Thread: I been on the outside looking in :<0)

Hello Everyone;
I have been here looking around and reading the forum and have already learned a lot. So, thank you. I think I fell into this whole idea of shaving with a straight razor from wandering around in You Tube. Anyways, I hated shaving until I found out there is a whole world of fellas that use straight razors and are happy to help. I have been at it for about 3 months now and still have a nose. I am not one to just spend my hard earned on a whimsical idea so I started out with a complete set for $40.00. Not much of THAT is left. I still have the brush and soap although I had to rebuild the brush , The razor was bulky and couldn't keep an edge. So my 1st lesson is, cheap will give you a taste but won't last long or work properly. It did get me going. I bought a couple of $20.00 razors on E-bay and one was sharp enough to use a few times. I bought a Norton 4,000/8,000 (my first big expense), I figured who doesn't need something to sharpen stuff with. So, I learned enough about honing on You Tube to really cut myself. 2nd lesson be freakin' careful all the time. I also ruined my first strop trying to do it like the big boys. It was part of the forty dollar package and I made a 3"+ wide one out of some latigo I had. I just lay it on a board and I have sort of developed my own style doing it that way. I have some ideas about making a strop after seeing one on E-bay mounted to a concave board with a handle on it. I just don't have a place in the bathroom to drill in and anchor for a regular strop. Not my bathroom and lots of tile. Who knows maybe I can make them and sell em'. I bought 2 more razors @ the E place ( I didn't want to ruin my good"ha ha" $20.00 ones learning to hone) and took 1 apart to make new scales for it. They came out nice but my drill press is in storage so I have to dig that out to finish learning that skill.
I will have to finish this book later but as you can see I love shaving for this first time in my life and I have joined to see what more I can learn and maybe become part of the help someday. I tend to take my hobbies to the extreme sometimes but hey, I am having fun so far ! Hope to meet some new folks and share the fun.

A suggestion:

If the bathroom has a door, you might be able to put a loop of string around the top of a door hinge, and attach a hanging strop to that.

I don't see why a strop should be mounted on a concave board. A flat board, sure.

. Charles

Sounds like you're having a good time. One solution to nowhere to hang the strop in the bathroom is to strop elsewhere or even shave elsewhere. Once a week I shave in my bedroom at a 'shaving stand' and I'm really getting used to it and liking it.

Carl

I use a paddle strop but use it at my computer desk. I keep my razor there as well as it's a drier environment. It's right next to the bathroom however.

I use a wire tie and hand the strop form the towel rack. I also have a paddle strop and I'll strop while watching TV sometimes. I'm sure you'll find a way that fits your surroundings. Enjoy the adventure!!

I use a carabiner on my travel strop, which will attach to water pipes, towel rails, taps, etc.

All great suggestions and right now I rotate 4 razors in and out. I smoke in the garage and puff and strop at the same time. That might change as I just won a dd Satinedge on E-bay and may get spoiled from what I hear. It will be awhile before I have more than one that good unless I figure out the sniping technique they used to buy them out from under me at much lower prices. Many frustrating moments.

This is the strop I saw and might build something like it to keep near the razor. I have only been at this a short time and most board strops seem to be use with paste and for finishing off the honing process. It made sense to me that the hanging strop had different affect on the blade and was more for gentle edge maintenance. Still learning the subtle differences so I am not sure.