Ok here we go I just got my xmas present from ruprazor. I plan on using this setup as my sunday shave, yep as of right now its only gonna be used once a week(hopefully I wont get hooked like i did on de shaving). So my question is whats the norm on sending it back to ken to get it honed since its only gonna be used once a week? Also I have a the filly strop he sent and from what he sent in his reading I should use the pasted side every other stropping for four or five passes so I would like to know should I get paste for it or does what he sent last awhile(my understanding is that its pre-pasted) and what kind if I do need some, should I buy? I shaved with it today and took a chunk of skin from my nose, but the rest went pretty smooth not a bad shave at all. Thanks for any help you got.
Ken will re-hone the razor anytime within three months of purchase, so I would wait a couple of months and then decide whether it should be returned for rehoning or not, which will depend in large part on your beard, how much you use the paste, etc. Regarding the paste, you really need to be careful not to overdo it. Personally, I don't start using the paste until the razor is in need of a little refreshening -- I don't use paste as a part of my regular stropping routine, certainly not as often as every other time. The problem with paste, IMO, is that if it's overused it can actually hasten the need for re-honing. You should not have to buy paste for quite some time -- a little bit goes a long way. And the little bit that Ken puts on the back of the filly should last for many, many months -- especially if you shave with your straight just once a week.
Once you get the hang of stropping and shaving with the straight, you'll likely find that your razor will last at least several dozen shaves before needing to be touched up on a whetstone.
