Thread: Newbie Question: How Often?

I just bought a Dovo kit from SRD and it seems as though it will be shave ready. Please confirm or deny this as the website states it has been hand sharpened and shave tested. My next question is how often does the blade need honed? I'm not going to attempt this on my own yet, so I will be sending I out. One step at a time. The is guys!

The razor is hand honed by Lynn, the founder of this forum, and will be shave ready when it arrives.

If they say it has been honed and is shave ready then it will be. SRD are one of those good vendors who actually know what they are doing and can be trusted.

The frequency of honing depends on many things and there is no one answer. In fact, the best answer is "when it needs to be" which I rather doubt is much help to you.

However, having said that it is more than likely that in the early stages of your shaving journey the need to refresh the edge, or even rehone the edge, will probably come sooner rather than later. Rather than thinking of edge refreshing as a time-related thing, think of it as a shave-related thing. It is difficult when you are new to know this, but you refresh when you feel the edge is dulling or pulling.

James.

Thanks guys! Can't wait for my order to show up. In the mean time I will keep reading and watching videos!

I stropped mine before I shaved with it, I only did a few laps and then the next day I shaved. I think I may have dulled my blade not knowing what I was going with the strop. I would say shave first so you have a reference as to what a shave ready razor feels like, then you can hopefully not dull your edge on the strop.

From what I can tell, it seems the strop needs held tight, make sure to roll the razor on its spine, lead with the spine. Also it seems as though the spine and edge of the blade should basically lay flat on the strop?

Yes, that is all correct. And go slowly initially until you get the hang of it. If you haven't been following it, take a look at a thread in the stropping forum called "Stroptober". Lots of videos in there showing how people strop, and a few that are teaching videos on how to strop.

James.

Awesome. Thanks!!!

Originally Posted by dustoff003

I stropped mine before I shaved with it, I only did a few laps and then the next day I shaved. I think I may have dulled my blade not knowing what I was going with the strop. I would say shave first so you have a reference as to what a shave ready razor feels like, then you can hopefully not dull your edge on the strop.

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. I did exactly the same thing-dull the edge-on my first attempt at stropping. As long as you are careful on your next stropping, you should be able to bring the edge back.