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!

Congrats on your purchase and good luck with tomorrow's shave. The pasted side of the strop should not be needed until you feel the blade tugging while shaving. With proper care when stropping, wiping the later off and shaving this can be anywhere from 6 wks to 3 months or more. With a pasted strop you may be able to hold off on getting a barber's hone, which should be all you'll need to maintain this shave ready razor or other shave ready razors you may aquire :) I would suggest not stropping the razor before your first shave so that you can get one shave in before your stropping technique may have an effect on the edge. When stropping be very cautious not to lift the spine(non cutting side) off the strop while the edge is in contact. If you do, it may result in a rolled edge. Practice with a butter knife just flipping the blade over until you get that down w/o lifting the spine. Then add edge trailing strokes with the butter knife until you get that down. Then you can strop your razor w/o ctoo much concern. You will probably be able to get a few shaves in w/o stropping till you get your technique down even though we suggest stropping before each shave. When starting out it's safer to get your stropping down w/o rolling the edge than a perfect shave, which is a wile off anyway. Good luck!

Thanks for the speedy reply and the tips!

I mistakenly ordered a Zeepk set from eBay (I know, I know... horrible) so I've been using the blade and strop from that junk set to practice my stropping form (I'm not taking that letter opener to my face though), but I will shave with the Gold Dollar tomorrow morning without stropping the blade so I have a baseline for the feel of the edge.

I have already worked it out to where I don't roll the blade over edge-side while stropping, though I did manage to put 2 very tiny, almost unnoticeable, nicks in the Zeepk strop while practicing at first. However, I think I'm able to keep the spine consistently flat on the strop during the strokes now.

When it comes to stropping technique is it best to pull the strop as taught as possible so that it doesn't sag during the stroke?

You will find these two Wiki articles useful: Razor stropping - Straight Razor Place Wiki and What hone(s) do I need? - Straight Razor Place Wiki. The latter contains valuable information on CrO paste, too.

Thanks for pointing me to those Wiki articles! I found the videos and pictures in the stropping Wiki especially helpful :) Answered my questions perfectly!

Is this going to be your first ever str8 razor shave? If it is please don't do what I did the first time. I tried to shave my whole face (WTG) and it was a painful disaster. Follow Flynn's advice in the First straight razor shave - Straight Razor Place Wiki article. You have years to use your razor. But only a limited supply of skin and blood.

If i can make a recommendation, i have a filly and its a great strop, but really i dint like touching up on the backside for some reason , thats just my preference so i made me a pasted paddle strop(spent 5 bucks in total) and got some chrome ox form Chris L. for 4 bucks, now i use it when i feel that the razor is starting to tug( Ive had one of my razors for about 3 months and still dont need a touch up) after awhile once the Chrome ox doesnt really work anymore then try touching up on a barber hone, should be all u need, good luck!!!

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Originally Posted by setomlin

Thanks for the speedy reply and the tips!

I mistakenly ordered a Zeepk set from eBay (I know, I know... horrible) so I've been using the blade and strop from that junk set to practice my stropping form (I'm not taking that letter opener to my face though), but I will shave with the Gold Dollar tomorrow morning without stropping the blade so I have a baseline for the feel of the edge.

I have already worked it out to where I don't roll the blade over edge-side while stropping, though I did manage to put 2 very tiny, almost unnoticeable, nicks in the Zeepk strop while practicing at first. However, I think I'm able to keep the spine consistently flat on the strop during the strokes now.

When it comes to stropping technique is it best to pull the strop as taught as possible so that it doesn't sag during the stroke?

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In reference to your question...Yes, keep your strop taut. When you strop your razor, the strop will tend to bow a little bit in the middle anyway.

BTW...Use a light pressure--just the weight of the razor--to hold your razor on the strop. There is no need to bear down too heavily on your razor or your strop.

Good luck chief--and smooth shaving...

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Originally Posted by salazch

You have years to use your razor. But only a limited supply of skin and blood.

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Well, not really, skin and blood is infinite within one's lifetime. :)

I use my CrOx pasted strop about once every three months, but strop on linen then leather about twice a week. When I strop, it only deflects about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by salazch

Is this going to be your first ever str8 razor shave? If it is please don't do what I did the first time. I tried to shave my whole face (WTG) and it was a painful disaster. Follow Flynn's advice in the First straight razor shave - Straight Razor Place Wiki article. You have years to use your razor. But only a limited supply of skin and blood.

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I have had a bit of experience, but not with a typical straight. I've been using some Japanese disposable straights for about a year, this thread explains it http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ave-sorta.html and has pictures of the shavers.

Thanks thewatermark for your recommendation, I'll keep that in mind for when it comes to touching up the edge. Going to keep my eye on the classifieds here for a barber hone too, or post a WTB ad in that section.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice and support! First shave went well as you can read in the link above!

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Originally Posted by Hydaral

I use my CrOx pasted strop about once every three months, but strop on linen then leather about twice a week. When I strop, it only deflects about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch.

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Looks like I'm pretty bad at estimating distances, I just stropped a razor last night and the strop doesn't even deflect 1/8 inch.