Thread: Just ordered my first straight...

Be sure to check the Wiki on honing:

Category:Honing - Straight Razor Place Wiki

So if I hone every so often (and learn how) do I ever need to send it out to be professionally sharpened like I would with a knife? Or is the Honing the same as sharpening? (sorry for the dumb questions )

Originally Posted by mcgyver74

So if I hone every so often (and learn how) do I ever need to send it out to be professionally sharpened like I would with a knife? Or is the Honing the same as sharpening? (sorry for the dumb questions )

Honing a razor is the same as sharpening it. You'll probably need to do it less than twice a year on a heavily used razor. When you are learning to hone, it's useful to have a razor honed by a "honemeister" so you have a reference for what you want to achieve with the one your honing. Once you know how, there shouldn't be any reason to send them out again.

No such thing as a dumb question. Ask away. It's what we're here for.

If you touch up your edge , at the first sign your razor isn't shaving as well as it could , your razor will always be sharp . 5 - 10 laps on a finish hone (8k or finer , grit rating) is all you need to do .

Thanks everyone, I'm sure I'll have tons more questions.. I am looking forward to getting this and actually shaving with it.

So far since I switched to the DE I find that I have LESS 5 o'clock shadow and stubble then I ever did with my old Cartridge razors

I'm reading the instructions that were mailed to me when I confirmed my payment for the razor/strop and I am a little confused on a few things, he mentions stropping after you shave, I thought you were supposed to strop before the shave? (or is it both? ) Also there seems to be some debate about storing the SR and Strop in the bathroom (some say it's ok others not...I figure I'll err on the side of caution but still am curious why it's bad according to some)

Again many many thanks in advance

Originally Posted by mcgyver74

I'm reading the instructions that were mailed to me when I confirmed my payment for the razor/strop and I am a little confused on a few things, he mentions stropping after you shave, I thought you were supposed to strop before the shave? (or is it both? ) Also there seems to be some debate about storing the SR and Strop in the bathroom (some say it's ok others not...I figure I'll err on the side of caution but still am curious why it's bad according to some)

Stropping after shaving is supposed to clean the edge of any soap that wasn't rinsed off. It doesn't hurt the razor to do it, so I figure, why not?

You should strop before shaving to have the smoothest possible edge. Some go so far as to strop midway through the shave. If you're curious, experiment with when and how long you strop. The whole idea is to have the best and most comfortable shave possible.

Bathrooms are usually high humidity areas, and that's why storing your razor and strop there is not recommended. If your bathroom is big enough or well-ventilated, you could probably get away with it. If you try, keep a good watch on them for rust/stains on the razor and mold on the strop. Personally, I think you have more chance of having problems from not drying the razor thoroughly before you put it away than from humidity in the bathroom.

Also there seems to be some debate about storing the SR and Strop in the bathroom (some say it's ok others not...I figure I'll err on the side of caution but still am curious why it's bad according to some)

If you're storing a straight razor in your bathroom, I urge you to put a thin coat of oil on the blade after shaving. Dry the blade, give it 10 laps on the strop (that dries up any water left on the bevel), and wipe a drop of oil on the edge and the rest of the blade with a tissue. [One drop is enough to cover the blade.]

Wipe off the oil with a tissue before you strop the blade for your next shave.

"Oil" means mineral oil, baby oil, anti-corrosion oil (e.g. Corrosion Block), gun oil, "choji oil" (for swords), etc. There are long threads about this, everybody has his favorite concoction.

Charles