Posted: 3/5/2022 11:18:01 PM EDT
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I have a leather strop and some good stones that I use on my regular etc knives. Anything else I should get? I shave in the shower usually with just soap, but have been thinking of using a shave butter or similar product. Any words of wisdom for moving forward? |
"Some people have issues. Sounds like he signed up for an entire subscription." ~Brohawk
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I've used straight razors for years. Get a good brush. Good soap. Geo trumpers or prosaso. Your stones need to be dead flat if you intend on trying to sharpen them. Check out The Superior Shave. I've bought a ton from him over the 15 years. He's no bullshit. It's a big learning curve, if you enjoy shaving straight razors are where it's at. |
Smile, laugh and agree...then do whatever the hell you were going to do anyway.
An unloaded gun makes a crappy hammer.
An unloaded gun makes a crappy hammer.
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Originally Posted By Delta10mm: I've used straight razors for years. Get a good brush. Good soap. Geo trumpers or prosaso. Your stones need to be dead flat if you intend on trying to sharpen them. Check out The Superior Shave. I've bought a ton from him over the 15 years. He's no bullshit. It's a big learning curve, if you enjoy shaving straight razors are where it's at. Thanks. Will check it out. |
"Some people have issues. Sounds like he signed up for an entire subscription." ~Brohawk
Proud member of Team Ranstad.
Arfcom St Jude Mafia
Arfcom callsign: trenchfoot
Proud member of Team Ranstad.
Arfcom St Jude Mafia
Arfcom callsign: trenchfoot
| Well I got my razor, sharpened it up, and tried it out. Need to get it a little sharper. Shaved my arm hair fine, but not my facial hair which is courser. 3000 grit stone, then 8000, then stropped. Still a learning curve, but hey, I didn't cut myself. |
"Some people have issues. Sounds like he signed up for an entire subscription." ~Brohawk
Proud member of Team Ranstad.
Arfcom St Jude Mafia
Arfcom callsign: trenchfoot
Proud member of Team Ranstad.
Arfcom St Jude Mafia
Arfcom callsign: trenchfoot
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As someone else mentioned, you must keep your stones as flat as possible, you may also want to pick up a stone with one grade higher grit (10,000 or 12,000). Honing a razor is practiacally an art form & is why some people charge a hefty amount to do it for you. Comparitively speaking, learning to shave with a straight edge is easier than learning to properly hone one. Plus, there's more to stropping than most people think. What's not mentined in the shaving world is that in the good old days, about once a month, most gents would bring their razor with them to the barber on hair cut day and have him give it a quick honing/stropping for them. This kept the edge well conditioned. Today, we simply don't have that luxury. We have a choice, either pay someone (a lot) to do it for us or learn to do it ourselves. You say that you sharpened it but is wasn't sharp enough (common problem), you didn't spend enough time prepping on courser and intermediate grits to get your bevel set up perfect. From time to time, use a jeweler's loop to inspect the edge to see how well the previous stone's scratches are being removed. The final honing should show only abrasion marks from the last grit used. At 8x or 10x, the bevel should look like a mirror with no raggedness to the edge or visible teeth/grooves/rough spots. If you can see little saw teeth on the edge (even just a few) you are not there yet. Those "teeth" are grabbing the hairs rather than slicing through them. Also, don't test your edge on your arm. The skin and hair hasn't been prepped for your edge and can damage it. Usage, soak the stones in water for at least 10 min before use and keep them wet (liquid on the stone at all times) while honing, rinse the stone frequently. Take the time to watch a few vedios on honing and stropping razors. It is nothing like simply sharpening a knife. Keep your strop properly conditioned and clean. Usage, prep, Prep, PREP! Don't just smear on some lather and think you're gonna get a good shave. Prepare you face and beard for shaving (lots of vedios out there). You want that stubble as conditioned as possible for your straight razor to do its thing. If you don't, it won't. |
| Watch lots of videos on sharpening...and yeah, you need a super-flat set of stones. Get a flattening stone to keep 'em that way. Go Sloooooooow. This means you may have to refresh your lather, too. It a great shave once you get it down, and results are the best I've ever had in terms of the shave and minimal skin irritation. |
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