Complete novice!

Hello all!

as the title states I'm a complete novice, I've just started using my dads old rarely used Rolls Razor and loved it! So much better than a Mach 3! I don't understand why the old man stopped using it?
So now I've started looking at straight razors and in the UK it seems no one has any stock, however I have just ordered a Dovo Bismark as it was stated that it is in stock now!
My questions are....as the Bismark has gold plating on it, do you protect it all the time when looking after the edge? Touching up, stropping...
I appreciate it has to be stropped each time, but how long before I need to get a fine stone out, bearing in mind I'll probably be shaving every day or is it 'how longs a bit of string?'
Sorry to be a complete numpty but I don't want to ruin a beautiful piece 5 minutes after getting my hands on it!

Many thanks for any replies

Cheers

Mart

If I were you I would get a decent used starter razor first to learn stropping and razor handling, that way you won't mess up a brand new expensive razor.

The gold wash is very thin and will come off with any polishing compound, general use should be ok, just use soft clean cloths to wipe and dry the razor.

You should get at least 50 shaves with just stropping after that a quick 5-10 passes on a good barber hone should get it sharp again. If that doesn't work anymore then more work on hones will be needed.

where did you order your razor from? shave ready razors is not really our speciality in the uk. i would send it to the strop-shop.co.uk for a pro honing. then in 3-4 months you can whip out the fine hones

have you just bought a fine stone or do you sharpen other tools or something?

Thanks for the advice.
I am waiting for a cheaper Muhle razor to turn up, I was hoping to learn on that.
As far as stones are concerned, there are some slate stones on eBay that grade down to 12k, any good do you know?

Cheers

I ordered the Bismark from Dovo razors uk and the Muhle from the shaving shack.
I'm a carpenter by trade so I'm used to sharpening but down to super fine grades.

There's a seller in the UK on ebay with the ebay name of aj, he sells welsh slate hones, many if us have had good luck with those (8k-15k, his estimates), there is also a Polish seller with Chinese 12k stones, those can also be very nice. Natural hones, being natural do vary stone to stone so keep that in mind. Almost any of the Belgian Coticules are good as are the German Thuringians

i bought the welsh slate stone 3 weeks ago haha. http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...lsh-slate.html

im still getting used to them but they are very very highly regarded. the stones are incredibly slow cutting and need about 100 laps but very good for their price

for your information your razors are not shave ready unfortunately. it is recommended that you actually learn how to shave first before doing any honing no matter what experience of honing anything else you have

It was aj stones I was referring to, so you rate them then? I was thinking of getting the set of 3....

Marth:
Since you're just starting out, save the honing for later. Honing is a skill onto itself. For now concentrate on honing your skill with the straight razor. Also, stropping is another skill that needs to be mastered. Send your razor out for honing. Eventually, after you feel comfortable with stropping and shaving, then think about getting your set of hones. Send your razor to Neil Miller, who is a great strop maker and a topnotch honemeister.

If they aren't shave ready, why do hey state they are? Or is it that you have to touch them up?

i bought mine at the same time as progression of naniwa ss and i am still just learning to hone so i couldnt say yet. i bought all three. if you type their names into the search engine at the top right you can read all about them.

if you have the money i think you should just but a 12k nani but only when you have learned to shave properly and had them professionally hone in my opinion.

Very wise advise, you'll be learning shaving and stropping at the same time, no need to learn honing right away especially with a shave ready razor

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Obie

Marth:
Since you're just starting out, save the honing for later. Honing is a skill onto itself. For now concentrate on honing your skill with the straight razor. Also, stropping is another skill that needs to be mastered. Send your razor out for honing. Eventually, after you feel comfortable with stropping and shaving, then think about getting your set of hones. Send your razor to Neil Miller, who is a great strop maker and a topnotch honemeister.

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pretty much just need a touch up yer. a factory finish will cut hair but you will have an uncomfortable shave and be left with a lot of razor burn

I'm sure there will be more questions!

Thanks a lot for your help and advice!

