Thread: Strop recommendations

Originally Posted by Lockwood124

The barber told me I should grow a beard and save my self the agony....

I understand what you are going through. From my experience (one year) shaving with a straight razor is something you need to be dedicated to learning or not even start. There are lots of alternatives to getting the hair off our faces. Personally, I had a beard for about 8-10 years. I got into knife sharpening trying to get super razor sharp edges because I've always liked knives and respected sharp knives as tools. One day I decided to shave my beard off but I no longer had ANY shaving equipment. Not even a 10 pack of disposable razors and a can of shaving cream. So I decided to try straight razors ONLY to become proficient at sharpening them. The decision had nothing to do with a close shave or anything related to the end result. This was because of my love and respect for what sharp edges can do for us. If it weren't for the sharpening (honing) aspect of shaving with a straight razor I would have bought disposable razors and blades. I'm finally starting to benefit from watching videos, advice here and lots of practice. As far as the cost goes I'm thinking the initial cost, while it can be more expensive at first will save money in the long run. Maybe. Anything shaving related can get expensive if you want good tools. Just like most things. I bet you don't have dirt cheap tools to work on your car.

Anyway, I'm showing improvement from my efforts. And while I didn't care about the quality of my shaves to begin with I can see and feel a difference in my shaves now compared to earlier in life. I shaved all my life until I retired 10 years ago. For me it's worth the effort I've gone through. And I know I'll improve more in the future. But when I started I had no idea it would take a year to just get started being proficient. I'm sure some people improve faster. I think the most important thing to consider is to not even concern yourself with honing a razor. Just focus on stropping. That will get you having a shave ready razor at your disposal much faster than if you try using stones on your razors. I got this advice but ignored it. But my stropping has gotten good enough to keep the razor I got from SRD shaving better than anything I've honed. I won't try to hone it until I can get my other razors this sharp. I'll send it to Lynn when it needs honing. But, it may not need honing for several months. After another year practicing to hone and strop I may not need to send it to Lynn. I probably will though. I'll want to check my skill with a razor he hones again and I have a free honing certificate since I got the razor from SRD. I can shave with what I hone and strop. It's just not the same as using the SRD razor. But to think I'll get razors as sharp as Lynn or other people who have been at it for years is unrealistic. But, I'll be able to maintain my own razors at a satisfactory level. So will you if you stick with it. Best of luck.

Jack

You mention your strop being "wavy", stiff and concave. I am sure that youe strop would work much better if it were well broken in.
You can make the leather much more supple if you work it against a surface that makes the leather bend fairly sharply against a surface that will not harm the leather.
Take the strip of leather from the strop and work it, with the unused side toward a rounded surface such as the back of a wooden chair.
After 100 or so passes the leather should lose some of its memory and stiffness kind of like a pair of leather shoes becomes softer after being worn and thereby worked for awhile.
Maybe several hundred passes are in order but I would bet that 100 will make a noticeable difference for you.
If you are concerned about the leather abrading against your chosen work surface just put a piece of brown paper bag or a plastic grocery bag between the leather and the surface you are rubbing it on.
I think you will be very pleased in using a well broken in strop versus a new stiff unyeilding one.

A properly honed razor should not behave as you describe.
How did the razor shave before you stropped it ?

I don't see any drastic problem with the strop in the pics that the X stroke can't compensate for but logically, your edge cannot be optimised if the leather is degrading it ie you are degrading it somehow or something is up with the strop.
Seeing you have tried two strops with the same result it is more likely something you are doing, if the razor is truly shave ready.


If you are new to straights there can easily be a number of things you are doing wrong. The leather makes the edge smoother, not so much sharper. Sharpness will come from the stone & as you notice even the linen makes an improvement being more abrasive than leather.
Sometimes new honers notice their edge loses sharpness as they get to their final stone. This is often because earlier work gives a false sharpness that can grab hair & break it rather than slice it easily. Not criticising whoever honed the blade just emphasising that the whole process is cumulative towards shave readiness & not degrading to the edge at the final stage..

You have a tough beard so the edge will suffer more than maybe someone else's beard. If you use the same angle as your shavette this will compound the damage greatly. Try with the blade flat on your face. Yes spine touching & all. I know a guy with sensitive skin & a tough beard who gets 6- 8 months of good shaves on a 2-3 razor rotation

Read these manufacturers instructions & see that they all emphasise good prep & a flat shaving angle.

