Thread: New to SRP

I am new to SRP; not new to wet shaving. Used my first in the 50s, first SR in late 60's. Served 30+ years active Navy. Because of attempts to control SRs, ended up in cartridge and electric razors. When I was put on blood thinners, I was told to not use any blade razor. After 7 years fighting an electric, went back to DEs, Merkur Progress, Merkur blade and Feather Popular with Feather blades, while I work on getting vintage and new inexpensive SRs shave ready. I will also be making ebony scales for a Bengall Imperial SR.

OldTraf
Honemeister wannabe

Hello, and welcome to the SRP family!!

Welcome! It sounds like you're well equipped and ready to come back to the world of SR shaving. I'm sure your knowledge and experience will be an asset to the forum. Hope you find some new friends here.

Thanks for the welcome. Ordered a Dovo SR from Lynn to use and as a benchmark. When it arrives,will put it under the USB microscope and get some edge pics so I can compare mine. Hopefully will let me know when it's good enough to put on my face.

OldTraf
Wannabe honemeister

Hi and welcome. Good luck with your edges and happy shaving

Started SR journey this AM. Used:
Shampoo, finished with Razor Defense Face scrub, forgot conditioner
Shaving bowl with VDH soap and Neutrogena shave gel with Badger brush soaking in hot water
Shaved dominant side cheek with unknown SR with blade marked Krystal edge. Not shave ready. I had stropped on strop with white compound then on strop with leather only. Pulled and didn't cut well WTG, although got out with no nicks or weepers. Finished WTG, XTG and ATG with Feather Popular and new Merkur blade. As part of training for SR, used dominant side hand on right side and left hand on left side. Because I am definitely UNIdextrous, had to concentrate on blade placement and angle with the left hand. Probably had better strokes because I also pretty much locked the wrist on that side so arm muscle was used more. Will probably continue this routine.

Finished with Neutrogena Razor Defense after shave balm.

Then, went into workshop and did a few hundred laps on 4000 grit waterstone, then about the same on the 8000 grit. Bevel looked pretty good. Then about 100 laps on carborundum side of old (50 years) strop, and the same on the horsehide side. No compound on the horsehide. A couple of hundred laps on leather with white compound, 100 laps on plain leather then about 50 on white compound. Finished with 50 on plain leather.

OldTraf
Wannabe honemeister

Day 2
Used Neutrogena shave cream as pre-shave because it doesn't lather up very well and I don't like throwing things away. One WTG pass with the SR on right cheek. Still pulled a bit but better than day 1. Finished with Feather DE and Merkur blade (2 shaves). No nicks, no weepers for an almost DFS.

Stropped on horsehide 50 laps, on leather with white compound 50 laps and on plain leather75 laps.

Day 3
Shower, Neutrogena face scrub, shampoo on face, conditioner on face. VDH soap, Neutrogena shave balm and badger brush soak in hot water during shower. One pass with SR on right cheek WTG, one pass on left side with left hand WTG. No nicks or weepers, shave not very good. Finished up with Merkur 25C open comb. Took awhile to establish a good angle XTG. Lathered again and finished 2 handed ATG, near DFS, some weepers on neck. Rinsed with warm water, then cold water and finished with Neutrogena Razor Defense Balm.

20 laps on horsehide, 20 laps on leather with flexcut gold, 20 laps on plain leather, 50 laps on Flexcut leather and 75 laps on plain leather.

Received shipping notices on 2 shave ready Dovos.

Pretty sure from old posts that the flexcut is actually quite coarse and not much good for razors. Would also suggest that if your edge isnt there already with the number of laps on the strop you have done you may want to go back a few steps and work your way up again as the fault is almost always in the bevel setting being done properly. If the bevel ain't right no amount of polishing is going to improve your edge. Good luck

Tks for info. Don't want to get into p!@#ing contest as I am not a metallurgist or chemist. Iirc, my experience with knife sharpening (I know not the same as razors) tells me that Flexcut gold is coarser than CrO2 when applied but breaks down into smaller grit size as it is used.

Day 5

Prepped with Neutogena shaving cream while heating up VDH and Neutrogena shaving balm and brush. A little too much water, lather was soupy. Worked some more on it and applied usable lather. Shaved with SR WTG on both cheeks. Shaved neck with SR on both sides. Shaved both cheeks XTG. Fairly smooth but one nick on left side. Finished up with Merkur 25C and Merkur blade, 2 days. SR shave was closer but audio from DE shave indicates there was a fair amount of stubble left.

if i recall correctly (as i recall approximately), it took me 2 weeks to nick myself and 6 months to get a "good enough" shave to not need DE cleaning up. After a year, it all feels properly natural, nearing the 2 year mark now.

The scope may or may not help. It will show errors but it won't show perfection (the butter). best of luck