Hello, please help me understand straight razor shaving.

Hello all, I've started wetshaving with a DE razor for a while now, and sooner or later I want to try straights. However I know it isn't as simple as placing a blade between halves of a razor, so I have a few questions:

1.) I understand that Straights need to be stropped and honed. How many times does it have to be honed a week? Can I do it myself? I checked out the price of a Norton waterstone, and it's pretty expensive.

2.) Do we have to stop the razor everytime before it's use?

3.) I know there are strop pastes, what are those for? Do I have to use them on a hone as well as my strop?

4.) What's the difference between stropping and honing?

5.) If I ever were to travel with a straight, should I bring the strop and the hone with or or just one?

I know these are very basic questions but I'd appreciate it greatly if you helped me understand, thank you.

I'm pretty new at this myself but can answer a couple of these.

1.) I understand that Straights need to be stropped and honed. How many times does it have to be honed a week? Can I do it myself? I checked out the price of a Norton waterstone, and it's pretty expensive.
If you use one straight, it will need to be touched up every 2-4 weeks depending on your stropping and preferences.

2.) Do we have to stop the razor everytime before it's use? Yes

3.) I know there are strop pastes, what are those for? Do I have to use them on a hone as well as my strop? Some condition the strop, others are abrasives that can be used to touch up the razor.

4.) What's the difference between stropping and honing?
In general, strops are leather, linen, fabric 9pliable material) and hones are stone (natural or synthetic). Stones can be used to take a dull razor to shave ready (different grits take out chips, set the bevel, sharpen and finish). Strops are a final finisher that is performed daily.

5.) If I ever were to travel with a straight, should I bring the strop and the hone with or or just one?

If traveling for a week, a strop is probably fine. A pasted strop will be enough for a little longer. Hope that helps and I'm sure others will be along who have more knowledge than I.

verdict said:

1.) I understand that Straights need to be stropped and honed. How many times does it have to be honed a week? Can I do it myself? I checked out the price of a Norton waterstone, and it's pretty expensive.

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You need to touch up a razor every couple of weeks. Touching up requires taking the razor to a high grit abrasive substance, to refine the edge. It's a 5 minute process vs. the hours you can spend honing a straight to a shave ready status.

Most people initially send their blade out to a professional for honing, and then touch it up themselves. However, sending blades out to a professional for honing can be cost prohibitive if you own a whole collection of straights; thus many people eventually buy a setup for fully honing their own razors.

2.) Do we have to stop the razor everytime before it's use?

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Yes, you need to strop the razor either before, or after every use.

3.) I know there are strop pastes, what are those for? Do I have to use them on a hone as well as my strop?

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Pastes are placed onto a piece of leather (separate from your daily leather strop), or balsa wood, are are used to touch up a slightly dulling razor. This is a replacement for a high grit finishing stone/ barber's hone. The most common of these is Chromium Oxide.

4.) What's the difference between stropping and honing?

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Stropping removes oxidation from the edge of your straight razor, along with microscopically realigning the edge of the blade. It is done daily.

Honing removes metal from the edge of the razor by "rubbing" the razor over an abrasive substance. It's done only when absolutely necessary, as metal removed (even small amounts) can never be put back.

5.) If I ever were to travel with a straight, should I bring the strop and the hone with or or just one?

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Unless you are going on an extended trip, the straight plus a strop should suffice.

1.) I understand that Straights need to be stropped and honed. How many times does it have to be honed a week? Can I do it myself? I checked out the price of a Norton waterstone, and it's pretty expensive.

Straights should be honed every few months, whenever they end up very dull. They should be STROPPED after every shave, to maintain the edge. Honing is not very difficult. With sufficient instruction, dedication and the right tools, you can do it yourself. I do.

2.) Do we have to strop the razor everytime before it's use?

Yes. Or after every use. Or between. But regularly, at least.

3.) I know there are strop pastes, what are those for? Do I have to use them on a hone as well as my strop?

Can't answer that, sorry!

4.) What's the difference between stropping and honing?

HONING is where you SHARPEN the blade. You run it over the honing-stone and this removes little scrippets of metal that sharpens the edge of the razor. STROPPING is where you smooth out the edge of the razor and remove the little leftover metal filings from the honing, to produce a smooth, sharp edge.

Hone a razor and run your finger along the edge of the blade. You'll feel that it's sharp, but rough. Put that to your skin and you'll slice your face off. Strop a razor and then feel the edge - It's sharp, but smooth. Stropping smooths out the blade and keeps the edge sharp.

5.) If I ever were to travel with a straight, should I bring the strop and the hone with or or just one?

A strop will suffice, unless you're travelling for more than a couple of months.

I know these are very basic questions but I'd appreciate it greatly if you helped me understand, thank you.

Feel free to ask whatever questions you wish. We were all new once. I'm still learning!

You already have good answers up here but I'll give this a go.

verdict said:

Hello all, I've started wetshaving with a DE razor for a while now, and sooner or later I want to try straights. However I know it isn't as simple as placing a blade between halves of a razor, so I have a few questions:

1.) I understand that Straights need to be stropped and honed. How many times does it have to be honed a week? Can I do it myself? I checked out the price of a Norton waterstone, and it's pretty expensive.

2.) Do we have to stop the razor everytime before it's use?

3.) I know there are strop pastes, what are those for? Do I have to use them on a hone as well as my strop?

4.) What's the difference between stropping and honing?

5.) If I ever were to travel with a straight, should I bring the strop and the hone with or or just one?

I know these are very basic questions but I'd appreciate it greatly if you helped me understand, thank you.

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1) A week? Not that often. A straight will need to be honed once in a while. It depends on the straight itself, your technique and stropping. The average is 20 shaves. But, it could be more or less. I had straights that were good for double that time easy. Some were 15 top...

You can do it yourself yes. I know, it's tempting to buy everything but at this stage, I would recommend buying 1 straight and 1 strop only. You might want to consider a second straight 2 weeks later so when straight #1 is dull, you will have a replacement while it get honed.

2) Stropping needs to be done between each shave yes. It takes a few minutes.

3) Pastes goes on a strop only. You would use them as a very fine finishing on your edge. Some use pastes to bring back their edge instead of using a stone to hone them.

4)Stropping maintain the sharpness of the blade and makes it smooth. Honing makes the edge sharp.

5)Depending for long you're out, I would bring a strop only. You will need to check your luggage under the plane as you won't be allowed to bring a blade aboard (that's if you take a plane). http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Air_Travel

This page might help you too: http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Straight_Razor_FAQs

For a hone, just get a Barber's Hone. They're pretty cheap in relation to that Norton.

gull said:

For a hone, just get a Barber's Hone. They're pretty cheap in relation to that Norton.

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Well said! Folks tend to overlook Barbers hones because they are vintage, not as sexy etc.

I bought a Barbers from the B/S/T here and have only sent out my razors since that time if I've dinged them or felt that one required more serious touch up that I could provide (which is rare).

The Barbers cost me $50.

But I also agree with Luc's advice to the OP...one good, shave ready straight from a reputable B&Ber...and a strop. Thats all that is required.

Best of luck!