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Get ready for a ton of questions, I just bought a Straight and Strop

welcome brother, and do not sell the gold dollars short. they are amazing shavers once a few mods are made.
 
Thanks everyone for your words or advise and encouragement.

I'll probably end up picking up a used straight or one of the GD from eBay to play around with stroping and see how it goes.

The seller said the Boker was shave ready and he's a trusted member so take his word on that, so I won't mess around with that one on the strop until I sort of know what I'm doing.
 
Don't worry too much about nicking the strop.
Just take your time and be deliberate. When you get cocky and go too fast, or are too tentative and hesitant with your strokes that's when you end up with slashed up leather.
You will have to strop before every shave sans the first one so you gotta learn sooner than later.
 
Ah! Interesting. So, it's more the design of the GD that holds its flaws, rather than the steel. I stand corrected! But then again, being new to straights, I wouldn't trust myself to get one set up properly for shaving. Sounds like it could be a fun project for the future, though. They're very inexpensive, so... what the heck? Could be interesting. Thanks, legion! There were some pretty cool pics in that thread. Can't believe those are GD's!
 
Thanks everyone for your words or advise and encouragement.

I'll probably end up picking up a used straight or one of the GD from eBay to play around with stroping and see how it goes.

The seller said the Boker was shave ready and he's a trusted member so take his word on that, so I won't mess around with that one on the strop until I sort of know what I'm doing.

Sounds good. But you should only use the shave-ready Boeker once as received without stropping beforehand. This is just to know what the shave-ready edge is like, as you risk to roll the edge the first time stropping. After the shave, you should dry the blade off and strop for around half (or less) of the laps you normally strop before shaving. For example, I do 60 laps (these are short, 12") before shaving, so 30 laps after shaving. Everybody's method is a little bit different here. After the first shave, you should normally strop before each shave, so once you've shaved with the razor, you're then committed to stropping it! Good luck.
 
Sounds good. But you should only use the shave-ready Boeker once as received without stropping beforehand. This is just to know what the shave-ready edge is like, as you risk to roll the edge the first time stropping. After the shave, you should dry the blade off and strop for around half (or less) of the laps you normally strop before shaving. For example, I do 60 laps (these are short, 12") before shaving, so 30 laps after shaving. Everybody's method is a little bit different here. After the first shave, you should normally strop before each shave, so once you've shaved with the razor, you're then committed to stropping it! Good luck.

sounds great. i'll use it as is, then strop from then on out.

get the bandages ready, it may be here next week. :scared: good thing SWMBO is a nurse :biggrin1:
 
Welcome Bruce! Couple thoughts that I hope will help from someone ~50 shaves into straights.

1) be prepared to destroy your first strop learning to strop. I don't know any way around this.
2) consider picking up some Whipped Dogs on the cheap so you have something surgically sharp handy when you inadvertently dull that gorgeous Boker.
3) consider keeping and posting a shave journal. The shave journal is a hassle but it is an excellent way to harvest key learnings and also tap into the knowledge on B&B.
4) Amazingly, you may find that your DE get even better after a few dozen straight shaves. The move into straights forces you to reevaluate everything about your technique. In my humble case, this has been a great adventure, enjoy!
 
I wanted to thank everyone over here in the straight razor side for the posts, PM's, linkds offers of advise, services and all your support and tips (I even had a good member offer up a shave ready razor). I'm taking all the advise in and reading when I have time, i've even started lathering the left side of my face left handed, in anticipation of having to shave with my opposite hand.

I've replied back to all of you, but wanted to thank you all again publicly and am hoping to get the Boker up and running before I add any additional shave ready straights to my collection. I'm sure I'll catch SRAD (if that's what it's called) and add a few down the road...heck, I just added one off ebay.

After all the "Gold Dollar" talk and debate, I splurged and picked up a $10 Gold Money for ($10 shipping and case included) to practice stroping etc. I'll investigate further, but it soulds like I should be dulling this thing (if it isn't dull already, it's not honed) and practice stropping and the motions with it before taking my Boker to it.

As much as I thought it was goofy idea when I used to read about "shave journals", I will start a public thread with my trials and tributes as I get going. I've already learned a ton from reading other peoples, so hope mine my help a few in the future.

