Thread: Desperate Need of Help

To IamtheLaw:

I'm also in South Carolina -- Florence. I don't hone razors for others, but I keep my own stable of 50+ and counting (rapidly) in excellent shape. I usually purchase them unhoned and do the job from bevel-set to finish.

Anyway, I'm more than happy to help in any way you wish. You can drop me a PM.

Re your original questions. It is possible to get a poorly honed razor advertised as "shave-ready," even from a reputable vendor or honemeister. Not common, but from personal experience I can tell you it happens. Everyone messes up, and stuff happens.

About your stropping. AFAIK, the only way to damage an edge on a strop is to have the bevel hit it at an angle which will leave a tell-tale cut or scrape in the leather. This usually happens when the razor is flipped, although I guess if you lift the spine during the stroke it could happen anywhere along the belly of the strop. Look at the extreme ends of your strop. Sometimes the cuts are very small. If the strop is undamaged, then you can have some confidence that you have not damaged the bevel while stropping.

Finally, if you cannot cut arm hair with minimal or no pressure, that razor needs to be rehoned. Don't waste your time trying to strop it into shape -- it will take forever, and even if you get the job done the bevel will not be clean, but rounded with a very limited lifespan. Not ideal. It needs to get with some stones.

For better or worse, I believe any straight shaver must learn to hone if he wants the ultimate satisfaction from the experience. There are incredible variations in the final edges honers impart to razors, which you will come to appreciate over time. Your personal tastes may not be shared by the guy you send it off to.

Anyway, happy to help if you need me. Welcome to the club.