Thread: Newbie needs help,, in Red Deer Alberta

I have two straight razors. I jus received my new Thiers Issard full hollow ground from the honemeister last week. It is superb. The HHT passes with flying colors. (Don't flame me. I know the HHT is highly subjective but I still like to know my razor passes the test.)

It has shaved perfectly for about a week. Now it is not shaving so good.

I have a Thiers Issard double sided wide edge leather paddle strop that I use. I have been very, very careful to make sure that I strop the blade flat as per what I have read and the videos I have watched.

I strop at least sixty times on the courser leather and then 60 - 80 times on the fine leather. Now my razor feels dull. Is there such a thing as over-stropping? Can you strop a razor too much? How do I check and or repair any damage? Should I be stropping much less strokes? Should I only be using the fine leather side and not the course leather side of the strop?
How long should I wait before sending it out to be re-sharpened or touched up by a professional sharpener?

All comments appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

Chris in Red Deer, Alberta

Originally Posted by shikano53

I have two straight razors. I jus received my new Thiers Issard full hollow ground from the honemeister last week. It is superb. The HHT passes with flying colors. (Don't flame me. I know the HHT is highly subjective but I still like to know my razor passes the test.)

It has shaved perfectly for about a week. Now it is not shaving so good.

I have a Thiers Issard double sided wide edge leather paddle strop that I use. I have been very, very careful to make sure that I strop the blade flat as per what I have read and the videos I have watched.

I strop at least sixty times on the courser leather and then 60 - 80 times on the fine leather. Now my razor feels dull. Is there such a thing as over-stropping? Can you strop a razor too much? How do I check and or repair any damage? Should I be stropping much less strokes? Should I only be using the fine leather side and not the course leather side of the strop?
How long should I wait before sending it out to be re-sharpened or touched up by a professional sharpener?

All comments appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

Chris in Red Deer, Alberta

It sounds like your technique.


You can dullthe razor if you use pressure when stropping.


This happens to all of us.

Try bringing the edge back on a Barbers hone, or we hone it.

Originally Posted by shikano53

I have two straight razors. I jus received my new Thiers Issard full hollow ground from the honemeister last week. It is superb. The HHT passes with flying colors. (Don't flame me. I know the HHT is highly subjective but I still like to know my razor passes the test.)

It has shaved perfectly for about a week. Now it is not shaving so good.

I have a Thiers Issard double sided wide edge leather paddle strop that I use. I have been very, very careful to make sure that I strop the blade flat as per what I have read and the videos I have watched.

I strop at least sixty times on the courser leather and then 60 - 80 times on the fine leather. Now my razor feels dull. Is there such a thing as over-stropping? Can you strop a razor too much? How do I check and or repair any damage? Should I be stropping much less strokes? Should I only be using the fine leather side and not the course leather side of the strop?
How long should I wait before sending it out to be re-sharpened or touched up by a professional sharpener?

All comments appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

Chris in Red Deer, Alberta

I would work only the smooth side of the strop in the beginning.

Thanks for the suggestions. I should mention that I strop my razor flat.

Not sure where to go at this point. The only wet stones I have are stones I have used for many years on my hunting knives. I wouldn't dare put a straight razor on it.

Chris

Don't touch the razor to a stone, YET !!! hehehe

I am trying to remember who is in Red Deer but there is somebody up there hopefully they will chime in here...

I am going to adjust your Thread title to reflect that too
Maybe that will get you some hands on help

Originally Posted by shikano53

I have been and am in the continuing process of reading through the Wiki on numerous subjects. Here is my dilemma.

Questions
1) Is it possible I have over stropped?

NO there is not such a tirm over stropping

2) How long can you shave with a newly sharpened razor and proper stropping before it needs some form of touch up work on a stone?

if everything done properly at least 3 months up to 6 is normal sometimes it could go longer years etc

3)How many passes on the strop? I realize this is subjective. Some have told me 6 passes on each side. Others have said 30 - 60 on the smooth side only.

50/50 should do it.[/QUOTE]

4) What is a touch up stone and where can a person get one?

it is a Barber hone could be 2 sided or one. classified or bay.
read on srp barber hone characteristics thread may help

5) Please be patient - I'm new and I have tried and am reading the wiki.

we all are. Ask any questions you have. gl


Lastly you can hurt the strop by wrong stropping.

yes you can

hope above helps.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Don't touch the razor to a stone, YET !!! hehehe

I am trying to remember who is in Red Deer but there is somebody up there hopefully they will chime in here...

I am going to adjust your Thread title to reflect that too
Maybe that will get you some hands on help

Thank you Glen! Most appreciated and my apologies for the duplicate thread.

Kind regards

Chris in Red Deer, Alberta

Even if you're keeping the blade flat while stropping, you need to be wary of using pressure when stropping. That could damage the edge.

One other thing to consider is stropping speed. There have been some (unscientific, but still compelling) studies that have shown that you need to strop pretty quickly to get any real benefit. Also, if you stop with your edge on the strop at each end of your stroke, you'll almost certainly damage the edge, as I don't think it's possible to completely avoid moving the blade edge first - ever so slightly.

I don't know about Red Deer, but Ryan82 and Catrentshaving are both in Edmonton. It might be worth while to PM them. Good luck!

Thanks for all the comments and information. My stropping speed is pretty slow actually as I am fearful of damaging my razor.

My last question is: Can I repair/fix my blade/problem simply by stropping?
By that I mean strop 50/50 on each side of the paddle, test the blade, strop again...Repeat as necessary until I take a shave test?

Thanks again

Chris