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rockviper

I got moves like Jagger
Somehow, I seem to recollect being told by a certain someone... "I've promised SWMBO that I'll NEVER get into straights" (hee hee)
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
You bought that Boker because Bokers are excellent razors. (At least, that's what you should be telling yourself.) Gold Dollars? Not so much... From what I have read, the steel quality is questionable, and they don't hold or take edges well. You get what you pay for in the world of cutlery. If you pay $20 for a 40-piece set of kitchen knives, be prepared for a poor experience. (Although, some people have never experienced anything else, so they think they're fine. Whatever. You can keep those cheap chinese hunks of garbage that pretend to be knives.) Buy a $100 single high-quality chef's knife? You'd be amazed at how big the difference is. I've had people that were shocked at that price for a knife that we own. But they absolutely ROCK! (Think Wusthof, Henkels, or Shun. THOSE are awesome knives.)

Now, that's just cutting vegetables and meat. Cheap out on a straight razor? Well... do you really want to find out how good that Gold Dollar is using your face? :scared: Not me!! If I'm going to buy something that will last a lifetime, I don't plan to cheap out on it. Especially when I'm planning to put that blade to my own face.

Actually, once you address the issues, a GD will take and hold an excellent edge. My modded Gold Dollars are among my best shavers. And they can be had for well under $4 shipped free. However I do agree that they are not a good newbie razor because of all the work that usually must be done to make them honeable. But never for a minute doubt that they can take or hold an edge. I have done a couple dozen of them and have not had a bum one yet. It sounds like the folks at "that other forum" have got to you. If I was at home I would send you one to try and I think you would be quite surprised to find it outshaving many if not most of your new or vintage razors. "What you have read" is wrong. The steel is very good. The heat treating and tempering are good. Only the grinding is bad and that can be fixed with dremel and sandpaper and elbow grease, which many on this forum have done and continue to do. This is Gold Dollar country, pilgrim!

The King Cutter is an excellent razor as well. High quality, respectable brand. Very good basic hollow ground razor and it will shave the OP nicely once he has the technique down, I am sure. I have had both vintage and new ones and I like them. But it would never put my modded Gold Dollars to shame.

Bruce, do forget about shaving with a brand new GD for now, but if a reputable member here offers you one, modded and ready to shave, take it and you are in for a real treat. As a practice razor for shaving and stropping, sure, why not get a raw GD. But don't pay that much for it unless you just want it quick and want it from an American vendor. They can be had in quantities from one to however many for $3.49 each, with free shipping from China. Your King Cutter should have no issues and if anything will shave you, that Boker will. That's a fine razor.

You should invest in a block of balsa 12" x 3" or 4" x 3/4" or 1" to use as a pasted bench strop. It is called a bench strop but in fact you will get best results holding it loosely in your hand and not laying on a bench. Also get some diamond paste in two grades: 1u and .25u, from www.tedpella.com or any other vendor you google up. The balsa with diamond paste applied, coarse to one side and fine to the other, can be used to preserve your sharp edge so you can go a long time without honing.

If you want to save your hanging strop from your clumsy first attempts at stropping, take a sheet of newspaper and fold it lengthwise until it is about 3" wide. Pass one end over your towel bar, and pinch both ends together. Pull them back tight. There. Disposable earth friendly strop. Hack it to bits and you are out one sheet of newspaper. I would use this the first 3 or 4 stropping attempts.
 
It sounds like the folks at "that other forum" have got to you. If I was at home I would send you one to try and I think you would be quite surprised to find it outshaving many if not most of your new or vintage razors. "What you have read" is wrong. The steel is very good. The heat treating and tempering are good. Only the grinding is bad and that can be fixed with dremel and sandpaper and elbow grease, which many on this forum have done and continue to do. This is Gold Dollar country, pilgrim!

Yep, I saw some of the razors in the thread that legion posted earlier. They can definitely be made to shave, so my info was bad and I stand corrected. Amazing how bad or misinformation can be spread so easily, isn't it?

Anyway, enough about GD's! I'd like to see some bigger pics of that Boker! :drool:
 
Yep, I saw some of the razors in the thread that legion posted earlier. They can definitely be made to shave, so my info was bad and I stand corrected. Amazing how bad or misinformation can be spread so easily, isn't it?

