Dropped my razor while stropping: Blessing in disguise!

I had been having trouble with rash and nicks trying to get used to str8 shaving for weeks when the other day I dropped my razor while stropping. It landed on the carpet mat on the floor, so I picked it up and resumed stropping. To my dismay, I heard an unfamiliar sound and a tell-tale scuff appeared on the strop after the first pass. Upon close examination, I discovered a small ding on the edge near the toe.

I knew this was going to take a re-hone. I purchased a coticule and slurry stone and figured it was about time I tried my hand at honing anyway, so I went to town. Thankfully, there is so much information available on SRP what with videos and forums and wiki's having to do with honing, so I was able to avoid a lot of pitfalls that ordinarily I would have fallen victim. After carefully and slowly working my way from milky slurry to lighter slurry to water only, then to CrOx balsa, then to Ferrous Oxide balsa, then linen, then leather, I was able to get the edge to the point where the hanging hair fell silently all along the blade at the slightest touch! The final test was the smoothest str8 shave I've experienced since I started!

I still have a long way to go as far as honing my technique, but it feels good to have achieved such a milestone under my own devices. Thanks to all of you who selflessly share your experience and expertise with us newbies. It makes the difference between having a positive experience, or one in which someone might just as well give up and go back to what they were doing. Someday I hope to be able to do the same and help along some newcomers.

Good man !:tu Now you will never need to have someone else hone your razor for you . Not as hard to do as you thought it would be , was it ?

It wasn't as hard as I thought, but it took longer than I thought. As I was removing metal to take out the nick, I kept looking through a loupe every 40 passes with the slurry. Each time, I would refresh the slurry. I don't know if that slowed me down or if would have been better to keep the same darker slurry with the metal in it and every so often add a couple drops of water to keep it from becoming mud.

Anyway, it was interesting to see the ding slowly change to a dimple then to a pucker then to a dip then gone. Pretty cool. Although it finally got the job done, I think in the future I might invest in a faster cutter, like maybe a Norton 220/1000. In case I decide to try my hand at restoring a fleabay special. I could see a project like that taking a REALLY long time with just the coticule.

Think of it this way, when your a member of our family here when you are doing any of the operations involved in straight or wet shaving it's actually many, many of us right there beside you.

Nicks in the edge can make for a lot of hone time , even on a 220 grit hone . I'm currently restoring a Shumate's Professional for Barbers . The steel in this razor seems to be as hard as it gets . I've been honing some tiny nicks out of the edge for over 2 hours on my Norton 220 , and I'm still not done .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Think of it this way, when your a member of our family here when you are doing any of the operations involved in straight or wet shaving it's actually many, many of us right there beside you.

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That's exactly what it feels like!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Think of it this way, when your a member of our family here when you are doing any of the operations involved in straight or wet shaving it's actually many, many of us right there beside you.

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Suddenly my bathroom feels crowded :p :roflmao

Good for you! Glad to hear that your mishap resulted in an even better shaving experience.