Advice for moving to Straight Razor shaving

[smrex13]

Hey everyone,

I hope that this message finds you all well shaved. I have been DE shaving for about six months with good results, but my goal in wet shaving is to master the straight razor shave. I sent out to classicshaving.com's honing service (and received sharpened) a Dovo Tortoise shell 5/8 razor (and a Hart Steel Razor and 6/8 Dovo Best Quality), and I feel that the Dovo 5/8 is a great razor to learn with. I purchased two other Tortoise shell 5/8 razors, and I can send them out to be honed to keep at least one sharp razor in my rotation. I have an Illinois Razor Strop Co. linen/leather strop and a Norton 4000/8000 hone. I feel like I have the necessary tools to tackle the straight razor journey, but I'd really like to hear from veterans on where to start. What is the basic maintenance that I need to do while working on my technique? How long should I wait before sending out another razor for honing? Any other suggestions? I am looking forward to the journey, and I thank you for any insight you can offer...

Great shaves, gentlemen,
Scott

 

[professorchaos]

Not doing anything by halves eh? Good for you. A few random thoughts...

- Based on my experience, you are going to dull razors quicker while learning than once you get the hang of things. So you'll want to get something to touch up the edge quickly and easily. Easiest was to do this is a pasted paddle. Many guys like CrOx, I like diamond.

- The razors need to get honed whenever they aren't shaving well. If you decide to try a pasted paddle, it will greatly extend the time between honings.

- When you do get around to honing your own, always make sure the edge passes the TNT before moving off of your coarse hone.

- Enjoy. It is a rewarding, fun journey.

 

[richmondesi]

A barbers hone is a nice option. I just don't particularly care for pastes as a matter of principle. However, Chrom Ox and Cerium Oxide both provide really smooth edges. If you want to use diamond, I'd recommend putting it on a hard felt surface because that stuff is too harsh for my face.

Other advice: Stropping is the most important skill to master for successful straight shaving! Enjoy the journey