feather se going to traditional straight setup!

Hello all! First post here on the forum, but have been reading posts for a while here now, very helpful community that im glad to now be a part of :) anyway here's my post

I currently shave with a feather DX no sharpen straight razor. Its a really nice razor and it definitely makes me enjoy shaving a whole lot more than with my old cartridge razor (I have very sensitive skin and moderate acne). The learning curve is a bit steep and I am still in the learning process. Like I said the feather is awesome, but it is S H A R P! Maybe almost to sharp for me so I decided to get a traditional straight as they are a little more "forgiving" or so I've heard. Plus, they are just flat out badass :D so I decided to buy myself a complete setup. Here it is (thanks lynn and don from srd for helping me choose my strops)

Razor: Dovo Astrale 5/8 fromm SRD

Everyday strop: SRD 3' Premium IV bridle strop with webbedfabric back strop

Paste strop: SRD Modular paddle

Paste: crOx spray and .5 diamond spray that came with the mod paddle.

Is this a bit of splurge for a semi-newbie ???

I plan on using pastes until i really need to hone then ill go from there.

Lemme know what you think of the setup !

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Originally Posted by eastoahu

Hello all! First post here on the forum, but have been reading posts for a while here now, very helpful community that im glad to now be a part of :) anyway here's my post

I currently shave with a feather DX no sharpen straight razor. Its a really nice razor and it definitely makes me enjoy shaving a whole lot more than with my old cartridge razor (I have very sensitive skin and moderate acne). The learning curve is a bit steep and I am still in the learning process. Like I said the feather is awesome, but it is S H A R P! Maybe almost to sharp for me so I decided to get a traditional straight as they are a little more "forgiving" or so I've heard. Plus, they are just flat out badass :D so I decided to buy myself a complete setup. Here it is (thanks lynn and don from srd for helping me choose my strops)

Razor: Dovo Astrale 5/8 fromm SRD

Everyday strop: SRD 3' Premium IV bridle strop with webbedfabric back strop

Paste strop: SRD Modular paddle

Paste: crOx spray and .5 diamond spray that came with the mod paddle.

Is this a bit of splurge for a semi-newbie ???

I plan on using pastes until i really need to hone then ill go from there.

Lemme know what you think of the setup !

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Looks good to me. Welcome to SRP!

The equipment is good enough to be eliminated as a cause of failure. The rest of the success is up to you. YOU CAN DOOO IT. Welcome and keep us informed of your progress.

Thanks guys, not TOO worried about the shaving part, but moreso the stropping.

Would it be something like start out with 50 on the webbed fabric followed by 50 on the leather???

The razor you bought was honed by the best. I would wipe off the oil and shave with it. The next shave try 30/60. Then shave test the results.

Welcome! Your setup is fine, you shouldnt have any need for anything else right now. Stropping is HUGE in this hobby, please make sure that you learn to strop correctly and slow at first. Stropping wrong can kill your edge fast.

You have one fine setup. Use them well.

Thanks skippy :) im pretty proud of it and can't wait to use it. Hopefully it'll be less irritating on my sensitive skin than the Feather :tameshigiri:

And would 30/60 be a regular number? Or will the amount of passes vary from time to time? Do I always have to use the webbed side first?

id recommend you get a barbers hone eventually to touch uo your edge when it begins to pull, a simple hone to use and pretty cheap

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eastoahu

And would 30/60 be a regular number? Or will the amount of passes vary from time to time? Do I always have to use the webbed side first?

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30/60 is just a place to start your face will tell you better than anything else I have never used anything but leather. Later when the leather won't do it any longer you can start on the webbing then go to the strop.

READ THE WIKI it will guide you true as it has so many of us. You have great equipment to learn and the edge on your razor is likely as good as it can ever be coming from SRD. If it gets dull you have a certificate for another honing.....you can't go wrong.

So I can pretty much stay away from the webbed fabric for a bit then? And I've read through the wiki but it doesn't give any number of passes (I understand there is not just a number that works perfectly for everybody I just wanted something to go off of)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eastoahu

So I can pretty much stay away from the webbed fabric for a bit then? And I've read through the wiki but it doesn't give any number of passes (I understand there is not just a number that works perfectly for everybody I just wanted something to go off of)

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I have a Vintage Blades 2" D ring Red Latigo strop that has webbed fabric and I use it every time. What I do is 20 on the fabric and 50 on the leather, but everyone does it differently. Some people do more on each.

Thanks all. Great information.

Been reading lots about honing and ill probably end up going for a coticle or a 4/8k combo stone and maybe a 12 or 16k finish followed by crOx paste. Do i really need anything lower thank 4k unless i really neglect my blade?

I use a 1k to restore badly abused blades. For your present razor there is no need for anything more coarse than a 4k.

Right, coticles are estimated at 8k on the finer side am i correct? What grit stone would crOx spray compare to?

Alright came home from work today to find my Astrale waiting at home for me :) So i couldnt help but immediately jump in the shower and have a shave.

Shave was awesome, VERY different from my Feather DX. So much feedback from the blade it was almost scary hearing the hair getting whacked off.. Also less irritation than the superultramega sharp feather blades.

and now for razor porn!!!

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Also, not a big deal im probably just being my usual OCD self, but ive spotted some rust spots on the gold heres a pic

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