Greeting from NewZealand best forum around!

[cudarunner]

Welcome to the most friendly, helpful and informative site on the web!!

You will find members here of all different backgrounds, ages and occupations from all corners of the world and all with a quest for more knowledge about using and maintaining a straight razor!

Personally, I'd send it to OZ who is in Australia! If you don't know if the razor was 'Truly Shave Ready' than any and everything is Mute & Pointless! His edges are legendary and he's a great guy who I'm very proud to call my mate!

You can PM him here:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/members/onimaru55.html

I'll even chip in $10 to help out!! It will come stropped and ready to go! You won't need to strop! Just rinse the oil off and have a go with it!

What you will have is a starting point to know what a truly shave ready razor feels and shaves like! You will also have a reference to whether or not your stropping has affected the edge! Also if your angles have been proper!

Please have it Professionally Honed!

Again! Welcome! Enjoy the ride! It's a long strange trip but well worth the journey!

[Danzano]

Thanks Cudarunner It really is!! I am very glad I joined everyone here has been great I would like to learn this art and one day contribute back to the community here. At the moment I am working on learning how to make scales with custom carvings so if i get any good at that will post some on here for all to see and if anyone wants them

As for the blade I am seeing the honemiester tonight to see what he can do as I know it was probably me not stropping right or horrible technique maybe even both. Will see how it all goes and how it shaves afterward but will keep Oz in mind and if I don't feel its up to spec I will PM him straight away. Might even give him a try for the next hone needed to compare between 2 different honers.

Hopefully can get the hang of all this in a couple months although I don't think the first shave was a tragedy by any means.

Thanks for the reply and a new contact there cudarunner great to be here.

[Danzano]

Well when I was stropping I nicked the strop a couple times small nicks thought nothing of it, when I saw the honemeister tonight he showed me it had actually taken chips from the very blade edge and rolled the blade he wondered how I hadn't cut myself more using the blade in that state lol. He said it is not a biggie but will need the stones and he will have it ready Thursday night for me to pick up. I have also asked for another leather strop a linen strop and some paste so that if there are anymore seemingly small miss haps I atleast have the paste to work with before I call for any honing.

Thanks for the support everyone but as I thought it was my fault and my horrible stropping

[cudarunner]

He said it is not a biggie but will need the stones and he will have it ready Thursday night for me to pick up. I have also asked for another leather strop a linen strop and some paste so that if there are anymore seemingly small miss haps I atleast have the paste to work with before I call for any honing.

Thanks for the support everyone but as I thought it was my fault and my horrible stropping

Perhaps I'm wrong and it wouldn't be the first time BUT I believe that the 'honemeister' will tell you that until you master stropping having any paste is only going to cause you More Heartache!! There is NO MAGIC BY USING PASTES! If you take the time to learn how to Properly Strop Make Lather and Learn the Angles then and only then will you be successful in learning this age old Art!!

I've honed for many, many guys and I've never used any paste!

Personally, I like the feel of the edge right off of the hones! Apparently so do many others as all I've gotten is compliments and thanks from the owners!

I'm not trying to discourage you! Quite the opposite! I want you to succeed!

The #1 thing that I find from those who are just starting the journey is that they lack patience! Be Patient and you will do well!

Smooth Shaving My Brother In Blades!

[eddy79]

I'd agree with cudarunner here if your stropping is subpar paste is going to cause more problems with the edge. Stropping on paste before you can strop properly is going to end badly

[Danzano]

When I go to pick up the blade Thursday Simon said he is gonna walk through proper technique with me and some tricks and tips to stropping without nicking the strop so hopefully if I listen to him and do exactly as he says I won't have any more mishaps. Also I think because I was so excited for the first shave I was probably a bit rushed so next time just gotta slow down and be patient

Practiced some more this morning with my shavette trying to get my angles better think im getting better just hope I can get the stropping right come Thursday thanks everyone for the advice and help it is much appreciated.

[eddy79]

Try laying the strop on a flat surface then you only need to worry about the flip. Good luck

[Danzano]

Well the goatee is gone because I nicked it but the second time round was amazing only a couple cuts and nothing major the two biggest where on my chin but we're expected. Very very happy with my second attempt and hope it can only get better with time and more reading in this forum :-)

[silverloaf]

great to hear! the enjoyment will grow

[Danzano]

Thanks for all the support guys but I have yet another question :S last night when i had a shave all was going well until toward the end my blade started to dull and then i cut myself about 4 times I went with the grain and across after.

Is there a way to keep it sharp through the whole shave should i try more strokes on the strop next time ?

Or maybe its my technique im trying to keep a spin to 2 spin widths from my face no more no less but round the chin/jaw is the hardest to maintain angle ??

Should i use my pasted strop then linen then leather between shaves? Using diamond paste I just brought the linen strop and keen to try it out anyway :P

Really want to get to a point where my whole shave the blade is sharp my technique is good and no cuts!!

Have to say though the misses loves the smoothness afterward in comparison to previous shaves