Thread: What do I need to get started?

I have recently purchased 4 razors off of Ebay and don't have any equipment or experience needed to get them ready to shave. Three of them, need to be cleaned and or restored. I know I need a strop and honing stone. I have heard of using a fine grit sand paper for cleaning the rust and oxidation, but what else would I need?

Welcome to SRP.

Do send two of your razors out to a professional honer, available via our Classifieds. You will not regret it. Keep one as a benchmark, use the other.

I also strongly recommend that you visit the Wiki. There is a beginners guide that lists essential as well as optional equipment. Specific questions regarding restoration can be put in the resto forum, as well as the chat on Tuesday nights.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress.

Regards,
Robin

While waiting for your razors, you can acquire the following:

1. Strop (hanging is best, paddle will work)
2. Shave soap/cream (personal choice)
3. Brush (from $10 to obscene prices)

I recommend you look in 2 places. The first is the classifieds. And the sceond is the Vendor's Corner fourm bleow. You will find all of these items there. In both places you will find quality shaving items. Unless you know what you are doing stay away from ebay bargains.

Originally Posted by dward

While waiting for your razors, you can acquire the following:

1. Strop (hanging is best, paddle will work)
2. Shave soap/cream (personal choice)
3. Brush (from $10 to obscene prices)

I recommend you look in 2 places. The first is the classifieds. And the sceond is the Vendor's Corner fourm bleow. You will find all of these items there. In both places you will find quality shaving items. Unless you know what you are doing stay away from ebay bargains.

I have soaps and a brush already, but I need a stone, strop and what else am I missing?

Originally Posted by BYUTexan

I have soaps and a brush already, but I need a stone, strop and what else am I missing?

If you are looking for just one stone I recommend a barbers hone. If you are looking at honing razors from scratch I suggest looking through the Honing Forum below. Ask questions there. Be prepared to spend some money though. You will need more than one hone. Ask stone questions there.

Whatever you get for a strop just ensure you get a quality strop. That doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money. Kenrup, SRD, and Tony Miller all sell inexpensive but good quality strops for the beginner. I do recommend you get one from them. You are going to nick your strop as a newbie. You are better learning on one of them then on a very expensive strop and nicking that one up.

I also recommend a pasted strop. You can use the linen side of a 2-sided strop, buy an extra inexpensive strop when you get your first strop, or buy a paddle strop. Once you've pasted a strop, it will be forever embedded with the CrO or diamond particles. The pasted strop will be used to refresh your edge when it begins to tug. Yeah, you will have to purchase either a diamond spray or a some CrO separately. One of our members is selling CrO in the classifieds. There are several sources for either material.

Also if you are going to use a cream a bowl helps, i have hand and face lathered but they are a little too messy for me.

If I was starting from scratch honing razors I would want the Norton 220/1000, and 4000/8000 sharpening stones and the DMT D8C continuous plate for lapping them. You can buy the Norton set which includes the flattening stone to save some $$ but the continuous diamond plate will never wear and you can sharpen your kitchen knives with it too.

As far as restoration I don't know much about that. I might hit them with a 1K grit sandpaper in spots to get rid of some surface rust but when it comes to spending 10 hours hand sanding a blade before spending another three or four buffing I would just as soon hone them and shave with them even if the finish isn't perfect.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

If I was starting from scratch honing razors I would want the Norton 220/1000, and 4000/8000 sharpening stones and the DMT D8C continuous plate for lapping them. You can buy the Norton set which includes the flattening stone to save some $$ but the continuous diamond plate will never wear and you can sharpen your kitchen knives with it too.

As far as restoration I don't know much about that. I might hit them with a 1K grit sandpaper in spots to get rid of some surface rust but when it comes to spending 10 hours hand sanding a blade before spending another three or four buffing I would just as soon hone them and shave with them even if the finish isn't perfect.

I actually bought the norton set to start out

I found that i prefer the dmt for bevel setting...but that is just one mans opinion. I would also get the D8C over the norton flattening stone.

But the norton set is a good deal for what all you get.

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

I actually bought the norton set to start out

I found that i prefer the dmt for bevel setting...but that is just one mans opinion. I would also get the D8C over the norton flattening stone.

But the norton set is a good deal for what all you get.

I also prefer the DMTE 1200 for bevel setting. Sometimes I have found it was too harsh for some edges so I like to have a stone to fall back on when I run into that. The Norton 1k is slower but it won't cause micro chips ever.

Listen to these guys They've helped me quite a bit and make sure you use the WIKI there is so much great information there.