Thread: new questions following my third partial shave

I just shaved with my ralf aust razor for the third time. I must be doing something wrong because it felt like i was shaving with a dull mach3. What am i doinf wrong? I strop the razor after each time usually about 40-50times on the leather side. Am i supposed to be putting somw thing on my leather strop? This time i used the nylon webbing side first and rhen on the leather side...maybe that will help. Even wtg passes feel terrible. Thanks!

I too have a Ralf Aust and I am positive it was my stropping technique that dulled it. Within a week I had the same issue. Touched it up on the hone and started over again and worked in stropping.

Maybe it's just cause I'm still pretty new to this, but I have a little Dovo strop that's under two inches wide. I have to do x pattern, but feel it's easier to give a light touch. I feel like with a 3" that is stiff, it tends to cup slightly in the middle and I feel I push harder to get all surfaces to contact. Just my experience.

Another thing that helps when learning to strop is lay it flat on a table. Takes all the variables out of it except for your stroke. I concentrate on keeping the spine down and let the edge float behind. It certainly doesn't hurt to do more laps and is good practice anyway. I usually go 25 or 30 on linen and 75 to 100 on the leather. When your technique improves go back to hanging and later less laps if you wish. Go slow and deliberate , faster will come with confidence later.

Not an unusual problem for beginners having the razor go dull in a few shaves. I dulled mine quicker in the beginning too. I think it is usually poor stropping technique that contributes most to the problem so I would work on improving your stropping technique. I would go with what 10Pups said.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Not an unusual problem for beginners having the razor go dull in a few shaves. I dulled mine quicker in the beginning too. I think it is usually poor stropping technique that contributes most to the problem so I would work on improving your stropping technique. I would go with what 10Pups said.

Bob

I have shaved another time since stropping it on the nylon webbing and was better but i think it still needs sharpening. Stubble should fall by the mere whisper of the razor's edge...jk. anyway. I am wondering about a possible stone or set of stones that would be good for resharpenning the razor without dropping a ton of cash. Never new the world of straight razors could be this expensive! Also, would baseball glove leather conditioner be good on the strop every once in a while?

Originally Posted by Zac926

I have shaved another time since stropping it on the nylon webbing and was better but i think it still needs sharpening. Stubble should fall by the mere whisper of the razor's edge...jk. anyway. I am wondering about a possible stone or set of stones that would be good for resharpenning the razor without dropping a ton of cash. Never new the world of straight razors could be this expensive! Also, would baseball glove leather conditioner be good on the strop every once in a while?

Once a razor is really dull no amount of stropping will bring it back so send it out to be honed by a reputable honer. Right now at the beginning is not the time to add learning to hone to all the other things a beginner needs to learn and get sorted out. Yea, SR shaving is expensive for the initial set up after that it can taper off if you don't fall victim to various acquisition diseases. The only conditioning I now do to strops bought new is to rub the leather with the palm of my had before use. That puts my body oil on the strop and seems to be enough.

Bob