How can I tell if my razor is damaged

I've had a full beard for the last two years, but recently decided it had to go. Before the beard, had just started using a straight (maybe that was why I grew the beard) and had collected some gear. Here's what I have:

Dovo 5/8 "shave ready" from Vintage Blades
Tony's basic strop (I don't think he sells this any more)
C12K

So, I learned to shave and strop but I suspect that my blade is bent. The strop doesn't have a D-ring so it's hard to get it to "lie" flat when I pull it taut. Also when I tried honing with the 12K, one side was fine but the other wouldn't lie flat on the spine. It's kind of hard to describe, but it seems to want to rock across the cutting edge. The spine doesn't sit on the stone all the way across.

Needless to say, I'm not getting great shaves. Either I have a ton of stubble left over or it feels like my face was rubbed off with a grinder. I've never felt the blade glide on my face without pulling or meeting some resistance.

Anyway, what should I do: Send this razor in to Lynn or someone else? Get a new shave-ready from the classifieds? Get a new shave-ready from a dealer? Get a better strop?

Thanks,

Throw a bit of magic marker on the bevel and do a few strokes on your hone to see if it is making contact for the length of the blade with the stroke you're using. If not modify the stroke until it does. The marker will be removed if the edge is making contact with the hone. Wouldn't be bad idea to send it to Lynn for re-honing and evaluation as to how you should proceed to maintain it after you get it back. Also a good idea to get another shave ready razor as a back up or to have a rotation. You can't have too many razors. :)

What Jimmy said, and Did you lapp your C12k? They are not flat when you get them.
Try putting a straight edge across the hone and make sure it's flat. As far as the stropping goes, I don't know. It could be the blade, or it could be your technique...
Do you have a piece of tile or glass you can lay the blade on to see if it's flat?

Also, Sending it off to Lynn is not a bad idea. An experienced Honemeister will be able to take care of it for you....

Jimmy's advice is good. +1. Warped blades are not for the beginner to learn to home with and the C12k is a very slow cutting home to bring a razor back with if it needs more than a refreshed edge. Sending it to Lynn and having a phone conversation with him after he receives the blade is an excellent suggestion. Best to check with Lynn first by dropping him a PM. While there are some members here in the past that would fret over a warped blade, they are a reality and come around from time to time, even in new production. I have a few and they shave fine. Just had to learn how to hone them. The marker on the bevel and a few strokes on the hone will tell you if it is warped. A second shave ready razor is also a good idea. Check the classified section on the menu bar above and check the sellers posts to get a feel for what they know about straights.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice. I did lap the hone before I used it. I used a pane of glass and Wet/Dry sandpaper.

I also did the marker thing. On the side I suspect is convex the marker only wore off at the tip. No matter how I shifted the pressure, I never could hone the marker off the other end. I had to remove it with spirits.

The last time I tried to hone with the 12K, I used a smaller stone (unknown, I'm guessing around 500 grit) to make a slurry. It didn't scratch the 12K and I'm assuming lapped it a little since the 12K is so soft. Can't really tell if the slurry helped but I noticed a member selling 12K slurry stones. Any idea how well these work for maintenance?

I cut an inch of my 8x2 chinese stone to have a slurry stone that matched. I don't know if it is that important but it seems to me that having one from the same rock, or at least the same family is preferable.

On a really warped blade using the edge of the hone may be the only way to get it. A narrow hone might be the ticket. Might be a good idea to give it a go and if you can't get it send it out to Lynn.