Thread: New to the site

Hey guys thanks again for the welcome and I'm looking forward to this a lot

I just ordered a straight razor set from vintagebladesLLC. I figured if I'm going to do this I should do it right so I'm getting a strop, brush, soap, and Dovo carbon steel straight. (I think I read that carbon steels are easier to sharpen than stainless steel but also rust easier. Is that correct?) I also ordered the Castle Forbes soap from classicshaving.com because I've read all the good reviews. Spent more money than I originally planned but I think it will be worth it.

Can someone give me advice regarding how to prevent rust spots on the blade? Any other tips for keeping things in good condition are appreciated.

Thanks!

Hello, Charlie20:

Congratulations on your purchases. Vintage Blades is a good place.

Yes, most gentlemen agree that carbon steel razors are easier to hone. Stainless steel blades, however, once honed, tend to keep a good edge. Please comb the Wiki for just about every bit of information you need.

This is what I do to prevent my razor from rusting: After the shave, I rinse the razor with hot water and thoroughly and dry it with a Kleenex. Then I stop it (15 strokes on the canvas and 25 on leather) and put a small amount of camellia oil on the blade. After leaving it partially open for couple hours to completely dry, I fold it and put it away in the rack.

Give this method a try. Or develop your own. What important is to keep the razor dry, because carbon steel will begin to rust quickly.

Regards,
Obie

Originally Posted by Charlie20

Hey guys thanks again for the welcome and I'm looking forward to this a lot

I just ordered a straight razor set from vintagebladesLLC. I figured if I'm going to do this I should do it right so I'm getting a strop, brush, soap, and Dovo carbon steel straight. (I think I read that carbon steels are easier to sharpen than stainless steel but also rust easier. Is that correct?) I also ordered the Castle Forbes soap from classicshaving.com because I've read all the good reviews. Spent more money than I originally planned but I think it will be worth it.

Can someone give me advice regarding how to prevent rust spots on the blade? Any other tips for keeping things in good condition are appreciated.

Thanks!

Nice Charlie. Now see how easy it was for this hobby to separate you from more of your disposible income than you had planned?

You need to wipe that razor down well after every use. I have a small spoon handle that I wrap my shaving towel over to get inside of the scales. Try and avoid any water or soap from getting into the pivot pin area. I wipe my razor down with mineral oil after every shave. I am sure some think that this is overkill, but that is how they ship from SRD and Vintageblades, so that is what I do. They use camilla oil.

Let me give you the best piece of advice I can. It regards your strop and stropping technique. Somebody posted to take an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper and fold it width wise until it is 1" wide. Then practice stropping with it. The amount of pressure you use without bending the paper is about the correct amount. Next go slow to start - really slow. What you want to do is to keep the spine of the razor in contact with the strop for the forward stroke, the flip for the reverse stroke, the reverse stroke and the flip for the forward stroke.

You have to be really careful when you do this. At the end of each stroke, you have to lift the edge of the blade BEFORE the end of the stroke, flip and then not put the edge back down until AFTER you are into the opposite stroke. If you do not do this, you WILL nick your strop - a lot. That is why you need to do it slowly until you have the muscle memory built up to increase the speed. It may take a month or more to get this, but it is well worth the effort. Aside from shaving, this is your daily activity that will make or break your shave.

Good luck and post a lot.

David

Welcome to SRP! Here's a little advice on drying your blade.

When you are finished shaving, rinse the blade with the hottest water possible, then immediately dry it off as the hot blade will evaporate most any water left on it. Of course, be carefull not to cut into the towel or your fingers. Using the towel, I always pinch the blade from the spine side (this way you can see where the edge of the blade is) and wipe end to end. Then, very gently, I wipe from the spine to edge on both sides of the blade and finish up wiping off the monkey's tail. The next part is very important. Wipe the scales, outside and inside. Make sure to use the corner of the towel or something that will fit inside the scale where the razor folds into. I had several water spots show up on my very first razor because I didn't wipe inside the scale. Last but not least, you may want to strop after shaving as the friction also helps dry the blade. After shaving, I always strop 15 linen, 30 leather. Right before shaving, I do 20/40.

Ever since I've been doing the above, I've never had any water spots show up on a blade. Happy shaving and keep us posted on your progress. We are all always interested to hear how things are coming along and eager to help.

Obie - I will definitely give your method a try, thanks for the advice!

Alembic - Great tip with the paper practicing, I will surely take your advice and keep you posted on how much it helps

Kcarlisle - thanks for the stropping tips and I'll keep you updated with how things come along

Welcome to SRP