Thread: Sixteen year old with a straight.

Howdy.

I'm from Indiana. I've always had a thing for straight razors and double edges as well as knives and guns. I recently acquired a 4/8ths (Not sure, actually, just a guess.) Union Cutlery Co. "Log Cabin" razor and decided to post here. I hope to talk to y'all soon.

Welcome to SRP, the best forum for your straight razor needs! Check the Wiki library, it will get you to a good start. It did for me. Welcome again! Double O

Thank you!

By the way, have that razor hone a pro on razor honing, or better call honemeister. It is the best advice I got when starting. Double O

I've been sharpening for a while, mostly on my arkansas stones (medium and translucent) as well as my india, however I will follow your advice there, I checked the blade, no dings in the edge. It looks perfectly straight and I can pop hairs off my arm after a touchup on a translucent and a quick strop on my pants then my sling. How much can I expect to spend to have it hone while I save up for a proper hone, and which one should I look for, Thuringians? Belgian Blue? Coticules? I would have to get a smaller one since my job is essentially unloading hay on our farm for my stepdad.

Thanks Cutter, got any creams or soaps you'd suggest? I like the Van Gogh portrait and th' name, do you headshave?

Originally Posted by Rumsey

I've been sharpening for a while, mostly on my arkansas stones (medium and translucent) as well as my india, however I will follow your advice there, I checked the blade, no dings in the edge. It looks perfectly straight and I can pop hairs off my arm after a touchup on a translucent and a quick strop on my pants then my sling. How much can I expect to spend to have it hone while I save up for a proper hone, and which one should I look for, Thuringians? Belgian Blue? Coticules? I would have to get a smaller one since my job is essentially unloading hay on our farm for my stepdad.

There are members here that would do it for free, just pay shipping both ways (3+3=$6.00). You can contact Pinklather here, explain your situation and ask him, you can even tell him I send you.

Most of us here, hone knifes, I my self honed chisels and planers for my woodworking hobby. But razors are a different animal. If you hone it right and your technic is off, or your lather is off or your stropping is off, you will never know if you honnjg is on or off. Earcutter is right, if it pulls or skips and cut, is not good, but also bad technic will do the same, or a bad beard prep, could do it too. And because honing a razor is so different to honing knifes or wood planers, you want to take that variable out. Better, I'll send you one in my collection for you to try and keep for awhile till you learn how to strop, shave and hone, then you can returned it back, that is, if you want. When I started I got two razors, same make, same grind, same steel. One was the control, compare once a week for the first month, then once a month while the daily shaver was stropped, refresh the edge with pasted strop or barber hone or one of your stones (the arki may do it). Then later I used it to compare my honing with it. I have sent it once to be retouch by a pro since I got it. It has serve me well. Double O

Alright, one question, is a large sueded leather sling pouch bit in my teeth and pulled taught suitable as a strop, It works well, but is smooth leather better? I carry the strop wrapped around my Hard Arkie pocketstone next to my GEC sodbuster.

Also, I'm not the most reliable in the way of returning things, esp. thru mail, so I'll have to decline the offer to borrow your razor. Additionally, I don't believe in No Shave November.

I don't think suede will work, maybe as the pre leather, but I don't know. The leather needs to be supple and smooth as a baby's but, that's all I know. If you are in a tight budget, try whipdog on the classifieds here for an effective but economical strop. Even news paper can and have been used as a strop, but don't know how effective it is. Double O

Originally Posted by Rumsey

Thanks Cutter, got any creams or soaps you'd suggest? I like the Van Gogh portrait and th' name, do you headshave?

No head-shaving for me... not that the last couple of summers hasn't made me think about it though!

I am a cream mostly guy - but soaps are great too. A tub of cream or a soap should last you quite some time. Kiss My Face and Prorasso are both considered great, and relatively well priced. I can't talk to the KMF - but the Prorasso is great stuff.