Got the Straight, Now What?

[TimmyBoston]

I just received a Bengall Straight Razor, what tools and/or gear should I purchase to get it ready for my first shave and to keep it functionally sharp in the future? At the moment all I have is my current DE gear and the straight razor itself.

Thanks all!

[EL Alamein]

You will need a good hone and a good strop. For the hone I recommend a Belgian coticule and for the strop I recommend horse hide or cowhide.

If you have no experience honing I suggest sending it out to have it honed so that you will have something to judge by. Best to join http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/straightrazorplace/ and straightrazorplace.com as all the information you'll need can be found there. Also, straights is pretty much all that's discussed there which is a little bit different than what you find here. Also you can find someone to hone it there if you like. I can hone it was well, just let me know.

Chris

[JohnP]

I might add that the yahoo site and the .com site are supposedly mirrors of each other, but different information pops up on both. Also if you do not already have a yahoo screen name, it might pay to make it the same as the screenname you use elsewhere.
I found out the hard way, so my SRP (yahoo) sign in is an obscure name from a long time ago when I joined yahoo....while SRP.com I use my normal login, like here and most other places....
Just a heads up.
John P.

[jbasl]

I highly recommend you start visiting SRP (straight razor place). Over there you'll want to contact Joe Chandler or Lynn Abrams or Randy Tuttle to see about honing up your new razor. You'll definitely want it honed by a pro the first time. As mentioned above you'll need both a strop and a set of Hones for maintenance. I would send a pm to Tony Miller over at SRP to talk strops and see what he recommends. If you want to learn the art of honing, you'll want to get your good razors honed up by pros the first few times and get some crap razors to practice on (you could ruin the good ones quite easily while learning).

You might be able to arrange with someone like Randy to talk on Skype a little bit about whats required for straight razor shaving. I did that when I first started honing and it was really helpful. I'd offer to hone up your razor for free but I'm not quite comfortable enough to mess with someone's razor at this point. I'll risk it on my own, but...

Anyway, enjoy!

[ouch]

A straight razor? I dunno. I heard a guy once got cut real bad with one of those.:001_cool:

When I first started using one, I liked to use it on the second pass. I found that I was able to concentrate on angle and pressure better if I didn't have to worry about actually removing beard.:lol:

[TimmyBoston]

I actually just completed my first (partial) Straight shave. My second pass I went down each cheek, just my cheeks. I got a small nick, but I'll take it, my nose is still intact. Now I just have to get a strop and some hones. Do you guys recommned a paddle strop or a hanging strop?

[Steelforge]

Firstly, I highly recommend that you buy Lynn's DVD - it's awesome and is packed with a huge amount of info.

http://www.straightrazorplace.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7412

I bought a strop from Tony Miller and it's wonderful. I took it to show the guys at Trumpers and they were amazed at how good and how cheap it was. Their branded strops were almost 3 times the price and are nowhere near as good quality. If you buy one you won't be disappointed!

If you aren't a member of SRP yet then I'd suggest you join and start reading/posting. :smile:

Also I'd second what the others have said, to start with you should probably send the razor out to one of the honemeisters to get it properly sharp, it will make learning to shave easier and will give you an idea of what sharp is when you start learning to hone yourself. With the right tools honing is not too hard to do an ok job, but it's harder to do a great job.

[LX_Emergency]

I have a hanging strop and really like it. You could buy one from Tony (www.thewellshavedgentleman.com) or somewhere else. Tony's are supposedly the best although I have no personall experience with them. I Hone would be good to keep the edge. Honing really isn't all that difficult and can be learned in a fairly short time. Good luck on everything.

[joel]

Firstly, I highly recommend that you buy Lynn's DVD - it's awesome and is packed with a huge amount of info.

http://www.straightrazorplace.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7412

I bought a strop from Tony Miller and it's wonderful. I took it to show the guys at Trumpers and they were amazed at how good and how cheap it was. Their branded strops were almost 3 times the price and are nowhere near as good quality. If you buy one you won't be disappointed!

If you aren't a member of SRP yet then I'd suggest you join and start reading/posting. :smile:

Also I'd second what the others have said, to start with you should probably send the razor out to one of the honemeisters to get it properly sharp, it will make learning to shave easier and will give you an idea of what sharp is when you start learning to hone yourself. With the right tools honing is not too hard to do an ok job, but it's harder to do a great job.


$21! :eek:

[TimmyBoston]

I was looking at the 4 sided Paddle strop, the Standard Strop and the Beginners strop from Well Shaved Gentleman. Any thoughts?

