Thread: 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?