Anyway, enough about GD's! I'd like to see some bigger pics of that Boker! :drool:

Pics will be coming, it's still in transit :001_cool:
 
Before you try to shave with the GD you bought, send it to someone experienced with GD's. Often they can have geometrical issues that need tending to.

I personally don't understand the use of a cheaper razor for stropping practice. It'll be sharp enough to cut your strop. And, no matter how proficient you get you're likely to nick the darn thing anyway. It's a tool. Use it. It's not a priceless painting. Make a newspaper strop if you want to practice. This way you're still doing some effective stropping. I think I mentioned that earlier. Looks like Slash just said it, too.
 
Before you try to shave with the GD you bought, send it to someone experienced with GD's. Often they can have geometrical issues that need tending to.

I personally don't understand the use of a cheaper razor for stropping practice. It'll be sharp enough to cut your strop. And, no matter how proficient you get you're likely to nick the darn thing anyway. It's a tool. Use it. It's not a priceless painting. Make a newspaper strop if you want to practice. This way you're still doing some effective stropping. I think I mentioned that earlier. Looks like Slash just said it, too.

i won't be shaving with the GD (or GM in my case, Gold Monkey), but rather picked it up for fun. Not sure what I'll do with it, practice with it, PIF it, get it honed or what. It was a $10 purchase, so I'm not to concerned if it sits in my drawer for a few year or get's destroyed by myself trying to hone it when I get around to that.

there seems to be some debate as to whether I should use it as a practice stropping razor or just get it honed and use it, so why don't we all forget about the GD debate for now as the BOKER will be my shaving razor. The GD is clearly a well regarded razor if honed and modded properly and they are dirt cheap. not sure why i purchased it or what i'll do with it, but it's purchased and done, so let's forget about that one for now.

the Boker will be my razor to use, it's coming shave ready, i'll strop it AFTER i use it (not before initial use) and most likely strop the Boker on some newspaper the 1st few times to get used to the motions.

thanks again for the tips Rick & Slash
 
i won't be shaving with the GD (or GM in my case, Gold Monkey), but rather picked it up for fun. Not sure what I'll do with it, practice with it, PIF it, get it honed or what. It was a $10 purchase, so I'm not to concerned if it sits in my drawer for a few year or get's destroyed by myself trying to hone it when I get around to that.

there seems to be some debate as to whether I should use it as a practice stropping razor or just get it honed and use it, so why don't we all forget about the GD debate for now as the BOKER will be my shaving razor. The GD is clearly a well regarded razor if honed and modded properly and they are dirt cheap. not sure why i purchased it or what i'll do with it, but it's purchased and done, so let's forget about that one for now.

the Boker will be my razor to use, it's coming shave ready, i'll strop it AFTER i use it (not before initial use) and most likely strop the Boker on some newspaper the 1st few times to get used to the motions.

thanks again for the tips Rick & Slash

you send that GD out and get it honed. have you looked at some of the pieces of art that can be made with these? dn't you dare let it sit in a drawer just because it cost only ten bucks. don't get me wrong...i heart me some bokers. one day i'll take some photos of mine.
 
GD have issues off the production line. The shoulders and stabilizers are too big and get in the way of the blade sitting flat on the stone for honing. Once the issues are worked out they make great shavers, just as good as anything else.

Here is a blade how they come
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you can see how it does not sit on the stone

After some dremel work
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I have not tested them to see how long the edge will last-that is my next project.

Folks here turn a $4 dollar razor into works of art.

I have two that I use regularly, all I did was dremel the stabilizer and shoulders. I thought enough of them to rescale them.

Oh I forgot to mention the scales are cheap plastic, but most have a third pin-LOL

Here are my two
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Bazinga...those do look nice.

Thans for the PM Doc (and others), I may take you up on the offer to fix up my Gold Money when the time is right.

@rickboone...I'm confident I'll stick with straights and be able to learn the ropes and in's & out's of straight razor shaving and the Gold Monkey will get put to use, after it's fixed up and made shave ready.

Woohoo, I'm hooked on straights and I don't even have one in hand yet.:biggrin1:

On a positive note, I found a couple of old ones Dad gave me (I had forgotten about them as he gave them to me when I started DEing, I think they were my Grandpa's)...a Henkels and 1 other that slips my mind (not a mainstream name) but will clean off the gunk and post some pics tonight of the 2 of them.
 
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