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  1. #11
    Junior Member flyfishingta's Avatar
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    An edge will be usable for about 4 months, if you can properly strop your razor, but it's in your best interest to have it sent out to be honed, so you know what a properly honed edge should feel like. After that, if you want to hone your own razor, then I would suggest following the wiki on honing to decide what hones you should have.

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by mrbison View Post
    So I have seen information that says newbies don't need honing equipment at first.
    The obvious question in my mind is how do you keep your razor sharp without being able to hone it periodically? How long can you maintain a blade just by stropping it before it needs to be re-honed?
    "How long" depends on your technique, your razor, and your beard.

    Along with your Whipped Dog razor, you could order a "Poor Man's Strop Kit". The balsa pasted strop ( chrome oxide on one side, iron oxide on the other) and leather strop will keep you going for months, at least.

    When those no longer work, your least expensive option is to buy a "barber hone", a small, fine-grained hone. The "middle-class" option is to buy a Norton 4K/8K hone, which should last the rest of your life. Or just send the razor out for honing.

    Charles

  3. #13
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    On eBay:

    After several eBay purchases, I agree with what everyone else says:

    . . . Low-cost eBay razors are risky.

    eBay is a decent way to buy an inexpensive razor _if_ you want to develop sharpening and honing skills.

    You _might_ get something that shaves after a light stropping.

    Or you might (as I did, once) get a blade with an edge that looks like it's been used to chop wood! It looked fine in the photo -- you couldn't see the blunting.

    If you want to start shaving cheaply, stick to the Classifieds here, Whipped Dog Straight Razor Sales, and a few other reliable people.

    Charles

    PS -- antique store razors have problems similar to eBay razors. It will take several mistakes before you know what's good, and what's bad.

  4. #14
    Senior Member welshwizard's Avatar
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    Like everyone else says, it's best to purchase a 'shave ready' razor from a seller with a good track record. Combine that with a starter strop of some kind. Honing won't be necessary immediately. When it is: 'less is more'.
    There are very good razors to be had on e-bay but there are as many not so good ones. Some experience is required to tell them apart.
    At the moment e-bay in the UK seems to be flooded with new, very poor quality blades , which are most definitely best avoided.
    'Living the dream, one nightmare at a time'

  5. #15
    aka shooter74743 ScottGoodman's Avatar
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    Have you considered a SRD razor...honed by Lynn and a free re-hone certificate. For new razor its the best deal that can be had...PERIOD. Heck, it's a great deal for ANYONE! Most hone jobs from a pro will cost around $20 + shipping. A e-bay razor can cost you even more to get honed due to chip removals and so forth. Doesn't take long to figure out how good a deal this is.

    You should really look into it. Knowing what a real "shave-ready" razor is very important, besides...your face will thank you.

    The classified's are also a great place to look for a truely shave ready razor. Fraud's get thinned out quite quickly as we don't deal with them too well.

    Best of luck!
    Last edited by ScottGoodman; 01-05-2011 at 08:51 PM. Reason: invalid info on srd...it's right now
    Southeastern Oklahoma/Northeastern Texas helper. Please don't hesitate to contact me.
    Thank you and God Bless, Scott

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  7. #16
    Natty Boh dave5225's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mrbison View Post

    Still, I was hoping for a response more like: "sure its easy to do, give it a try!"
    Okay here you go : Sure give it a try . It may not be easy but it will be a learning experience . Find a decent razor that has a decent edge with no rust . Get some good hones starting at 1k and progressing to at least 8k grit , and go to town on it . When you've finally made it into a real shaver , you will have a basic understanding of how to hone a razor . But before you do all that , like everyone else has already said , get a shave ready razor to start with .
    Greetings , from Dundalk , Maryland . The place where normal people , fear to go .

  8. #17
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    Welcome to SRP!

    I’ve bought some really nice razors from ebay but, when I first started, I also bought some not so nice. It took me several purchases before I learned what to look for and what questions to ask the seller. Not being familiar with straight razors, there’s always a risk of getting something you will be sorry for. Without knowing what certain razors are actually worth, just make up your mind on how much you are willing to pay for anything you are interested in and don’t go over that limit. There will be others to bid on that will be just as good if not better. Following, are some guidelines if you are considering buying a razor from ebay:

    • Blade condition. First thing to look for is any chips or cracks in the blade. Ask the seller the same in case the pictures don’t show any. Look for a blade with even wear. By all means, stay away from a “Frowning” blade (meaning, the blade width measures less in the middle than on each end). These can be difficult to repair and hone, if not impossible. There are also “Smiling” blades (meaning, the blade width measures more in the middle than on each end). Some smiling blades are made that way but, some are worn that way. In most cases, a worn, smiling blade can be honed but, starting out, you should also stay away from them. Try looking for a straight, even blade. A question you should ask the seller is “If you place the blade’s edge perpendicular to a flat surface, does the entire edge contact that flat surface or are there any gaps in the middle or on each end?” You can also do a little research to see if that particular razor should be a 4/8, 5/8 & so on and so forth and ask the seller to let you know what the blade width measures.

    • Scale condition. Even though a scale may appear to be in great shape, pictures won’t show a warped scale. Ask the seller if there are any cracks in the scale and if the razor opens and closes correctly without having to bend or torque the scale to keep the blade’s edge from hanging up on the scale before it is completely closed. If it doesn’t close in a normal manner, it’s either be a warped scale or worse, a bent blade.

    If you are careful and pay attention to the above, you should be able to come out with a fairly descent razor.

    To address your concerns on hones, you might want to check out the local barber shops in your area. There’s always a chance you may find an old school barber that is willing to charge you the same as a haircut to hone your razor for you.

    Hope this helps and the best of luck to you. Happy shaving and we hope to hear some good positive results of whatever you decide to do.

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  10. #18
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    BTW - One thing I forgot to mention about blade condition. Blemishes, stains or light rust on the blade are more a matter of preference and are not much to be concerned with. Heavy rust and pitting, on the blade it's self, is what you want to stay away from. I bought a clarke & Hall made in the late 1700's that had some heavy rust and pitting on the very end of the stub (I hate to say monkey's tail because razors made pre 1800's didn't have one and it's more of a stub) but, the blade is in beautiful condition. One of these days, I'm going to put a little polish on it, hone it up and see what kind of shave it gives me.

  11. #19
    Senior Member mrbison's Avatar
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    Thanks for all the tips on buying old razors everyone. I think I'll keep my eye open for a good deal on a vintage razor to get my honing skills up to snuff with - but in the meantime get a hold of a decent one to actually learn the shaving art with. That way I won't have to punish my face by learning to hone and shave at the same time either...

  12. #20
    Senior Member mrbison's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=kcarlisle;715099I bought a clarke & Hall made in the late 1700's[/QUOTE]

    Seriously? Wow! You have a 300 year old razor? Do you have a picture of it?

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