Thread: Having trouble with first straight razor

Hi gents

I've done a search regarding my question but unable to find the exact answer. So i apologize in advance if I'm repeating.
I've been using a double edge for almost 5 years, a feather artist shavette for almost 3 years. I was recently gifted my first straight - a custom carbon steel from koraat knives in austria. I also got the strop-it paddle with leather on 1 side and canvas on the other. Obv I was on top of the moon. Did my usual pre shave routine... Shower, hot water Face towel with eucalyptus essential oils, badger lather with aqua di Parma shaving cream... Stropped 25 laps over leather followed by 15 over canvas side, and started the test shave.

I experienced quite a bit of pulling and tugging and I had to use quite a bit more pressure compared to the fearher artist shavette. Also the shave wasn't as close as what I'm used to. Koraat has sent the razor shave ready they say. Did the hanging hair test which it kinda failed cause the hair didn't exactly slice apart but just scraped and broke after a lot of attempts.

Now the questions....
1. Assuming the blade is actually shave ready... What did I do wrong? Was I not supposed to strop before the first shave. If I was to strop it, did I not strop enough?
2. Assuming the blade is shave ready... Is it normal for it to feel less sharper than the shavette? In which case is it just another learning curve?
3. Assuming the blade is shave ready... What can I do to get it sharper? Do I need to strop more than I did? The strop paddle came with red diamond paste. Should I try stropping with it or is it too soon?
4. If the blade is indeed not sharp enough... What can I do to get it sharper if stropping isn't enough. I live in Dubai and I doubt there is anyone offering honing services. Do I have to send it back to koraat? Considering The freight charges will be prohibitive back and forth is there another alternative?

Peace... Satyen

I am going to make an assumption that the Koraat was shave ready as I have not heard anyone complain of them not being so. If this is the first time you have stropped a straight razor you could easily have dulled the edge by poor stropping technique. It may have been better to have shaved without stropping it first. Stropping it before your second shave would let you know if you are dulling the edge stropping if the edge feels duller on the second shave.

The normal routine is to strop on the canvas side first, about 20 laps, and then on the leather, about 60 laps.

You did not say if your shaves are multi pass shaves. Normally, about 3 passes are needed to get a close shave. You gradually reduce the whiskers rather than eliminate then in one pass.

I wish I had a suggestion for you next move. You could try stropping more but if your technique is not good I don't see that doing much good. Same would apply to using the red paste. OTH what have you got to loose? It is that or send it out for honing.

Bob

There is another member in Dubai. The only reason I even remembered is he has two locations on his location notice.
I have not shaved with the feather shavette, so I am only going by what I have heard. You need to shave with less angle with a straight compared to a shavette. Also it would have been better to have not stropped the blade before hand, however it is done. Typically you would strop linen then leather. I am an excessive stropper and strop about 60 linen and around 100 leather. Stropping technique is as or more important than anything else with straights. The blade needs to be perfectly flat on the strop and passed over the strop, with no downward pressure, spine leading. If you lift the spine off the strop even a little you will deteriorate the edge, fairly quickly in fact. It is unlikely that you will have a 30x loupe to use to examine the edge, but if you do that will be very handy. Check your edge if you can and try again. Be very diligent in your stropping. If you are careful with your stropping you might be able to get that edge back, if that is what the problem is, or get your technique under you. Good luck, remember good stretching and no pressure.

Sorry for the outcome. Rule #1 is to shave with a freshly honed razor before you strop it. That way you know what a sharp blade feels like. Now you will not know if the blade was shave ready. Stropping Rule #1 is to use the cotton side first to clean the edge and then the leather side to polish the edge. Depending on your stropping technique you may bring the edge back. However, if in your technique you raised the spine up from the strop you may have rolled your edge. My best advice is to try stropping it again. Stop 30 on the rough side and 60 on the leather. The razor must be flat on the strop and the strop should be without slack. Go slow with the stropping, there is no hurry. I hope this is helpful.

I've never heard of anyone here complain about the lack of shave readiness of a Koraat razor, so I presume you damaged the edge while stropping. This is a very easy trap to fall into for beginners plus many razor makers recommend shaving with the razor without stropping for the initial run.

Sounds like you will need the blade re-honed to a shave ready state. I hope you find someone reasonably close. Good luck!

The experienced members have given you some sound advice.

All I'll add in is this; if you have the angle of the straight razor's blade Too High then you are Scraping the Whiskers Off, Not Shaving Them Off. Try lowering your angle--that is after Carefully Stropping the Razor Before the next shave.

Good luck

When I got my Koraat I shaved with it without doing any stropping. An amazing shave. In fact the best I've had in a while. As those above have said I'd recommend stropping again slowly and carefully. It should "bring back" your edge to shave ready. I see no benefit in sending it back to Koraat.

Thank you!
So my next steps are going to be....
Stropping again slowly and carefully as described above. I did watch bunch of videos before stropping but obv I still messed it up. However I don't have a choice but to try again.
I do have a Jewelers loupe (since I'm a Jeweler by profession). But what exactly am I looking for? Since it's a brand new piece there are no obv abrasions etc.

Welcome to SRP. Don't be discouraged. I rolled the edge on my first shave ready razor.
General advice is Don't strop a new shave ready razor.
Haven't heard one bad review on Koorat razors so that is probably what happened.
You may possibly be able to bring it back with a strop. Take your time, spine flat on the strop. The spine is like a built-in guide for stropping and honing at the correct angle. Worst case scenario, send it to one of the members here for a re hone. Best of luck.


Sent from a moto x far far away

Also just keep in mind: Maybe you didn't do anything to the razor and it is just technique. I too shaved with a Feather for a time before a straight. I have yet to feel an edge on an actual straight that FEELS as sharp as a Feather, and I have razors honed by some top pros, and from a couple of guys here. Angle is more important too. I went down the bad angle/too much pressure road for a few days. It took me a bit to get it figured out, and not be disappointed in what turned out to be a scary sharp blade.

Good luck and have fun.