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Morning!...
Well coffee in the hand and a few cuts from my first SR shave last night (Dovo). Anyhow, a new razor out of the box can give you how many shaves without stropping? I realize some variables will contribute to different answers. And is a their a good indicator when you should strop?
Thanks! Take care, Joshua
Personally, I strop before each and every shave which I think is pretty standard. I was wondering if your Dovo had just a factory edge or was it honed prior to being sent to you? Also, are you confusing stropping with honing?
Bob
You'll find most here strop before each shave, but Bob's questions are valid. Let us know.
on the box it said ready to shave, so I suspect that it was honed prior, plus it worked fine when I used it. For honing, do you need a stone to refine the blade or some badass machine to get that edge? Stropping is essentially buffing the blade, so I wasn't sure if I had to strop before I do my next shave.
"Ready to Shave" is open to alot of interpretation. That depends on where you purchsed the razor. If it was from Straight Razor Designs, Vintage Blades, or one of the other vendors here, or from the classified ads here, its probably actually "shave-ready". A razor with only a factory edge is not by any means shave-ready. With regard to honing, stones are what is preferred. Usually, a 1K or 2K to set a bevel (if you're starting from scratch with a dull razor. Then, progressing up through the stones, 4K, 8K (if you use the Norton stones), and then a final polish/finishing on a 12K finish stone. Stropping aids in bringing the micrscopic blade edge back into alignment between shaves. It also cleans the blade. The only time a machine is really used is in the factory, or by one performing a total restoration on a vintage razor. Hopefully that was somewhat helpful, welcome aboard and good luck!!--Nick
I ususally strop before each shave. I'll do 30 laps on linen; this helps to remove any particulate that may be on the blade from a prev. shave. Then I'll do 50-60 laps on leather...Quote:
Originally Posted by Jmlaviol
What kind of razor do you have just outta curiosity? If it's a Dovo or something that comes "shave ready" from the factory (it's not), then it probably needs additional honing.
Most of us use stones to hone; some use lapping film. I, or any number of people on this site would be happy to hone your razor for you...just ask!
The factory razors I have used needed to be stropped a little before shaving. None needed to be honed. From a boutique shaving store they are often re-honed and stropped so are ready for shaving when they arrive at your door.
The short answer is, strop whenever you feel the need for a sharper, smoother edge.
Yeah its a dovo.. got the set off of amazon. Comes with some soap, a shitty brush and a strop. There is a place down the street the sharpens razor and knives, anxious to bring it into him and hone it, then again I think JeffR is right about the honing aspect, maybe just stropping it several laps before my next shave is legit. The strop has both a black and brown side.
Vintage Straight Razor | Popup | VintageStraightRazor.com
Before taking your blade to the guy down the street I would go in and ask him about how he sharpens razors. If he says a machine thank him for his time and run away. If he says he use stones ask him what kind and what grits.
I would send it to one of the members in the members services area in the classifieds on srp just so u know what a truly honed razor will feel like, so u know when it starts losing that feeling it may b time for a touch up. I usually strop everytime before and after I shave. Stropping is something that also takes time to learn. But all the info and all the help u need will b found right here take ur time there is a learning curve but it will become addictive .. Happy shaving
If that is the exact set up you have that you linked to I would say that someone put together a kit and it is likely the razor was not professionally honed but has a factory edge. I would suggest having it professionally honed and not by the guy down the street who does knives and also straight razors. Those are two entirely different things. There are plenty of vendors here who have a known good reputation for the quality of their edges.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jmlaviol
Your comment about the brush suggests to me that you are having trouble getting a good lather. That is usually down to poor technique and a poor lather can contribute to a poor shave.
For the strop, you first strop on the non leather piece and then on the smooth finished side of the leather piece. If the strop is less than 3 inches wide you will have to do X strokes while you are stropping in order to cover the full length of the blade. If you have not stropped a razor before and your technique is poor you will dull the razor and or cut/nick your strop too.
If you have no experience with a straight razor there is a lot to learn and a good start would be reading the shave wiki here in the library section first Straight Razor Place Wiki - Straight Razor Place Wiki . There is good advice there and a lot of answers to questions too.
Bob
Stay in touch and let us know how it goes . . . It sounds like you're in for some adventure!