Thread: A newbie's question about my first decent strop and razor.

Hello there SRP

I am expecting to receive my first decent, proper straight razor and strop set today, ordered from RupRazor. Here's a link to the kit for those that are curious RupRazor - Gold Dollar Razor and Filly Strop.

In my eager anticipation of the arrival and tomorrow morning's shave, I've been carefully reading the description of the item over and over (and over and over and over and over....) again, and I discovered that I have a question about the strop.

The item description says (concerning the strop) "...The rough side is treated with 0.5µ chromium oxide for the occasional edge tune up."

When should I expect to have to use this side, and how many strokes on this side would be sufficient when it is needed?

Also, a somewhat unrelated question. I don't *plan* on becoming a collector or a honemeister but I would like to be able to touch up the edge of a daily shaving razor when I am ready to be doing this (not straight away - I've been cautioned against learning to shave with a straight and hone a straight at the same time). For this purpose, would a barber hone be the only stone I need? I think I read something to that effect in one of Lynn's articles on honing.

Thanks in advance for the usual polite and helpful advice I find here!