I just ordered a couple straight razors and a strop. I had them pre hone them for me. I have wanted to use a straight razor for a long time but I hadnt got around to it. This thread finally made me purchase a few (3 to be exact). I couldnt make up my mind what type I wanted so I got all 3. 5/8 spike,11/16 spike,6/8 curved. Now I need to get a bore hair brush and some soap. Awesome video of links of Lynn shaving and the strop usage.
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Straight Razors: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- Thread starter Dave Rishar
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 23, 1999
- Messages
- 4,855
wicked1 said:
Cool! By getting them already honed you can cut out a lot of experimentation. There's a bit of art to getting them ready.
Most drug stores carry inexpensive boar's hair brushes and shaving soaps. A Surrey brush runs about $5. Both Williams and Surrey are very good soaps, and each will run less than $2 a bar. A bar will last you quite a while. The Williams is a lard-based soap, so it lasts longer than the glycerine based Surrey. Glycerine based soaps don't dry the skin as much though. People have shaved with those soaps for years and been very happy with them. In my little town Safeway carries Williams, and Walgreens has both Surrey and Williams. Col Conk is another glycerine based soap. It has more scent than the Surrey, but otherwise they're similar. If you like the smells Col Conk is good, if you're sensitive to fragarence oils you might want to stick with Surrey.
Of course, you may get tempted someday to buy a badger hair brush, and venture into the world of expensive soaps and creams. There's lots of decadence to explore, but one step at a time.
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2006
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- 657
Well, here is my sad razor story.....
I bought a straight razor to try out, and it was supposed to come shave ready, but as you might expect, it was not quite there.
So, I took it to my barber and asked him to sharpen it, figuring who would know about razors more than a barber?
His first question was "Where's the blade?"
It appears that barbers now use straight razors with disposable blades that they click in and out. I should have stopped there, but I didn't. He "sharpened" it for me using his stone (that he had to open for the first time) and then he "stropped" it.
The upshot is, I have a really nice trowel, but any edge it had is gone, gone, gone.
I ordered a stone and a strop for myself, and I guess I'll have to give it a go. Such is life!
I bought a straight razor to try out, and it was supposed to come shave ready, but as you might expect, it was not quite there.
So, I took it to my barber and asked him to sharpen it, figuring who would know about razors more than a barber?
His first question was "Where's the blade?"
It appears that barbers now use straight razors with disposable blades that they click in and out. I should have stopped there, but I didn't. He "sharpened" it for me using his stone (that he had to open for the first time) and then he "stropped" it.
The upshot is, I have a really nice trowel, but any edge it had is gone, gone, gone.
I ordered a stone and a strop for myself, and I guess I'll have to give it a go. Such is life!
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2003
- Messages
- 4,793
That's a shame. I found out a long time ago that I can seldom do any worse than many so called experts, and often better.
You can get it back I'm sure. Get yourself a good black hard arkansas stone or a fine ceramic stone and watch the honing video or check out the shaving supplies how to and rehone it. Other people may have other stones they recommend, but those are the ones I have for very fine honing. Then you can take it to the canvas side of the strop and then finish it on the leather. I'm sure you can salvage it.
Norm
You can get it back I'm sure. Get yourself a good black hard arkansas stone or a fine ceramic stone and watch the honing video or check out the shaving supplies how to and rehone it. Other people may have other stones they recommend, but those are the ones I have for very fine honing. Then you can take it to the canvas side of the strop and then finish it on the leather. I'm sure you can salvage it.
Norm
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2006
- Messages
- 657
My strop and stone came today; I have a leather/canvas strop, and a Smith's Arkansas stone. I gave it a few passes and the blade came back to where it was before my barber worked on it. Now to take it to where it needs to be!
The stroping and honing videos are great, I had no idea.
Norm, thanks for the encouragement!
The stroping and honing videos are great, I had no idea.
Norm, thanks for the encouragement!
- Joined
- Feb 23, 1999
- Messages
- 4,855
Ad Astra said:<fingers in ears>
Not hearing this... tum, ta dum, ta dum...
Not even if it becomes MANDATORY.
<whistles a few notes>
Nope. Not happening.
Mike
This is what they look like just before they snap!
