So I have one shave ready straight (thanks again Bill!), ordered another off ebay with which to practice honing/stropping, ordered a loupe (linked in another thread, thanks again to Bill) and I have my heirloom paragon latigo strop. Guess I need a stone or two. Lynn's dvd suggests the Norton 4000/8000 wetstone. Do I need anything else with this stone? Suggestions for alternatives? Looking forward to my first shave with a straight. TIA
This is just my opinion and I'm sure others may disagree....I'd say go with just the Norton combo (or similar grit stone(s) coticules, etc) and learn to use it. Later, you can start playing around with finishing stones and pastes. If I had to do this all over again, this is what I would do. Too many products can be a distraction to learning. If you have to have something else right now, I'd say a pasted paddle with chromium oxide for touch ups. Jordan
Lynn's advice is very good and I second the suggestion to get the Norton 4/8K. It's all you really need for now. Later, you can add bells and whistles. I also think Jordan's advice is very good. A pasted can really help with the learning curve.
Thanks guys, much appreciated. Would I also need a flattening stone and/or perhaps a prep stone (synthetic or actual Nagura)? If either is needed, I figured I'd order everything at once rather than multiple orders, to save on shipping. Thanks again for responding.
Don't need a lap stone... use 400 grit sandpaper on a piece of glass. (wet) Nagura is also not needed for the Norton. It can be used with the hard stones, however. That's one of those bells and whistles things. Another option for a slurry aide is rotten stone, found in any hardware store. Don't spend money when you don't have to.
I have to add that Lynn's cd is chock full of good advice and should dang near be a prerequisite before shaving with a straight razor. If you are new to the "straight" world, his cd will improve your learning curve by leaps and bounds.
I purchased a straight from classic shaving and added the sharpening service offered through the same website. My question is: When I get the razor back "shave ready" do I need to strop it before I use it for the first time? This will be my first attemp at straight shaving and I my looking forward to it.
If I were you, I would not strop it before your first shave. New str8 shavers can mess up the blade while stropping. After your first shave, start stropping slowly and carefully before each shave. I think Lynn (the guy who's honing your razor) recommends these as first steps. Jordan
How to start over? If a str8 is overhoned or if the edge is made bad by poor stropping, how do you start over to re-hone to make the razor "shave ready" ? Do you deliberately make the edge even worse somehow to start?
Hi GeNn, I would say that there are many opinions and it really varies with the razor and the problem...Kinda hard to give a generalized answer, I would not try to make the edge worse though, sometimes you may have to try several different techniques to achieve the desired results.....additional reading / study and practice will help... You could get a cheap blade, ding the heck out of the edge in different fashions, then hone it back to perfection for practice EDIT, forgot to mention the info on back- honing may prove useful...sometime a simple touch up will resolve the edges problems...... Here is some additional info: http://straightrazorplace.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12509&highlight=remove+wire+edge http://straightrazorplace.com/forums/search.php?searchid=310390 This is kinda cool too to give an idea of what the edge looks like under magnification with different hones and abrasives..... http://www.tzknives.com/razorhones.html
Thanks for all the advice. It is somewhat discouraging for me at this point. I have a honemeister sharpened razor that I can't seem to get a good shave with. The words I keep reading of all the users that have succeeded in taming this beast keeps me going to try "one more shave" and gain more experience.
There is more to it than just the "honing" of the razor. There's shave prep, stropping technique, and the blade steel itself. I wouldn't exactly call it a crap shoot, but several stars do need to line up for the optimal shave. Even many of us who have sharpened thousands of razors don't always get it quite right once in a while. It's not for lack of effort, however, because the guy who prides himself in getting a razor to its optimum potential is forever mindful that a sharp razor is expected from him. It's semi-embarrassing to us when we hear of a failure even though most of the time the problem lies elsewhere. I have had some very good quality razors that give me absolute fits and lesser quality razors hone up perfectly in half the time. It could have been the way I was flairing my nose when the last strop was made. I'm not going for blame, here, but admission to being relatively new at this lends me to think that it is possible the razor met with some of that inexperience somewhere along the way. Regardless, I would think that whoever originally sharpened it would stand by his work and not charge you more than shipping to get it back to you one more time. Too bad you don't have someone around who knows razors and could check it for you... hmm... By golly! We need to initiate a buddy system for straight razor shavers across the land. No sense going into the water alone. Who's with me? Come-on y'all, get involved! We can't let the DE guys take over the planet, now can we? Don't let those straight-o-phobes win, dang it... ::
Im in complete agreement with you Bill. Im here for whatever little knowledge I have and am willing to help
I'm in. GeNn where are you located? If you are close to Texas I'll hone it for you no charge. Just pay for shipping both ways. Raf
Thanks guys! This forum has really been helpful with all the great information that is shared willingly. I believe that that the star that hasn’t lined up for me yet is called “experience”. I mentioned in another post that my stropping very likely ruined the edge of my new Dovo razor. That along with my technique that needs improving has humbled me somewhat. I have a 4 sided pasted paddle strop with plans to get a hanging strop and norton stone eventually if I determine to pursue str8 shaving. I have a better feel for this strop after a few days and believe that it has improved, but my shaves have not, like I mentioned, especially if my razor has become dull. Scorpio you have made me an offer I can’t refuse! I appreciate that offer tremendously and accept it. I can ship it to you with all the necessary postage to get it back so please send me PM. With all the encouragement, I would like to buy a used razor with “character” that has been restored and made shave ready. Bill, I have been checking your site regularly to see if another batch of razors become available. I notice there is a 4/8 for sale but I would prefer a 5/8. If you offer another batch I’ll be in line to buy one. In the meantime I will take a break from this str8 journey and get ready for round 2! GeNn
on a side note...dont use the paste every time you shave. Should have one side that is just plain leather.
This would be great! I for one could use a dump truck load of tips on honing, stropping and shaving with a straight. And would greatly appreciate up close and personal help. :happy088
