Thread: Hello all, couple of noob questions

Hello everyone.

This is my first post here, sorry go easy on me!
I’ve recently started using a Straight razor and I’m hooked! I currently own two razors, a Dovo Bismarck and a Classic (from Invisible Edge), together with a few different types of creams etc and a Dovo strop 2”ish.
I’ve done a fair amount of research, but I’m still very much the noob!
I’m probably going to spend a lot of time on this forum as I seem to have more and more questions as I learn the skill of straight razor shaving.
The first question I have, which I’m fairly sure everyone asks when starting out, and I’m also sure that there probably isn’t a easy answer.
Here goes….I’ve been stropping my razors before and after shaves, and seem to get on ok with it. The hair test seems to be successful after each visit to the strop.
I’m fairly sure that I’m going to send my razors off for professional honing when the time comes. But I’d really like to be able to maintain them myself up until that point.

Can anyone here recommend the best way a noob can sharpen\maintain the edge? I’ve looked at buying a 12K stone (of some sort, don’t really know what type) or buying another strop from SRD’s (buffalo leather + canvas) and us paste on the canvas side, Diamond 1 etc.
The main reason I’d like the 3” strop is so I don’t need to do the X pattern, again any comments here please go ahead!
So in summary, 1. Stone or pasted strop for bringing back the edge before professional honing? 2. Which combination of strop should I buy (3” wide)?
Many thanks in advance.

Kingjonesy (Rich UK).

First off, welcome to SRP! It sounds like you're off to a good start. As far as stropping with paste, honing and or using a combination of the two, it is all about personal preference. Some swear by using cromium ox or other gritted pastes between honing while people such as myself prefer the fine grit of a barbers hone etc. You will discover which works best if not both as you gain more experience. Have your razors been professionally honed at all yet? If not, why don't you do that as to start off with a good edge and get to know what a sharp razor actually feels like. Then you can get on to practicing on your own. Most of us here recommend concentrating on learning to shave with a sharp razor first, then slowly getting into honing, etc. In regards to your strop question, you always want to use an x pattern regardless of the width of the strop. Tony Miller makes a heck of a strop for a good price if you want to go bigger. There is no reason to get a larger one unless you prefer one.

Thanks Jeremy ,

Yes, both razors have been professionally honed, well they were meant to be when I bought them from Invisible Edge. The first one I bought was the Dovo Classic invisible edge razor. Which at first was sharp (or so I think), after the first shave it seemed not so sharp, so I started to strop away. It’s better now after a lot of stropping. I then bought the Bismarck and then realised that this is far sharper and seems better. So to start with, I’m going to use the Classic as a test and practice sharpening with that.
I appreciate your advice on X pattern, I’ll keep doing it.

Sorry to keep on with the questions! I realise it personal preference, but I don’t have any first-hand experience of either honing or pasted strops, so I’m very grateful for your (and everyone else’s) experience to help me make a start.
If I go down the honing route then what stones would you recommend? If I go down the pasted strop route, what paste\strop do you recommend?
I realise that I’m probably going to ruin things on my first attempts, but I’m keen to try things.

Hello Rich, and welcome to SRP

First up, your razors from Invisible Edge WILL be shave ready, oh and well done on your early shave(s). As Jeremy pointed out the pasted strop / hones are really personal preference and it should be some time before either will need re honing. My set up includes a Belgian Blue Whetstone and a pasted strop and this works for me (although I do wonder if the 12K would be better than BBW) As far as practising honing goes, I think the general advice given here is to pick up a cheaper razor on Ebay or somewhere to practise on before working on your current razors.
Good luck and enjoy, Ryan

You can last for quite a while with a balsa strop pasted with CROX. The barber's hone is also a good choice. However, it requires a honing technique which is more skillful than stropping. In addition, the barber's hone will remove more metal than the crox strop. I prefer balsa compared to a hanging strop for crox stropping because it is more stable and therefore more fool-proof than the hanging pasted strop. The best scenario would actually be both. The leather strop should be good for about at least 10 shaves. The Crox pasted balsa strop should last for 3 or 4 touch-ups between those 10. The barber's hone should be good for about a couple more on the next layer. Then, you have to go to a finishing hone of about 8k. The only time you should ever have to re-establish a bevel is when something bad happens. YMMV.

Thanks to both of you!
Ryan thanks for the tip - I’m looking at a cheap razor on ebay at the moment to use for practising on rather than my two new razors.
So if I’ve got this correct:
1. I’ll get myself a cheap hanging\balsa strop for pasting (leather or canvas?)
2. Get some CROX paste
3. Buy a cheap 8-12k finishing hone
Having read a few posts I think I’ll start with something like this:
1. Shave test the old ebay special
2. A few passed on the hone (10 or so?)
3. Shave test
4. A few laps on the pasted strop (10-20)
5. Shave test
6. Depending on results, go back to step 2 or 4.
Please forgive my naivety, I’m just trying to get started and learn from my many mistakes.

oh yeah, one last question, where (online) can I find these finishing hones and Balsa strops? Any recommendations?

Originally Posted by Kingjonesy

This is my first post here, sorry go easy on me!

First - welcome to SRP - and we always go easy on the new guys. It's the seasoned veterans we beat the heck out of.

Originally Posted by Kingjonesy

Can anyone here recommend the best way a noob can sharpen\maintain the edge? I’ve looked at buying a 12K stone (of some sort, don’t really know what type) or buying another strop from SRD’s (buffalo leather + canvas) and us paste on the canvas side, Diamond 1 etc.
The main reason I’d like the 3” strop is so I don’t need to do the X pattern, again any comments here please go ahead!
So in summary, 1. Stone or pasted strop for bringing back the edge before professional honing? 2. Which combination of strop should I buy (3” wide)?
Many thanks in advance.

Kingjonesy (Rich UK).

Second, I personally started with a 3" strop for the very same reason. It's just one less thing you have to worry about. I think Lynn would agree with that as most of the strops carried by Straight Razor Designs are 3". As for leather, that depends on your budget. I have the English Bridle Leather, Premium 1, Horsehide and Latigo leathers from SRD - They all strop great with very different feels to the draw. I would say that the Horsehide needs the most finessing as it takes a lot of palm rubbing to develop the draw in the leather. The English Bridle leather is probably my go to strop.

Maintaining the edge can be done on either the cro-ox or 12k stone, keeping in mind that many use a barber's hone for touch ups between full honing. Because of that, I would tend towards a good 12k stone for touch ups.

Hope that helps.
Alembic

Rich,
The invisible edge offer a Chinese 12K for 18 pounds (see razor hones on the drop down menu at the left of screen). CROX powder and pastes are also available there. See the Wiki here regarding making a balsa strop, Ryan

Thanks Ryan,

I’ll take a look. My current shopping basket contains (SRD):
1x Naniwa Super Stone 1200
1x CROX 0.5M
1x English Bridle Strop
Which including postage (from the US) is around the £120 mark, a little pricey, but far cheaper than the UK prices!
Of the above I was intending to use the paste on the fabric strop that comes with the English Bridle.
Any thoughts? Are the two too close, should I go for a lower grit stone?

Rich