First impressions from my first straight razor shave...

Head shaving with a straight??!? Cojones, my friend... that takes cojones! I know a guy who shaves his head with one of those things that looks like a weird hot wheels car... I make fun of him...

 

Congratulations on your first shave, unfortunately from here onwards it is a slippery slope of razor buying, soap buying, brush buying, strop buying.... Ed.

 

I hear you.. I did the same thing with fountain pens, wristwatches and several other interests... once you go down the rabbit hole there’s no end to it! There are certainly worse ways to spend money, and we can’t take it with us when we die so might as well enjoy it while we’re here... The good news for me is that because of my DE experience I already have several of the accouterments... except for sharpening/honing stones.... and away we go!!

 

You will fit in perfectly here.

 

It seems there is some correlation here, I also have a few fountain pens and wrist watches to.

 

I’m just glad I don’t have the money to get into the classic European sports car game... I could easily, EASILY blow through several million dollars in no time at all... and that would be before I got to the Ferraris and Mercedes 300sl roadsters of the world...

 

Me as well...

 

So many great quotes and phrases from Johnny Dangerously... one of my favorite movies!

 

Fortunately I lack the funds and I’m too tall for most sports cars. Plus there is no fun place to drive them here not to mention the import tax.

 

I have a lot of wrist watches, my guilty pleasure car is an 1985 300 D. Now I have many straight razors that give me enjoyment on a daily basis, a better hobby than cars to me

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

Certainly less expensive!!

 

You might want to watch this BEFORE talking to any of us about a Re-hone

Listen also I tend to blab a bit in my vids, some of it is actually important



https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/video-what-is-the-shave-test.32920/

 

Good info and a well done video. Thanks for the heads up!

 

"Remember kid, crime doesn't pay... well it pays a little!"

 

Stropped up the Astrale for my second SR shave today. Much better result. I know it’s still going to take some time to find my groove but I’m still nick free and gaining confidence. Seems like half the battle is getting over the fear of slicing your face wide open but I feel that if you respect the razor it’ll do its part. This is SO much fun though! It makes you wonder why folks ever got away from SR shaving in the first place....

 

Had my first “negative” experience last night... I stropped up the Astrale and either my technique was off or something because 12 hours later my face still feels like I rubbed Tobasco sauce on it...

I am not currently using any compounds on my strop. Do I need to?

I know this is a loaded question, but how often should I need to hone this razor, being a beginner? When touching up an edge, can I go straight (no pun intended...) to a 10/12k finisher or should I drop down to a 4/5k and work up to the finisher?

 

If it's been honed before and you had a shave ready edge, Billy's advice to me was you should be able to maintain it with a CrO pasted strop (green 0.5 micron) or a Naniwa 12k, or other similar device, about every 4 shaves or so. Just 8-10 laps on CrO paste or a few on the Naniwa.

Here's the thing with the 12k... Billy said to me "you can't really over hone on one". Just do it and keep trying it on your arm hair until it feels sharp. Of course I thought he was mad. But it's true - I did 20 odd laps on it last time. Made the edge significantly better.

I had all of my straight razors honed by him... I believe the last ones were January. They've all had a good few shaves on them but I just keep touching the edge up and they're plenty sharp enough.

Not as lovely and buttery smooth as an edge Billy would give it, or Glen I imagine if you're in the states, but pretty nice. Good enough.

 

So in answer to a different part of your question, as long as you haven't ruined the edge that's on it the 12k (or even 10k) should bring it back to life.

If it's been rolled, dinged off a sink or while putting away, just over-used etc, it may need a rehone before any "touch up" work will help

 

It’s in good shape (only used 3 times since I got it) so it should just need a touch up. I gotta get some CrO compound and a 12k stone though. I’ve got a few stones but the closest to a 12k I have on hand currently is a King 6k and I’ll be a pensioner by the time I could get an edge with that thing...

 

You technically only need one or the other. Where Billy said you cant really over hone with a 12k, you can ruin an edge with pastes. 10 laps max.