Thread: Newbie Question

After spending some time getting a double edge down I have been bitten by the straight razor bug. My great uncle is a barber and recently sent me three of his straight razors, his strop, and his hone. The razors are reportedly shave ready as per him, but I do have some lingering questions:
1. Are these supplies all I need in terms of getting and keeping the razor ready to go? (see pics for more details)
2. How often will I need to strop?
3. How often will the razor need honing?
4. Any advice on storage and upkeep/maintenance?

In terms of the pics, the first two razors are different and you can see the different inscriptions on the shank. I also have a dubl duck satinedge that was given to me as well.

Thanks,
Todd

For starters, read the help files. They contain lots of useful info. If he was using his hone professionally and with good results, then I don't see why it shouldn't keep your razors shave-ready.

1) Your supplies are ok, especially assuming you have a good brush/soap(s).
2) You need to strop just before each shave and sometimes even in between passes, but I've never had to do it.
3) The rule of thumb is every 5-15 shaves for a refreshment on the hone. Basically when the quality of the shave deteriorates significantly. It depends on your beard and how delicate the blade is.
4) The strops should be lightly treated with mink oil or strop conditioner. As long as you shave regularly with the razors, you don't need to do anything other than keep them in a dry place. The hone will need to be occasionally scrubbed with a stiff brush and lapped on a piece of 600-grit wet/dry sandpaper (in wet condition ofcourse) on a glass plate or any other flat, SMOOTH surface.

Good luck and welcome aboard Todd.

Edit: It is obvious that those blades have been used a lot and that your uncle knew what he was doing:
a) There is a lot of hone wear evident.
b) The edge is very even, a sign of someone who knows how to hone a blade. Ask him for honing tips and pass some on here, we're here to both teach and learn.

In short:
1) yes (but you'll likely be bitten by one or more acquisition bugs anyway)
2) before each shave (some strop between passes during a shave as well, others strop after too--I do neither).
3)when it starts pulling rather than cutting smoothly
4)keep them dry

Nice equipment and welcome...you'll soon find that this hobby is addicting.

Ed

Thank you for the quick replies.
To clarify, the strop pics are of the same strop. I also have a steady supply of brushes, soaps and creams to last me many-a-year.
How many passes on the strop before starting the shave???
After shaving do you squirt any alcohol on the blade for evaporative purposes or just let it lay out and air dry?

Thanks again!
Todd

There was a replicated experiment done here not too long ago on stropping. The results seem to indicate that 60 passes on the strop is about the optimum to keep the razor sharp the longest time.

When I'm done shaving, I rinse the razor in the hottest water I have (keep it away from the scales), dry thoroughly, and leave it open on a shelf to finish drying throughout the day. I've found that if you have adequate ventillation in your bathroom, nothing else is required.

Ed

The one hone might be good for touch ups, but you might find you want something else after a while or that pastes are a good addition, Other than that (and a good shaving brush) I'd say you're good to go.

I wipe my blade down with rubbing alcohol at least after every shave, sometimes before too.

I want to echo Ilija's plea for technical advice from your uncle. If he can make that one hone work and keep those razors in that condition then he's been doing something right and we'd sure like to know about it.

X

Thank you all for the info. I will try and check out the sticky info as well.
I am really looking forward to giving this a go. I will respond here with any info from my uncle.
Also, the first razor was the razor his mother (a barber too) used, the second was the razor he was given when he first started shaving, and the dubl duck satinedge was what he used at his shop on a daily basis. A nice piece of family history.

Todd

I actually do use a Satinedge in my rotation. I'd have thought that it was a bit too delicate of a grind for professional use, like a barber-shop but hey, whatever works and it gives me great shaves.
As for stropping, I do 10 passes on the linen, 20 passes on the leather before the shave and 8 passes on the linen and 15 passes on the leather after the shave.
I actually wipe off the soap residue with an alcohol soaked cotton ball, which also dries the razors before I strop it (after the shave). My rationale is that I don't want to have that soap residue on my strop. The time to wipe the blade and strop it is about what it takes for the cold water rinse to dry off my face before I apply some Dominica Bay Rum.

Hello everyone. My name is Jeremy. This is my first post and I figured instead of adding yet another topic I would just use an already active one. I have been interested in straight razor shaving for quite some time, ever since I was first exposed to it at an old style barber shop (Barber Dicks on Ohio Ave., Sedalia, MO. If you happen to be there.) I have only just recently started seriously researching the practice and educating myself on the required tools, but I have quickly found a wealth of information on the internet, most of which I've found here.

I am hoping to keep my initial investment somewhat reserved since, although I am pretty sure this is the shaving path for me, I can't be completely sure until I actually try it. That said I welcome any recommendations for my initial equipment investment.

I also have a few questions. Aside from the collectible and aesthetic aspect, is there any qualities that define a shaving mug as compared to a regular coffee mug? Could I use a coffee mug or something comparable initially? I have read some people mention getting samples of shaving products to find out what they like before they purchase it. Can anyone mention some companies they have had success with?

Currently, I use a Norelco electric shaver. I despise the thing and have always liked wet shaving better. I used to use a Mach 3, but the quality of shave left alot to be desired, and I ,like most others on this site, dislike the waste and expense of those refill cartridges. I look forward to getting started with a straight and I hope I like it.


Jeremy


All virtue is summed up in dealing justly. - Aristotle

Jeremy,

Welcome to the forum. As far as a mug goes, a
coffee cup will work just fine. Some use those
large soup mugs and others (myself) included
a small bowl.

For samples you may try sending an email to
Trumpers requesting samples. Just do a
ggogle search for their site, but it may be
www.trumpers.com. If not just do the
search.

You can also email Colleen. Their is a very active
thread under Vendor's Corner about her products.
They are quite good. You might also email Mama Bear
she also has an active thread going under Vendor's Corner.

For razors and strops, check out the the thread under
Vendor's Corner titled Vendor's Directory.

Hope this helps. And don't be shy about creating your
own thread. Don't hesitate to ask questions.


Terry