[ouch]

Just looked at Tony's current offerings, and if it were me, I'd go with the heirloom #4 started strop for $22.99, since I don't see any "seconds" for sale. You'll probably put quite a number of nicks in it in the beginning, so you may want to defer your purchase of a $50+ strop for a while. No matter how cheap a strop you get from Tony, you'll be getting a quality slab of leather, which is all it's about, anyway.
Paddle strop vs. hanging is sort of like injector vs. DE- much easier to learn to use at first, but the hanging strop is the proper way to go for most purposes

[rtaylor61]

Tim,

Go with the starter hanging strop and a pasted paddle strop. Overtime, as your razor begins to dull, you'll be able to refresh the edge using the pasted paddle strop.

Randy

[thestubblefactory]

There are several things you can do and you have already received some good suggestions.

1) Decide if you think you will stick with a straight from your initial experience. If so, you will be buying a few items. The first thing you should get would be a good strop. Through your readings you will learn the unique physics behind a straight razor. I prefer the Dovo Russian leather with linen on the other side (classic shaving). However, the paddle strops are great as well (look for Russian leather). Their advantage is that you will be stroping against a flat surface thus preventing errors by some that don't always hold the traditional strop very tight during the stroping process. Before you strop though, look at the videos.

2) You need more than one straight IMHO. I would recommend at least 3. The edge needs to "rest" (as you will later learn through your readings) and 1 day is usually not enough. Otherwise you can lose the keen edge prematurely.

3) You will need good hones. A Norton 4000/8000 is the preferred tool by most professional honemeisters like Lynn Abrams.

4) To give yourself a good kickstart you may consider having Lynn hone it for you. Out of the box most straights are NOT shave ready.

5) Keep in mind that a traditional straight razor will never be as sharp as a DE blade or Feather (disposable straight). There are a few straights (mainly vintage ones) that can get close though. That's not a negative thing though it just means that it makes you shave differently.

[VintageBlades]

Without question, the Dovo Russian finish strops are the finest factory produced strops you can buy. However, they pale next to Tony's custom strops. I just hope I can work something out with him soon, so I can sell them as well as the Dovo's.

As far as the hones, I second the recommendation of the Norton 4k/8k Waterstones. When used according to the mystical "honing pyramid" (see straightrazorplace.com) they will put on the most amazing edge. Combine that with the Norton Prep stone and you’ll have everything you'll need for quite a while.

[randydance062449]

May I suggest you start with a Beginners hanging strop and a paddle strop pre-pasted with 1.0 and 0.5 micron abrasive diamond paste. Send the razor out to be honed at first. Get the hone later. The paddle strop will keep the razor sharp for quite some time.

Just my two cents,:smile:



I was looking at the 4 sided Paddle strop, the Standard Strop and the Beginners strop from Well Shaved Gentleman. Any thoughts?

[sphughes]

Call Tony and he will sell you a second if he has any. I would suggest buying a hanging 3" strop. The extra width will allow you to strop easily without worrying about any pattern. The full blade will contact the strop during the process. To me this is well worth the extra $7 Tony asks for that extra half inch.

I might also suggest his 5/8 Dovo SE as well. This is a GREAT razor for the money and it will be a keeper for many years. His starter package includes some stuff you probably won't need (cheap mug, brush and cake of Williams soap), but he takes into account that you can replace what you want out of it and use what you will. All in all a great purchase IMO.

I will also second the 4K/8K Norton stone. Watch a honing video or Lynn's and you will pick up the technique fairly easily. Welcome to the world of the Straight Edge......

-Scott-

[AFDavis11]

It doesn't matter too much. Paddles are easier to learn on. Most people end up with a hanging strop in the long run. The cool thing about a paddle is you can add paste and clean it off or you can get a multi sided paddle and leave one side plain. To begin thats what I would choose making one side .5 micron and the other .25. You can get them pre impregnated from Tony Miller. If your in this for the long haul and are willing to learn to hone you'll eventually want a hanging strop. Mostly they are just more fun. Keep in mind when guys discuss "passes" on strops they are referring to hanging strops. For a paddle you'd double the number for the same effect (though I find about 20 passes on a paddle is just fine. Their support prevents you from rolling the edge. How guys do this routinely is completely beyond me. I've never, ever done it accidentally (once practically on purpose). So for a beginner or safe approach get the paddle if you want fun and nostalgia get the hanging (you can lay it flat on a counter when you start).

Generally any piece of fine compressed leather would do ok. Get something though that you think looks cool. It helps, as straight shaving is very vogue now. :-)

[Tony Miller]

Gentlemen,
Thank you all for such kind posts concerning my strops. I had no idea this thread had been going on.....I am blushing. I do work hard to make these the best available and to offer something in every range for every budget. I do usually have a few seconds around but they tend to be given away with the purchase of my #1 Best strops so I introduced the #4 Beginner Strop in their place.

All of my strops, from budget to Best use the same exact leathers, it is hardware, linen and labor that sets them apart in price along with your personal taste on apperance and width.

Again, thank you all for such kind comments.

Tony