work because i got too involved lol) and it looks like an amazing thing to get into!!! Iv been reading into the honing section and it looks like a lot of fun and hard work, cant wait .

My mom has lots of experience with leather so i think she could help me out with it too , she still has all her leather making gear .

What side of the leather strip do you use? the smooth side or the other rougher side?

Also i couldn't find the answer on the wiki, but at what angle are the razors sharpened to?

You're getting good info from the kind people here already so let me just add me voice to the chorus of well wishers.

X

Hello, Marco:

Welcome to SRP.

As you can see, SRP prides itself on a cast straight razor shaving experts. I am in awe of the extent of their knowledge.

We are delighted to have you.

Regards,

Obie

Hey everyone!!! Thanks for all the info!!!

I brought a razor, brush and soap from the shop, i love it!!!! The razor we got is shaver ready, and its the Dovo brand with an ebony handle .

I get the razor Sunday (Australian time) so at the moment im reading lots, and looking for leather to make the strop. I cant wait

Welcome aboard Mate

Originally Posted by Spartigus

Hey everyone!!! Thanks for all the info!!!

I brought a razor, brush and soap from the shop, i love it!!!! The razor we got is shaver ready, and its the Dovo brand with an ebony handle .

I get the razor Sunday (Australian time) so at the moment im reading lots, and looking for leather to make the strop. I cant wait

See Jimbos post previously. There is a BIG difference between what some retailers call 'shave ready' and what most of the members here would call 'shave ready'. Be careful. Give it a shot maybe but do not be surprised if it shaves like a rusty ban saw blade.
Hopefully somebody experienced with the Sydney Shavershop can chime in and let you know how the off the shelf razors travel.
As mentioned previously, maybe contact OZ, whom is based close to you and whom is extremely talented and knowlegable on all things straight shaving.

Good Luck

G'day & welcome Marco .
Nothing much to add to all the great advice so far. Birdsalls carry all sorts of leather for your strop project but you'll have to buy a side if you want latigo. They sell veg tanned straps but I wasn't impressed with what they sent me. Better to go there & pick the best you see. Just PM if you get stuck or need a hand.

Leather, tools, dyes, belt buckles, leather craft, everything for leather crafters - Birdsall Leather

PS I don't recommend your Sharpmaker for razors either.

Yeah i get what you mean about comparison between a salesmen and the real deal. I was speaking to the lady about practicing, and she said when she was learning to be a hairdresser, they had to learn about str8 edges and how to shave with them. She said they practiced on a balloon with shaving soap, is this a valid learning tool?

Thanks for the info on birdsall , bookmarked the page .

I looked on ebay at leather, and saw these offcuts, provided i can get the right physical size, are they worth getting? Or should i order from Birdsall? I got in contact with the eBay seller and told him i planned to make a strop, so im waiting on his reply.

EDIT:
Should i make a new thread in the stropping section about the leather?

EDIT EDIT:
On a side note, are there str8 edge razor meets or something like that, where fellow str8 edge razor enthusiasts can gather, talk about razors, honing, stropping ect?

Welcome to SRP mate
Grant.