Your edge may well need another touchup to really assess these instructions however.


http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...ng-basics.html


One final comment. Any mention of sales or trade on the open forums is against the rules but I figure your comment was in jest about "making a deal"

When I bought the razor it was very dull, it literally pulled the hairs out of my arm. You can read my original post. As for my strop I got the SRD 3" black latigo, and I must say I like the design of it and the fact you can change out peices as you go. The strop seems like a total no brainer to me.

I will admit I made mistakes with the stop, it was wavey from shipping is all I can think, I did used saddle soap on it to soften it and it did. I did nick it a few times, it is also wrinkled in a few spots as well. So This week I orderd the Premium IV segment, this one did show up alittle wavey as well but I just rub it with my hand every time I walk past it and it is softening up nicely.

The razor is sharper then it ever has been I have cutting hairs midway with out any putting and the razor makes a nice rining sound when it cuts the hairs. I think I may run up stairs and give her a shave.

Originally Posted by Lockwood124

When I bought the razor it was very dull, it literally pulled the hairs out of my arm. You can read my original post.

I also read that you had it honed since so it should be working ok. G'lick with the shave.

I know you all have been waiting with baited breath. I have been working on my stropping, and the razor has never been more sharp. I still feel it isn't quite where it needs to be. It does deliver a smooth shave, not exactly the closest thing on earth, not quite as good as my DE it is a step in the right direction. I may send it back to Larry or Stephan to see if they can get the last 3-5% out of it. I do have green oxide paste and have done 20 stokes on it 40 on the fabric then 100 on the leather. That was a big improvement.

For me I find using pitch is the best way to strop on the leather side. I look for a nice smooth sound that doesn't ring. To little pressure tells me the blade isn't fully contacting the strop. I try attain the same sound going back and forth. I also feel the with the strop not fully broken in it isn't working as good as it should.. So maybe I am one step closer to shaving nirvana....

Thanks for all the feedback and comments. There maybe an 11/16's theirs-issrad in my future but we will see...

Cheers!!!

I would also like to offer words of encouragement. I had a tough start as well. Jumped RIGHT into the deep end. I would still recommend getting your nice razor re-honed, buying 2 more beaters that are pro-honed and going with WTG passes only. Finish up with the DE or SE.

And, heck, there may be plenty of days where you find that you're just not up for a SR shave(time, mood, etc.). No shame in that and certainly not a reason to abandon many other profitable aspects of the art of shaving. I can't imagine how I ever shaved without proper face prep. It translates across the board.

The strop problem must be rectified. Did you contact the vendor and explain that it came unusable? I'd definitely go that route before an ify attempt at flattening and breaking in, if you've never done it.

Cheers and Happy Shaves,

Simon

Well I have done all I could with my razor, she is still dull. I have stropped it a ton, and improved it. I tried .05 micron paste, even did a touch up with a 4k/8k hone that was leveled to Lynn's spec's. I have improved the razor at each step, all I can think is the bevel was never set. I have inspected it with a 60x magnifying glass. Which showed the bevel is even. So I will send it out to be honed to yet another person to see what happens.

In other news I have been getting some great shaves with my shavette and de razor. I got a merkur progress. That thing is sweet!!!!

Originally Posted by Lockwood124

Well I have done all I could with my razor, she is still dull. I have stropped it a ton, and improved it. I tried .05 micron paste, even did a touch up with a 4k/8k hone that was leveled to Lynn's spec's. I have improved the razor at each step, all I can think is the bevel was never set. I have inspected it with a 60x magnifying glass. Which showed the bevel is even. So I will send it out to be honed to yet another person to see what happens.

In other news I have been getting some great shaves with my shavette and de razor. I got a merkur progress. That thing is sweet!!!!

I'm no expert at all. Been working on honing/stropping for a bit over a year. Things are coming together finally. It takes time to get the feeling. My thoughts are if you want to hone your own razors, start learning and practice a little (or a lot) each day. Look for signifant improvement in 6 months. In a year you can be getting some real nice shaves from the razors you hone. This is close to my experience. Stropping is still the key though it seems. You can keep a razor that Lynn hones shave ready for a few months once the stropping skill is good. Then sending a razor for honing every six months isn't too bad. The other reason stropping is key is even if you have honing on stones down pat, if your stropping is lacking you can ruin the good edge you got on the stones. I learned that the hard way. All the experienced guys kept saying stropping is the first thing to get proficient. They are the ones that know. Keep at it. It'll come together and good luck.

Jack

Jack,
Thanks, my stropping has come along way. I can now improve the blade drastically, but with the current state of it it is still on the dull side. So I will send it out and see what happens.