Thread: Sustainability

The main reason I got in to straight razor shaving (besides cool factor) is that I would no longer need to buy blades thus being healthier for my wallet and the environment. I am wondering what I need to get to maintain the razors edge. I have a strop. I am looking to keep this as low budget as possible as I am a college student and between textbooks, supplies and food money is tight.

Thank you.

There will be an initial expense and there's no way around that. The good news is that you can always sell off the gear you don't use for a reasonable return.

You want to go cheap? Whenever the razor starts to pull a little bit, strop it on newspaper. I hear that works pretty well. The carbon in the ink actually has an abrasive quality.

Most of us use the Norton 4,000/8,000 combination waterstone to get through almost anything, but those run about $80. I've been using a new old stock ultra fine barber hone and after three years I'm finally getting it to work well for me as a touch up instrument. It cost me under $20.

X

Welcome.

Assuming you have your razor honed by a pro and you never ding or roll the edge all you would need it a good razor and a good strop. Throwing in a high grit polishing stone or a pasted strop will extend the time between needing to send it out to be re-honed.

When I first started out, which was not that long ago by any means, all I had was a razor and a strop and it worked fine. Though eventually I had more money to spend and as is the natural progression around these parts that money went towards more fun shaving items.

Not related to keeping an edge but I would recommend a badger brush. In my opinion even the lowest grade badger beats bristle brushes any day. Heck, I still use the brush I got for 2 bucks at a yard sale.

Come to the MN meet up and I'll give you some Chromium Oxide powder for free. You can make a balsa paddle strop and/or strop on chrome ox'd newspaper for next to nothing and that would keep a shaving sharp razor shaving sharp for at least a year.

Chris L

Chris,

The Minnesota Meet Up? I need to hear more about this, much more.

DMT D8EE (8k) and chrome oxide on leather/ balsa.

If it turns out that you don't like oxide: add a barber hone or Chinese 12k. These last 2 will almost certainly require lapping. The DMT and oxide will not.

I like newspaper a lot too.

I have a separate rotation of razors I keep in my locker at the gym. I keep a single Carborundum barber hone in the locker and have used only it, and a leather and linen strop, to maintain those razors for the last couple of years.

Straight razors can be your cheapest shaving option as long as you learn what you need to know and then NEVER read this forum again. If you stick around you are at risk of infection with one or more acquisition disorders!

Originally Posted by Utopian

I have a separate rotation of razors I keep in my locker at the gym. I keep a single Carborundum barber hone in the locker and have used only it, and a leather and linen strop, to maintain those razors for the last couple of years.

Straight razors can be your cheapest shaving option as long as you learn what you need to know and then NEVER read this forum again. If you stick around you are at risk of infection with one or more acquisition disorders!

Too true, too true. I started out as one of those "attracted by sustainability" guys.... Now I have 3 badger brushes, about 8 hones and about 30 something razors. OOOOPS

Originally Posted by joke1176

Too true, too true. I started out as one of those "attracted by sustainability" guys.... Now I have 3 badger brushes, about 8 hones and about 30 something razors. OOOOPS

I feel this pain. Bought a belgian blue and coticule, worked ok, but I wanted more so I got the chinese12k at woodcraft, decent, but after reading all the praises of the shapton, my 16k should be here tommorow .

To justify spending all this money on hones, I figured I better start getting some more razors to sharpen.....I have about 15 now and luckily have stayed away from the bay for a week or so. It's a never ending cycle.

What Utopian said is all too true I was a straight shaver for years before I found SRP, all I ever needed were my razor, strop and barbers hone. After my introduction to SRP Ive got razors by the shoe box full,and another for hones,and then theres soaps, bowls, mugs, brushes and infinitum, ad nauseum.... all I can say is run! Run like hell before it gets you and if you fail to run, enjoy!