Help with planned initial setup

I have been debating about getting into straights but decided not to a few weeks ago. I can't get the thought out of my mind, so I'm planning on finally getting into straight razor shaving.

Here's what I plan to get:

1). A shave-ready 5/8 or 6/8 from the BST. What, in terms of grind and type of steel, would you recommend for a beginner?

2). A strop from the BST. As long as it has no major nicks I should be fine getting a used strop, right? Is there anything I should look for?

3). A finishing stone to touch up a shave-ready razor. I was thinking a 12K Chinese stone, but I hear it's a pain to lap. I was then thinking about pastes but some say you cannot maintain the edge the way you can with a stone. All I want to do is touch up an already honed edge. I also don't want to spend a ton of money, but don't want to "cheap out" either. Let's assume I won't drop my razor or ding it.


Any thoughts would help.

1) Anything should be alright, but avoid a spike point because its easier to cut yourself with the point as youre learning
2) Yeah, pretty much any strop in decent condition will work
3) They are a pain to lap, but theyre so damn cheap! You can also pick up a barbers hone for fairly cheap on ebay that does the same thing as a 12k.

good luck!

I'm a beginner myself, but here's what I have managed to learn.

1) Grind seems to be mostly a matter of preference, but it seems that generally, people with tougher bears seem to gravitate towards wedges. Hollow grinds are easier to hone from what I can gather.

Carbon steel is easier to hone. Stainless is harder to hone and strop (or at least takes longer) but holds its edge longer. It can still rust, but is a lot more corrosion resistant than carbon steel.
Stainless is a relatively new invention, so most vintage razors are carbon steel.

2) The strop should be ok, but make sure you know its provenance. You don't want a strop that has been pasted (or at least you want to know about it) or that has been stored folded.

3) I have read that fine barber hones are good for touching up the edge.


As I say, I'm a beginner also, so hopefully some more experienced folk will chime in and correct me if I got any of that wrong

Mdunn, you beat me to it!

I am getting into straight razor shaving as well. I am eager to try it but have heard horror stories from some friends that have tried it. Most of them said they ended up looking like something out of a slaughter house so they stick to safety razors. I cant help but be curious and I am still willing to try this. I am looking for a quality piece as we speak..

Might not be the advice you are looking for but when I started, which is not all that long ago, I tried just about everything from a grind and size standpoint. After doing that I have a pretty good idea of what my personal preferences are, and now that I do I will slowly but surely start to move what I don't like out of my stable. For me, I was able to score enough good deals between the classifieds and the Bay that it did not cost me a huge investment to sample different grinds, sizes, points etc.

mretzloff said:

Here's what I plan to get:

1). A shave-ready 5/8 or 6/8 from the BST. What, in terms of grind and type of steel, would you recommend for a beginner?

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Really doesn't matter. Just get something.

mretzloff said:

2). A strop from the BST. As long as it has no major nicks I should be fine getting a used strop, right? Is there anything I should look for?

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You'll want something with both a canvas side and a leather side.

mretzloff said:

3). A finishing stone to touch up a shave-ready razor. I was thinking a 12K Chinese stone, but I hear it's a pain to lap. I was then thinking about pastes but some say you cannot maintain the edge the way you can with a stone. All I want to do is touch up an already honed edge. I also don't want to spend a ton of money, but don't want to "cheap out" either. Let's assume I won't drop my razor or ding it.

Click to expand...

Not really needed when you first start out. Get a bar of white rouge* from the hardware store, or the Dovo white paste, or the Classic Shaving white lapping paste, and rub a bit on the canvas side of the strop and you're good to go. They all do basically the same thing, which is polish the edge and keep it sharp. I'm partial to the hardware store solution since it's (a) cheap (b) locally available and (c) will last a lifetime. Any of these will keep the razor sharp with about 20 laps/day on the canvas side followed by another 20-30 on the leather side. I used to recommend chrome oxide, but it's really messy. All the ones I listed are white colored, so are unnoticeable if any gets on the typically white bathroom door. If perchance some months down the road this solution fails you, well by then you'll know if you're in it for the long haul, and you can go hone shopping with a better budget, and a better idea of what you'll really need. But other than fixing nicks or honing vintage razors I haven't needed a hone in ages.

*The stuff that gives a chrome polish to aluminum and stainless steel. I've used this one to great effect, and it's tough to beat the price.

I'm all about Crox or lapping film for beginners. Hones are expensive. Even the C12k requires lapping and that takes time and money. Plus, crox is the same motion as stropping so... nothing new to learn. Lapping film is cheap. I think.... Ask seraphim about the stuff.

I'm just going to add that you probably want to get a paddle strop, as this is easier and has less variables that could go wrong for a newly converted straight shaver.

adonnellyr said:

I'm just going to add that you probably want to get a paddle strop, as this is easier and has less variables that could go wrong for a newly converted straight shaver.

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If the paddle strop is easier to use, why do people use hanging strops? Is there some advantage?

For hanging strops, do I need linen or is cotton good enough?

mretzloff said:

If the paddle strop is easier to use, why do people use hanging strops? Is there some advantage?

For hanging strops, do I need linen or is cotton good enough?

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Hanging strops are faster to use (fewer laps needed) because they're longer. Either linen or cotton will work.

The only reason the paddle strop is easier is because you don't have to focus at all on keeping it taut. You can just work on your stropping technique on a perfectly flat surface, laid out on your counter.

I have a few blades I am going to sell soon here in this thread. check out the pics near the bottom.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=90551

I shaved with both tonight alternating them. I really enjoyed the shave from the 6/8 Friedr Baurmann & Sohne a tiny bit more than the other.

Let me know if your interested.