Thread: Brand New...

Welcome to SRP.

For what it's worth, please send the blade out to get honed. You may well be a master with chisels or knives, but this is a different beast. Also, I would suggest picking someone from our classifieds section, and NOT sending it to "the chef knives kiosk in the mall".

There are many many variables to shaving. You will be doing yourself a huge favour to have your razor properly honed. That way, if nothing else, you will know that the blade is shave ready....and if it tugs or pulls on your first couple shaves....it's not the blade, it's your technique. I find it's best to be in control of your variables.

Good luck.

Great information. Thank you Maxi and mowfow. I will get the razor honed through the classifieds. Am also wondering how often a razor needs to be honed and whether it is reasonable to expect to keep the razor sharp through stropping? Also, any recommendations on what I should be looking for as far as strops are concerned, would be appreciated. I'll make sure to read the beginners manual on the site, but any personal mentoring suggestions garnered from your personal experience would be a great supplement.

Welcome to SRP, Danny.
It looks like a nice blade and a good score.
It seems that you have the right idea to get it honed through the classifieds here.
I can tell you from experience that you need a baseline to compare with.
The learning curve is huge and we look forward to assisting you with your journey into straight shaving.
IMHO the hones that you use for your chisels etc would be too course to hone straight razors.
My advice to you would be to spend time looking at the WIKI - it is time well spent IME.
Most of all - enjoy the ride.
Cheers,
Geoff

Razors can go months between honings, just with stropping on canvas and leather. The Wiki is a very good source for information.

It is likely that you'll put nicks in your first strop (unless you're used to stropping knives). Therefore, a reasonably-priced strop is good for a starter.

Two alternatives that come to mind (there are more):

www.whippeddog.com -- the "Poor Man's Strop Kit" which includes a leather strop and balsa strop with CrOxide and FeOxide pastes

www.ruprazor.com -- the Filly strop

Either of those will keep a razor keen as can be. More money will buy you more strop -- wider, made of better leather.

I agree with Maxi about the value of professional honing. Without it, you'll be wondering:

. . . Is my problem that the blade isn't sharp, or that my technique is faulty ?

Charles

Originally Posted by dmag

Great information. Thank you Maxi and mowfow. I will get the razor honed through the classifieds. Am also wondering how often a razor needs to be honed and whether it is reasonable to expect to keep the razor sharp through stropping? Also, any recommendations on what I should be looking for as far as strops are concerned, would be appreciated. I'll make sure to read the beginners manual on the site, but any personal mentoring suggestions garnered from your personal experience would be a great supplement.

Although you will likely knick your first strop, I'm of the mindset of purchasing a replaceable one immediately. What I mean is this: Straight Razor Designs has a line of fantastic premium strops. Both the leather and fabric components can be removed and changed, since they are held together with chicago-screws. The initial purchase will be higher than an entry level strop, BUT....the price of the replacement leather is almost identical TO the entry level strop. Therefore, you'll be spending roughly the same each way you proceed.

That's my other two cents.....