Cheers

You kiss the gold wash goodbye now, while you still have a chance.

Marth i just saw now that dovo uk is from the invisible edge company. the guy steve does hone razors but he is not a honemeister. it is pot luck whether it will be shave-ready. a lot of people have been happy with his razors but about the same has been unhappy. i ordered a nos torn blum from him 2 weeks ago, the web page did not specify it would be honed but when it arrived it explained he had honed and stropped it himself. when i opened it it had a chip in the heel so i sent it back.

when your dovo comes hopefully you should be able to shave right away but your muhle will definitely not be shave-ready.

Many thanks Bombay!

So do I tape the spine to protect the gold wash every time I strop?

Marth,

You won't need to tape to strop. Defiantly watch videos on stropping and read about it. Use the palm of your hand or a beer bottle and start breaking in that strop! Go slow. Seriously, go slow and learn how to perfect the motion. Put it in your head that the next month is going to be an education in hygiene and proper razor handling.

Enjoy the journey.

NO!!!!!!

never strop with a taped spine

Beat you to it bombay!!

Have a great day gents, I am off to slumber.

afdavis11 is teasing. just make sure to not polish your razor and it will stay fine.

Really, the gold wash on the face of the blade should not very much come in contact with the strop, depending on how hollow the razor is, but if it's one of the Bismarks with a gold wash on the spine, it's possible that will wear (I haven't had one of these razors so I don't know for sure).

I would definitely tape when honing, I do when honing all my razors (I don't see why I should remove metal from the spine if I don't have to) as it seems these razors have quite pretty spines.

In regards to taping while stropping, while it's true I know no-one who DOES, if you WANTED to I doubt ill would befall you, it's just not generally needed or done, as far as I am aware.

When you get your razor, don't strop it. In fact, watch a BUNCH of videos about shaving with a straight, or, if you can, get someone to show you (I.e. demonstrate) and then watch you shave (fault correcting). Use it (for only one side of your face) without stropping and see how it feels. Does it 'tug' at the hairs? Is it smooth? If it tugs, send it out to be honed, by someone who KNOWS how to hone a razor and is GOOD at it and USES a straight razor. If not, strop it VERY carefully for maybe 10 linen 10 leather. Again, watch videos on how to strop. go SLOW and GENTLE. At this stage, stropping less is better than stropping more and badly. Make sure you clean the razor and dry it thoroughly and gently. Protect the edge, i.e. be careful of the edge while drying the razor. Finish the shave with your DE. Next time, do maybe your whole face, slowly. This time, strop BEFORE the shave too, same as before 10/10. Don't try to strop quickly. Be very gentle.

Build up from here, always stropping before and after. Maybe build up to 10/10 before and 30/10 after. You can do this for maybe a month before you need to refresh the edge (it varies, depends on your beard, stropping, etc). Buy a Norton 4/8 or a high grit synthetic (i.e. Shapton 16k) or better, both. Use the Shapton (taped edge of the razor) for 10 laps only. Build up from there (i.e. read the honing forum and the Wiki (library)). Ask a LOT of questions, we love answering them, but do do your part and read too.

Read the JANorton thread. http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...on-2012-a.html

Main thing is take it slow. I've seen too many posts where new guys have basically wrecked the edge through poor stropping or just jumped straight in to honing in an aggressive way and ended up essentially destroying the edge in one madcap honing session.

Just my thoughts...

Carl

{EDIT}, Just checked the JANorton thread again and realised the first nine pages are essentially full of 'count me in' posts. read the first post by Glen and then skip to page 9, which is where a question about lapping is posed. Ignore my silly post on page ten and work through it from there. basically, it'll convince you you need only a Norton 4/8. I do love refreshing my edges on the Shapton 16k, though, and many use pastes and a LOT of other hones. BUT, you only NEED something like a Norton 4/8; and it's like EVERYONE has used one...Natural stones (I hear) are quite variable...

Many thank! I shall sit and do some more reading!
Thanks to all!!