Thread: Gearing up for my first shave :D stroping question

One alternative is to get a "barber hone". It's a small, very fine hone. It won't set a bevel, but if you have a blade that is _almost_ sharp, the barber hone will bring it back to "sharp". Some people have kept razors sharp for years with paste and a barber hone.

They're not made any more; they're all "vintage"(old). Available in the Classifieds on this site, and sometimes from Categories .

You'll be paying around $20, rather than $70. Check the Wiki (and YouTube) for instructions on use.

Charles

PS -- Learn to shave _first_. Then, worry about stones. That's the efficient way of doing things.

thanks, i found quite a few on ebay with your input. yes the stones are second on my list after learning to shave, but i would still like to find out how to care for the blades not too long after my 1st save.

Hi FlounderDTD,
I started shaving with a straight razor just 4 1/2 months ago. At that time I only had one razor and a strop. I used the razor every day for almost two and a 1/2 months before I got the second razor. I then used those two for another couple of weeks before I got my hones (a Norton 4/8 and a Shapton 16k). So that's almost three months of shaving with two vintage razors before I needed a hone. The first razor was feeling a little rough by that time. Of course it also all depends on your beard, etc, but to me it seems you can go a fair while without a hone. I strop 30/70 (canvas/leather) before every shave and 10/10 after. I always wipe the blade and razor with Eucalyptus oil, and ensure I wipe between the scales. I store the razor in a case or its coffin in the bedroom, not the bathroom. I believe you should watch every video you can on honing (it's a cross between absolute boredom and absolute mesmerisation) and read the Wiki on honing, and of course the honing forum. I found there's massive amounts to learn. Issues I think are really important are:

. Stropping (pressure, NOT rolling the edge, nicks in strop)
. Tape (to tape or not, what if it's been honed with tape already)
. What tests to do when (Thumb Nail Test (TNT), Hanging Hair Test (HHT), etc. You can waste a lot of time doing the wrong one.
. Honing (pyramids, basic stones, finishing stones, learning to REALLY concentrate)

Being still very much in the beginner ranks, I've found that when I learnt the points above it was, like, "Oh, is that what they mean" or "Oh, I wish I knew that before I just did that".

The first time I used a straight razor I felt really proud and special.