What's new

An expensive error

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Been there and have the tee shirt. It's a big club.

I wouldn't advise honing it yourself unless you've honed some before and set some bevels. If you have, this will just take time.

However, it's an expensive razor so I'd let someone who knows how to hone it right and isn't practicing do it. You want to practice on inexpensive eBay specials, and not on expensive stuff if you're like most of us.

Personally I don't have any razors like yours so I really should tell you you've probably totally ruined the razor and you should send it to me for me to practice on, but that would be a lie. There's likely somebody who'll offer to hone it for you (somebody very good at honing) or you can send it to everybody's number one choice of a pro.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
I rinse under water and have never touched the tap. The water is not left running - just turned on and off as necessary.
Why should you rinse under the tap? Nobody is telling you too, many seem to like the sponge.
For me its like putting garbage beside the garbage can only to have to put it IN the garbage a few minutes later. You are washing your sponge off anyway, it just saves a step and not having a sponge laying around is a plus.

OK, fair enough, different strokes.

The other reason I don't rinse is that my sink is half-full of hot water, in which sits my shaving bowl of lather. I like warm lather for a second pass or touch ups, or specifically in my case, re-applying lather to my head. Dont think I'll ever get fast enoung to do my whole head with one lathering.
 
Did you cry? I would've cried....I will cry when I inevitablely do that...

It was more of a slow, dawning realization. When the responses came back as "you might be able to save it", I started the process of bargaining with myself to fork out for a new one...

Just wait until you drop one. That's a bad day for sure. It took a year but I finally dropped one as I was stropping. It was a sad day.

Hah! I was actually thinking about this before it arrived. When I opened up, there was a quick do's/don'ts guide in there. One of the notes was "if you drop it, don't try and catch it. It will make a mess."

@Chan Eil Whiskers Agreed - I feel that trying to fix my own mess here will only result in doubling down on my incompetence. I've got a chap lined up to fix it in a week or two, once I've practiced with a strop etc., so he can un-roll the edge at the same time.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
It was more of a slow, dawning realization. When the responses came back as "you might be able to save it", I started the process of bargaining with myself to fork out for a new one...



Hah! I was actually thinking about this before it arrived. When I opened up, there was a quick do's/don'ts guide in there. One of the notes was "if you drop it, don't try and catch it. It will make a mess."

@Chan Eil Whiskers Agreed - I feel that trying to fix my own mess here will only result in doubling down on my incompetence. I've got a chap lined up to fix it in a week or two, once I've practiced with a strop etc., so he can un-roll the edge at the same time.

I'm so glad to hear you've found a chap to help.

I would suggest buying a couple or three nice looking eBay razors. Look for good edges, no rust, and razors made in the US, or Germany, or Sheffield. Personally I like either 6/8" or 5/8" razors but size is not very important here.

There are many, many, many very expensive and/or overpriced eBay razors, but there are also many quite good razors available for $20 or less when bought by auction. I keep an eye out for them and buy one or two every week or three partly because it's fun and partly because I am looking for something to hone from scratch, set the bevel on, and get into what I regard as an improving shave ready condition (meaning that my honing is improving so my standard of what is shave ready is going up).

I lose most of the auctions I enter but so what. I only need to buy a few good ones and I like bargains.

You're saying that you're very new to this stuff. You're likely to roll some edges. You need more than one razor as you're going to probably have one at the pro honer's on in transit a lot for a while. No shame or crime in that. It is not easy to learn any aspect of straight razor shaving, honing from scratch, maintenance, stropping, etc. It will be a lot easier with two or three or four razors you know are sharp.

Plenty of gentlemen will be glad to look at razors you're considering and give you advice on whether it's an okay razor or not. Of course it's up to you to decide if you like the razor and if it's worth what it costs.

2-3-19.Kukri.GD.Manchurian.640.JPG


I've gotten some razors at great bargains. Just to give you an idea of how prices vary, I paid $13.50 for this razor. It's in extremely good shape and is a fine razor according to me. I've seen the same razor sell for $149, but that one wasn't in anywhere near as good shape as mine. I'm saying I got a bargain maybe, but I'm mostly pointing out that the prices of good and bad vintage razors are all over the place.

Of course, some people only want new razors and that's perfectly okay.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
Just wait until you drop one. That's a bad day for sure. It took a year but I finally dropped one as I was stropping. It was a sad day.
It took me three years and the first one I dropped was one I had been paid to hone by someone else, and really needed to put in the envelope that morning.
 

kelbro

Alfred Spatchcock
Just wait until you drop one. That's a bad day for sure. It took a year but I finally dropped one as I was stropping. It was a sad day.

Yes,yes. They don't even begin to bounce. Why does it always seem to happen after at least two hours of honing??
 
OK, fair enough, different strokes.

The other reason I don't rinse is that my sink is half-full of hot water, in which sits my shaving bowl of lather. I like warm lather for a second pass or touch ups, or specifically in my case, re-applying lather to my head. Dont think I'll ever get fast enoung to do my whole head with one lathering.

That's a really good idea for keeping the lather warm, like an enormous scuttle!
 
Why, thank you, fine Sir. I like a good sized shaving bowl, and if it were an "actual" scuttle it would be huge!
At our local Renfest, a had a Potter throw one for me (bowl, not scuttle) exactly to my specs. Ridges on the inside to get the lather nicely aerated, finished in a blue glaze that matches my bathroom. 25 bucks. Took him a week. I'm certain that he'd be open to making others. I have an updated version in mind that I'll ask him to make for me later this year. Stonewear, so very durable. We're a little off topic here, so please feel free to pm me for a pic or further info if you so desire.
James
 
After I watched a video of a 30 year SR user here, I started using a moist sponge to wipe the blade between passes. Old barbers wiped the blade on tissue paper. Shavettes are different and can be rinsed, but I still find the sponge the most effective way to go.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Sponge.Sink.640.12-23-18.JPG


I sometimes use running water and sometimes a cheap and large grout sponge from Lowe's. Cost under $3 or $4. Very large it is, but not too large. I sort of mix and match the methods, but the sponge is definitely safer in terms of dings.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
Hi Guys,

Opened up my new razor and dinked it on the tap during my first shave. Didn't hit it that hard, but it's got a hefty chip in it. Any advice on how to save it? I'm more than happy to send it off to somebody who knows what they are doing.

The chip shows on the 'blank' side, the 'Spartacus' side shows barely anything:
View attachment 952072




The chip:
View attachment 952073 View attachment 952074


And again in different light:
View attachment 952077

Any advice would be much appreciated.

In my best "Crocodile Dundee" voice....."that's not a chip....now this is a chip". LOL
NOS Filly dropped on the floor....

01230002_zpse14c5cee.jpg


After the fix.....

01240009_zps58b6a393.jpg
 
Top Bottom