New razor

[Fredvs79]

Hey folks,
I just got myself a new 'gift (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190062615375)'


This is my first non-new razor, and as such, I'm not sure it's shave-ready. What do you suggest I do to/for it to put it into a usable state?

Thanks.
Fred

[jnich67]

Fred, I can't see what you have there (can't access ebay from work). Generally, its a good idea to have a razor honed by someone who knows what he is doing. Last week or so there was a thread on here called something like "honemeister contacts". See page 2 or so. It lists a number of folks who could probably help you out.

If you want to learn to hone, you need a hone such as a Norton 4K/8K and some cheap razors (not Zeepks) to practice on. At the same time, use the pro-honed razor to learn to shave and strop and as a benchmark for your honing. Best of luck and enjoy the process. Stay patient.

I'm sure others will be along soon with great advice for you.

PS - Buy Lynn Abrams DVD "The World of Straight Razors". You can get contact info on SRP in the Sticky in the Buy/Sell forum. Best $20 I've spent since I started with straights.

Jordan

[AFDavis11]

Its probably not shave ready but I remain an optimist (with some experience). I'll assume being new your not familar with sharpness tests but an easy test is to run the razor over your arm hair after stropping. If it cuts arm hair after stropping its probably sharp enough to shave ok and not cause damage. If you do test it by shaving after that I recommend good prep and only trying to shave a small portion of your strong side cheek.

The razor can cut hair though and not have a smooth edge so be careful. Consider doing a thumbnail test (you can search or PM me) or buying a microscope and just looking. Shaving with messed up edges is dangerous!

Getting it honed, assuming it fails, which is very likely, is an easy task of just asking someone with experience or paying a professional. Additionally, learning to hone is an option but might take some time and patience. Of the razors I have bought about 1 in 10 are shave ready, but require experience in stropping to attain a shaving edge.

What you should not do is attack the razor with a 4K hone just because someone else thinks its a good idea. You should either get it done well (or professionally) or you should start with a barber hone or finishing hone and keep the razor flat, the strokes even and smooth, go slow, do not push down and use an x pattern. Each stroke must be equal in pressure, length, and angle on each side. Repeated strokes maintaining the razor flat on the hone should provide good results. Roll the razor on its spine when changing directions and move the blade downward as you move sideways. Lessen the pressure as you get the razor sharp.

As you lessen pressure the skill level needs increase and I recommend holding the razor via the shank and rolling your pinky under the scales to hold the scales up and use the shank as a fulcrum to push the razor into the hone without adding additional pressure. Eventually, the weight of the blade is all that should be used to get the razor sharp. Patience is very important here as razor hones are extremely high grit and typically cut slowly.

Failing all that, again I recommend sending it out, but then and only then its time to move to a heavy cutting stone like a 4K grit.

Have fun! Its a beautiful razor.

[Fredvs79]

THanks for all the input. I just got loaded up on info at SRP, which I just discovered. All about the x-pattern of honing, the fingernail test and the hair tests.

I also just won thishttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180064057466
. I hope this Exide might be a good block to start honing with. I'm not sure of the grits (220/1k/4k/8k/etc) but it sounds like it's probably a 4k/8k by the description: "Guaranteed to sharpen to perfect keenness with any style of stroke... this razor hone is the very best quality from the largest line in the world." One side is marked as "use this side first" the other is marked as "finish honing on this side".

I'm a little wary to pracatice my honing skills on such a nice new blade. I'm debating buying a second, crappy blade, that i can use as a beater to practice with. Any more suggestions from anyone?

[jscott]

spend 10$ and buy another ebay special to practice on. you won't do it right to start, it takes us all time to learn honing.. prolly alot longer then you think it will. make sure the cheap ebay you buy has a good edge, don't buy one with nicks/cracks as thats another learning technique which you don't wanna deal with when starting.

oil hones are kinda a pain, they work fine but oil kinds suxs :) .. hopefully the surfaces of those aren't too badly damaged or nicked up etc etc. you won't know till you get it.

if you are going to get into straight shaving, if you have a few blades and you are going to buy more in the future.. it may be time to buy the right equipment and spend the extra couple of bucks and do it right the first go around.

these might include:

norton 4/8k combo
ALONG WITH
finishing hone such as corticule or fine barber hone
OR
the new tony miller bench hone pasted with diamond paste or a pasted paddle


~J