Advice Please

[Webro]

I recently have purchased a Dovo straight razor from Tony Miller and a paddle strop with three sides pasted with 3,1,and0.5 Micron paste.
I have shaved with it at weekends and I have to say find it to be not so easy to get the hang of.Like a lot of people new , I find the razor drags a bit which is probably due to poor technique, although I am getting better.I think my main problem is that although the razor came shave ready I may have spoilt the edge as I was stropping the blade.Using the Pyramid method could someone suggest a basic exercise to rectify things. Do I start with the 3 micron paste or the 1.
I had thought of trying 3@3Mircron,3@1,[email protected],1@3,3@1,[email protected],then 20 cycles on the strop.I think the razor just requires to be finished properly.
Any advice would be appreciated.
One other thing how do you preform the hanging hair test.I have passed a hair over the blade but it does not cut it.Am I doing this correctly?

Alan

[AFDavis11]

Hi Alan,

I wouldn't worry about the HHT too much. Essentially though, since you asked, hold the razor stable and slowly lower the hair onto the razor.

I would suggest starting with passes on the .5 micron. Say a few series of 10 and test shave after stropping after each series of 10. So 10 passes .5, then clean the razor and restrop on plain leather, then test shave. Repeat maybe 3 times. That might solve the problem. That should solve the problem.

If that doesn't, then I'd move up to the 1 micron and try the same thing, lets say just one series of ten passes on 1 micron. Then 10 passes again on .5. Strop again after cleaning the edge on plain leather.

If that doesn't work just stop there and repost. I would avoid the 3 micron and not mess with the edge too much at this point. Better to go slow and post often.

Alan (too)

[gglockner]

As a beginner I would find it a bit hard to strop the razor properly on just a paddle strop. It's not that you can not do it properly on a paddle, just the results are harder to obtain. Try doing 50 passes and trust that you are doing it correctly and have no need to be using the pasted sides until you dull the razor with your beard. If you decide to keep at it, get your self a hanging strop. Tony Millers are top shelf.

Glen

[mparker762]

20 laps on a plain paddle strop is too few for proper stropping. I do 40 on a hanging strop, and would do at least 80 on a paddle.

You should also strop the razor before using it on the pasted sides, no point honing off the fin.

[Dave_D]

Also make certain you are stroping correctly. I thought I was doing it right until I read a detailed description of the process from someone who really knows it. Basically, what I was doing wrong was starting the razor from a dead stop with the blade edge in contact with the strop, in addition to flipping it over after coming to a dead stop. The idea is to start the stroke without the edge being in contact with the strop, once the razor is in motion then let the edge make contact. At the end of the stroke, pull the edge off contact before coming to a stop and flipping the razor over. Repeat. Better to go slow at first and get the form down.

It sounds involved and tedious but once I paid attention to this it made a substantial difference, like night and day.

Dave

[netsurfr]

How very interesting. I only recently came to this same technique by accident. Guess it was a matter of getting more comfortable with my honing technique. However, now that you mention it, I have noticed that the finished edge on my blades is significantly better. Shaves much smoother too.

OK, many words to say: I concur with Dave's comments.

Also make certain you are stroping correctly. I thought I was doing it right until I read a detailed description of the process from someone who really knows it. Basically, what I was doing wrong was starting the razor from a dead stop with the blade edge in contact with the strop, in addition to flipping it over after coming to a dead stop. The idea is to start the stroke without the edge being in contact with the strop, once the razor is in motion then let the edge make contact. At the end of the stroke, pull the edge off contact before coming to a stop and flipping the razor over. Repeat. Better to go slow at first and get the form down.

It sounds involved and tedious but once I paid attention to this it made a substantial difference, like night and day.

Dave