Help!

[rtaylor61]

Okay, a while back I bought a Waterville razor from Joel. I have used it a few times, and, knowing how bloody the learning curve with a DE can be, have been OVERLY cautious. I can say that with 4 shaves under my belt, I have not required an ambulance, band-aid or even a styptic pen!!! Yep, hour long shaves! So, for you experienced str8 users, what is the basic starting kit needed to keep on going? Joel, Joe, Laz, Bueler, anyone?

Randy

[JohnP]

Randy,
I'm sure others will chime in,
but get yourself a strop (I like 2 part, leather/linen ones, but at the very least get leather),(THIS IS IMPORTANT!) and then get a good hone like a Norton 4k/8k, a Belgian, (and a few others, with really high grit numbers)and/or get a paste strop (flatbed hone, etc, etc, with some honing paste. I've used green chrome oxide as well as jewelers rouge, others report good results with the Ti,Dovo, or Amplex abrasive pastes. I mostly use hones, however so I recommend asking some other guys about those.
I also think the $9 RadioShack pocket microscope is quite handy for seeing what you are doing to the edge as you learn.
Then go join straightrazorplace and peruse it, as well-lots of stuff to wade through, just like here, but there is genuine good information as well.
John P.

[joel]

Randy,
Do you have a strop? If not - stop shaving with that waterville immediatly - or you'll dull the sucker out! If you need a strop - i'd recommend a dovo/col. conk with a linen side - the smallest size (that is 2 sided) will work just fine and dandy for you. I'd also recommend getting a tub of "white paste" for the linen side as well - as it is cheap, and seems to help.

As far as hones go..... I'd only recommend a Norton if you plan on restoring old razors. If you plan on only purchasing sharp ones - the Norton is superflous, and a major PITA. I'd suggest getting a cheap, but high quality barber hone in good shape, and maybe invest in the "leather hone" from handamerica.com and use their green paste with it. I personally sold my Norton - as since I am not buying "ebay specials" anymore, it was worthless to me, and I ended up using my barber hones, and pasted strops anyway.

For what it is worth - I can shave FASTER and more effectively with a legit straight (non-feather) than I can with a DE, so I can get a very good shave, from start to finish using a hard soap in about 5 minutes.

[AACJ]

Can a leather belt suffice for a strop?

My mother said that is what her father used when she was growing up.

[JohnP]

I forgot to mention those.
Joel is right; my first hone was a Skute barber hone, followed by others, and I have had very good luck with them as well. They can be had for anywhere from 5 to a lot more than 5 bucks...mine all average in the 15 dollar range and have put some amazing edges on my razors before I ever saw a Norton.
John P.

[rtaylor61]

Joel,

Thanks for the advice! I purchased a paddle strop from Tony Miller last week, and tonight I went ahead and purchased one of his hanging strops. Now I'll have to work on getting the proper pastes and accessories!

JohnP, I tried to Google Skute Barber Hones and came up with nothing. Also tried ebay. Any suggestions?

Randy

[JohnP]

Randy,
I think you'll do just fine with Tony's strops. I've been lusting after them for awhile myself. (A little insight to how I work-I wait and wait and wait saying I don't need one yet, then finally break down and buy two of each.....)
The skute barber hone (purchased from Tilly) is an odd commodity. It was only the first hone I got. Its made out of some stuff like a crayon with grit added. To resurface the hone all that is needed is a quick wipe with turpentine. The barber hones I got afterwards are a little more orthodox and work just as well or better, to include a 3-line American Swaty, a Peaches&Cream, an Itsapeech, and several others. Here's a picture of the skute, complete with metal streaks from the last time I used it.



John P.
edited to correct spelling of Peaches & Cream hone....

[rtaylor61]

John P. and everyone else,

Thanks for commenting! John, the pic is great! I think this learning curve is going to long and enjoyable! Oh, who is Tilly?

Randy

[JohnP]

Randy you are right, its fun.....
and as long as there is more enjoyment than bloodletting, you'll do well!
John P

[Joe Lerch]

Go to Tilly's site and ask her which of her hones she recommends for touching up. redtrader99.com.

I forgot to mention those.
Joel is right; my first hone was a Skute barber hone, followed by others, and I have had very good luck with them as well. They can be had for anywhere from 5 to a lot more than 5 bucks...mine all average in the 15 dollar range and have put some amazing edges on my razors before I ever saw a Norton.
John P.

[rtaylor61]

Joe,

Thanks for the tip. I have an email sent off to her now.

Randy

[Joe Lerch]

I use mostly pasted strops, but I love barber's hones. They give me such a connection to the past. Plus, they're really convenient. I keep a touch up hone right near the sink, the I don't have to bring my pasted strops to that environment. I can just pick up the hone, do a few swipes and strop, evenin the middle of a shave. That's what my old time barber used to do.

Joe,

Thanks for the tip. I have an email sent off to her now.

Randy

[rtaylor61]

Joe,

How many strops do you have?

Randy

[Joe Lerch]

I have two hanging strops, three two sided paddles with leather, one two sided paddle with leather and a stone, and one four sided paddle. I prefer the paddles, because thye're more convenient and easier to use. One of the paddles is a stretcher, so I can even adjust the tension.

Joe,

How many strops do you have?

Randy

[rtaylor61]

Larry,

Most excellent post. Informative, nostalgic and well written.

Thanks!

Randy

[Joe Lerch]

I bought my four sided strop from Tony as well. We spent a while trying to figure out how to set it up and I ended up with the following pates: 6, 3, 1, .25. I already had a paddle with leather and .5. The 6 and 3 are like 3K and 8K, the 1 is like 114K , the .5 like 50K and the .25 like 100k. So, on my strops I have entire range from a Norton through the 100K. That should work for anything but a tough Ebay restoration. For that I can go back to my stones.

[Rik]

Randy,
Another option you may want to consider is the route I went - Leather Honing System by www.HandAmerican.com. It comes with a solid surface base that uses interchanging leather surfaces. They are held in place magnetically and offer endless options. I have the 3"x15" version and love it. I was initially drawn to it because it's very similar to the setup I use weekly to strop and hone my wood chisels. It's worth checking out.

[Joe Lerch]

I forgot I have one of those. It's excellent, but I don't use it as much as the others, because I can just grab them for a quick, handheld swipe, but the tabletop model need takes a little more time. I love using it when I'm working on a grooup of razors.

Randy,
Another option you may want to consider is the route I went - Leather Honing System by www.HandAmerican.com. It comes with a solid surface base that uses interchanging leather surfaces. They are held in place magnetically and offer endless options. I have the 3"x15" version and love it. I was initially drawn to it because it's very similar to the setup I use weekly to strop and hone my wood chisels. It's worth checking out.

[Joe Lerch]

I just went back and read your post again. It doesn't sound like my system, but as far as I know, mine is the only one Handamerican has for leather.

Mine has a base that receives a reversable plate with finished leather on one side and raw leather (for paste) on the other. You can get additonal plates of the same type or ones with raw leather on both sides. One nice thing about this strop is that it's very reasonably priced.

Randy,
Another option you may want to consider is the route I went - Leather Honing System by www.HandAmerican.com. It comes with a solid surface base that uses interchanging leather surfaces. They are held in place magnetically and offer endless options. I have the 3"x15" version and love it. I was initially drawn to it because it's very similar to the setup I use weekly to strop and hone my wood chisels. It's worth checking out.