A month into it, a few questions.
Hope you don't mind a few questions from a beginner.
I'm about a month into it. I bought a Dovo half hollow "Best Quality" from SRP (honed by Lynn). I figured I wouldn't spend big $ initially in case I destroy the razor during the long learning curve. The first few times were a bit scary but exciting. I watched every video I could find, read the beginners posts and advice, and took it all to heart. My first shave I only did my sideburn area. Over the course of the month I expanded out slowly. I'm now shaving my whole face. The razor quickly taught me to respect it, and pay attention; I've gotten a few nicks but nothing too bad. If I don't have the time, or I feel rushed or distracted, I don't shave. I feel comfortable shaving now, I'm no longer afraid of the blade. I'm at the point where I'm a sort of "discovery mode"; learning my face and how to hold the razor. I have the modular strop, and have been stropping away religiously. Sometimes at night while sitting with the wife at the TV, I'll strop away. I'm starting to find a natural rhythm stropping. I had a few questions:
1. I believe I read somewhere that you cannot "over strop". Is this true? I find it a relaxing thing to do. I'd like to keep stropping away at least until it's really second nature.
2. I find that, while shaving, if the blade angle is too shallow, the blade sleds over the stubble, not cutting it. If I increase the angle, then I hear the "raspy cat tongue" noise and the blade cuts the whiskers. But in this case I find I have to go over the same spot a bunch of times, leaving more irritation than I suspect is necessary. Being a month into it, I assume my technique still has a long way to go, but I'm wondering if I should worry at this point about stropping with some paste. Does a razor in the hand of a newbie dull faster than a seasoned shaver? A newbie shaver like me with a new SRD razor doesn't really know what a dull razor feels like. I don't have a feel for how much of it is my technique and how much of it is the razor losing edge.
3. I figured I'd wait 6-8 months before even thinking about honing. I figure before I learn to hone I should learn to strop with paste.
4. When looking at the microscope images of honed bevels, the "hone scratches" are always at an angle to the edge. I assume this is because the blade is honed in an X pattern? Would a blade honed perpendicular on a wide hone give a better shave? or does the final polishing make it a moot point?
5. My strop came with some rough leather in addition to the smooth leather. I've been doing 30 strops on the felt, then 30 on the smooth leather. When should the rough leather come into play?
6. Although I've no intention to hone anytime soon, it would be good to know what my razor was honed on. Does anyone know what stones/progression Lynn uses?
7. Would stropping after I shave help to remove more water molecules? I see a very faint, very teeny rust spot near the spine. I have now taken to coating my razor with light oil between shaves.
Thanks a bunch for any insight.
Dave