I forgot I had that....

I've had a straight razor for a couple months now that I've been holding onto because it was a good deal at the time and I've been wanting to try straight shaving. However due to circumstances (life) I haven't gotten it honed, and I haven't gotten a strop yet. I knew the edge was close to shave ready, but not there yet. Today, I was looking at hones when I remembered I had a small hone in a drawer that my dad used to use to touch up the edges on his knives. I pulled it out and it says Franz Swaty Marburg, Austria. The corners are a little dinged up, but it is flat on both sides. So, after a little research here, and a little work with the hone, I find myself with a razor that is closer to shave ready and a hand with no hair left on it.... Next step, a strop. I tried the newspaper trick, with weak results. Tomorrow I'm going to visit the local leather worker.

That can work but I would really recommend sending the razor to a honemeister so you know what sharp means. Getting a blade shave ready isn't easy and not knowing the condition before, it's a gamble doing it with a barber hone.

The strop will give you the smoothness that you currently don't have. I had hair shaved off from my arm and the straight wasn't exactly shave ready...

You might do well in your hunt for leather. If not, PM me your address and I will send you some leather left over from cutting strops that you can use. Lay it on the edge of a table, and it is basically a paddle strop.

That will get you going long enough to learn to strop, and give you the time to find a nicer more permanent strop.

Thanks for the advice, it really is needed. Larry, thanks for the offer, but I found a piece of tooling leather at Hobby Lobby. It's 3.5" X 9.5", and I'm going to glue it to a piece of wood and see how it works. I'll post pics of the final product in the strop forum tomorrow.

Skrymr said:

... I found a piece of tooling leather at Hobby Lobby. It's 3.5" X 9.5"...

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I've actually used that exact product from Hobby Lobby. You'll do fine.

I am very glad to hear you say that. Thanks Larry.

Larry is great!

Nice find on the stone, I need a few myself, for kitchen knives and a straight, though I think I'm gonna be getting a strop and maybe a barber hone from Larry first.

Dude123 said:

Larry is great!

Nice find on the stone, I need a few myself, for kitchen knives and a straight, though I think I'm gonna be getting a strop and maybe a barber hone from Larry first.

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Yes, Larry is a joy to deal with. I just bought a straight from him, and can't wait to try it.

I put a lot of time honing my Boker on the barber hone, and then stropping it on my home made bench strop. It passed the hanging hair test across the blade, so I decided to give it a shot. Two passes with the grain only, and no nicks. In fact, it was pretty smooth. I can't wait to get my new razor from Larry to compare it to, although I'm pretty sure it won't compare.

How do you guy's feel about finishing with a DE?