Thread: Hello to all.

Hi guys I'm Jeremy and I am new to straight shaving (still have not done it).
I recently purchased from eBay what i think was an extremely bad razor (new) because it was well... cheap and i have not been able to put an edge on it (using a 1k\4k grit stone)
from what i have read on this site forums it probably was Pakistani steel but i had sent it to a professional before i found this site so we will see if he can get it sharp.
In the meantime I have purchased a pair of used Kropp straight razors and I can see that there is a little bit of tarnishing on the back of one of the blades and I was wondering what is the best way to clean it.
Thank you.

Hi and welcome. Metal polish such as mass is good for polishing a blade. Also you wont get a razor shaving off a 4k stone. We consider 8k the beginning of shave ready. Have a good read through the library. Most of this sort of info and all the basics etc are covered in there. Any questions feel free to ask. Also is recommended to send your first razor for a pro hone so you know what shave ready is meant to feel like.

As stated , you really need to learn how to shave with a straight before you take on honing, just for the simple fact , you really won't know if your edge is shave ready. Surprisingly (not really) most find out they had a fine shaving edge after they learned to shave, what was dull now seems to be fine ,, so first things first, that way you can have success and not be frustrated into quitting. By the way eBay is not for the beginner , buy from a reputable source , it can be just as inexpensive, in our classifieds I have seen shave ready razors for 30-50 dollars, so then all you need is a strop and soap with brush. Good luck. Tc

Welcome to SRP.
If you are straight shaving to save money try Larry at whippeddog. You will get an inexpensive kit that can shave.
If you want to get going with a great razor and strop check out Straightrazordesigns

Welcome to SRP

Aside from the "mass" I now know all that and I have ordered a coticule which from, what I understand, is equivalent to 9k
The thread was about introducing myself so I just thought I'd share my peripeties.
On the other hand I am pretty sure that "mass" does not exist in my country would. You know what it's made of or should I just go for any metal polish ?
Thanks

I understand what you mean but unfortunately I live in a country where straight saving really is not popular and I have not been able to find anywhere to buy either cheap new or second hand razors.
The cheapest I was able to find is a dovo that went for approximately $220 so eBay is basically my only options but after the first Pakistani steel fiasco I watched Lynn Abrams' video on how to buy eBay razors as well as a few others and I think I did okay.
In any case I will see what I get from the sharpener on the bad steel and I'll see where to go from there.
Thanks for the advice in any case.

Your location is always helpful when people are trying to figure out best ways to help and people may be a lot closer than you think. I hope you can get shaving soon. We are here to help.

Welcome, look forward to reading about your journey. Good shaves!

Welcome to SRP!