If I may bother you guys again,

oldfat1 · Post by **oldfat1** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:58 pm

After taking what I learned form the great people here, I have been wetshaving with double edge razors for about a year now.

I think I may want to try using a straight.

I hope you don't mind if I pick your collective brains.

loueedacat1 · Post by **loueedacat1** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:15 pm

pick away!

oldfat1 · Post by **oldfat1** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:23 pm

O.K 1st question, should I buy the hones or get a "shave ready razor" and send it off to be honed as needed?

Crhis · Post by **Crhis** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:29 pm

If you're unfamiliar with sharpening blades then I'd expect shave-ready would be the way to go so you at least have a frame of reference if you ever intend to hone yourself in the future.

oldfat1 · Post by **oldfat1** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:42 pm

I am unfamiliar with it. I guess that was what I was asking, should I learn the care and feeding of a razor first?

Or do I just jump in and let the rest kind of fall into place?

rsrick · Post by **rsrick** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:29 pm

Starting with a shave ready straight will provide you with a great reference edge. If you decide to get a hone(s) in the future, you will always have that perfect edge to reference.

Cheers,

Rick

oldfat1 · Post by **oldfat1** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:44 pm

Well, that makes sense! Thank you.

It does bring up one thing, should I get another razor to see if I can match the ready one? Or should I just try to keep the one as sharp as when I got it?

loueedacat1 · Post by **loueedacat1** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:13 pm

both. get your razor professionally honed so you'll know what it's supposed to be like, and buy a coticule and slurry stone from the perfectedge.com so you can re hone it after you roll the edge the first time you strop.

oldfat1 · Post by **oldfat1** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:25 pm

AHHH....."roll the edge".

This is what I'm looking for.

What is "roll the edge"?

I thought (I know nothing) stroping made a fine "edge".

Dave_D · Post by **Dave_D** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:48 pm

Rolling the edge generally happens when the spine of the razor is allowed to come up off of the strop while stroping. If the edge is still on the surface of the strop as the spine comes up while moving, that will roll the edge. Stroping doesnt really create an edge, it maintains it.

The spine and edge should both maintain contact with the strop during the stroke. I start with just the spine contacting the strop, allowing the edge to come in contact as the blade starts moving - making sure all the while that the spine is also in contact with the strop. Then, just as I'm finishing the stroke, I roll the edge off of the strop while maintaining contact with the spine.

Maybe one of the other guys can explain it better but thats the way I do it.

oldfat1 · Post by **oldfat1** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:54 pm

Thanks Dave, I think you explained just fine.

loueedacat1 · Post by **loueedacat1** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:11 pm

explanataion was great dave. key with stropping is go SLOW and GENTLE. really tempting to "muscle" it but don't do it.

kaptain_zero · Post by **kaptain_zero** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:15 pm

oldfat1 wrote:Well, that makes sense! Thank you.

It does bring up one thing, should I get another razor to see if I can match the ready one? Or should I just try to keep the one as sharp as when I got it?

That is an excellent idea. I started the hard way, 1 dull old razor and some micro abrasive sheets. I'd play with it for a while, get frustrated, put it away and then some weeks later take it out again etc. etc. Finally, I ended up getting a second old razor and a Norton hone and had at it. Again, it wasn't what I was hoping for. Fortunately a fellow on another forum took pity on me and offered to have a look at my razor so I sent it to him. It came back a week later with a note that said that my edge was *almost* where it needed to be and it had only taking a minute or so of very light strokes on a barbers hone to bring it home. After that first shave I knew what I was looking for and his description told me what I had been missing... I have not use a replaceable blade type razor since. Having one good sharp razor lets you work on the other without having to suffer with a substandard edge until you get it right.

I'll also have to agree with the other poster who suggested a coticule from Howard at the PerfectEdge. Getting a coticule moved my honing forward by leaps and bounds over just having the Norton 4k/8k. Today I have many hones, including the Shapton Glass hone lineup but you'd have to pry the coticule out of my cold dead fingers. It's not the best hone I have, but it's the most reliable for me, I always get a good shaving edge from it... not perfect perhaps, but it's always good!

Regards

Christian

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:07 am

Wanting to shave with a straight takes a lot of patience starting out. There really isn't any way to get around the fact that you will need to learn, by trial and error, how to hone. Even if you start with a good edge you will probably mess it up sooner than later.

Took me a year to get into straights full time. I tried at first and gave up for months, then went back. You really need to jump in with two feet if you intend on going full time.

GollyMrScience · Post by **GollyMrScience** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:00 am

Not sure about anybody else but I found at first that a paddle strop was less likely to roll the edge on me. I found getting the tension right with the strop I had was grim. A Tony strop and a bit of experience and I was able to strop with gusto on a regular strop. Having said that if I had started with a good strop to begin with I probably would have been well away much sooner. Heck even Tony's practice strop is a great deal.
I would go for a shave ready and then grab a couple of inexpensive straights like Wapis or the unbranded Chinese Arrows that Stamps sells.
I have had very good luck with the unbranded razors from Stamps once I learned to avert my eyes from the not so great looking scales.
The inexpensive razors can be used to make your first mistakes with. I bought a video on straights and their care and feeding - Lynn's World of Straight Razor Shaving and I studied our Dr. Moss's excellent info here.
A Norton 4000/8000 stone got me honeing and I am now confident I can keep a razor working fine.
As for the shave ready razor if it is indeed shave ready do not rush into honeing it. Stropping will keep it shave ready for some time as long as you dont goof up the edge with rolling it or smacking it on the tap when washing it off. Not that anyone would do such a thing but just in case.
As for starting out with a straight I have to admit in the face of the straight razor purists that I started with a replaceable blade straight to get my moves down and know that I had a good edge. I still haul out my 15 year old "Magic" razor sometimes and I have a collection of replaceable blade straights to play with. It was comforting for me to concentrate on just the shave so I could figure out slowly and with great deliberation where the heck I was gonna put my hand so I could get the razor to various parts of my face. My very first "shave" was with that same Magic razor with no blade. Just scraping lather off and figuring out my angles.
Like training wheels. LOL

loueedacat1 · Post by **loueedacat1** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:40 pm

I started with a paddle strop and rolled my edge all the time. never do now I have a hanging strop. I think it's just a personal thing.

GollyMrScience · Post by **GollyMrScience** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:23 pm

As I said once I got the Tony strop things settled down quick. My original strop was not flat so like stropping on speed bumps - live and learn.
I guess the paddle strop worked for me because I slowed down and could see the back of the blade staying on the paddle surface. Couldn't do that with the hanging strop very well.
Like so much of this shaving stuff it is a process and what works for one guy in one situation does not always translate.

oldfat1 · Post by **oldfat1** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:04 pm

I have looked at those "straight razors" that have disposable blades but they felt kind of light to me. The few straights I been able to pick up had a bit of heft to them.

I was afraid it would be like changing from cartridge razors to double edge. I didn't want to have to relearn after using them. Do you guys think it is a good idea to start out with one?

Dave_D · Post by **Dave_D** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:04 pm

The disposable blade straights have the appeal of no honing and stroping maintenance, but they dont shave like a real straight razor. While some guys seem to get on with them, they lack the smoothness of a traditional straight in my experience.