Thread: New Member and Straight user here

Maybe you stropped away the edge, more new guys and knife guys degrade their edge stropping, it's the most important aspect of maintaining an edge. Properly stropped good edge will last a long time. And as far as stropping too much , not likely , if done right you won't degrade your edge stropping, I know guys who strop hundreds of laps, my self I still do 35 linen and then 100 on leather , and always , you don't shave with a knife , most guys on here know sharp things and where a knife ends is usually where we begin, it will come but learn to shave right and the edge will last longer and learn to strop so you don't damage the edge, plus if it came from SRD. You were supposed to shave with it before stropping to see what the edge should feel like, Good luck. Tc

Hi, welcome , stick around, and it has been said many time before here , get one honed first professionaly so then you at least have a benchmark for learning what sharp is. it is impossible to learn how to hone and shave at the same time

and hobbyist sword polisher ...........
I wish I lived near you! That is one hobby I would like to try.


You have a 1 micron paddle, a 10K stone and a strop. Use them in that order.
Try a routine of 25 laps on each and then test using the tree top test or any other test your comfortable with. After they start tree topping then gently strop for 50 laps and test shave.
An excellent beard prep will help a lot and light pressure when shaving with very little angle on the blade,................. < 30 degrees.