The only ones I know of that will likely give you a shave ready razor is The Invisible Edge and maybe Maggards. There are some small sellers that hone their razors properly, but I have no experience with them. Some of the folks, here, will be able to help, I'm sure. S.K. Colling razors come sharp enough to shave, I will add. You might want to touch them up a bit, though.
HELP! Transitioning from DE Razor to Straight
- Thread starter aseraf47
- Start date
If you want to try a shave-ready, honed razor as sold Stateside, I would recommend Matt at Griffith Shaving Goods, based in Rhode Island. I picked up a 5/8 Sheffield near wedge from him a few years back that impressed me very much. What I also like about his site is that he sells things from start to finish. From honing to aftershaves. As I recall, his finishing progression for my razor was coticule to green Vermont slate, then a plain strop. This tallies with what is my favored, or most dependable progression with straights: 1k/3k Suehiro combo (to set the bevel) > coticule (used with water only, no slurry) > Welsh or Vermont purple slate used with light machine oil (Singer sewing machine oil in my case) > strop on horsehide. Coarse polka-dot DMT for lapping and fine polka-dot DMT for noticeable chips/problem blades in starting out (straight up-and-down strokes on the fine DMT so as to minimize micro-chipping). Taping the spine is my friend on the fine DMT.
For the so-called the bevel-set, I use the thumbnail test. The blade should grab the nail all along the edge before moving on. This can be used off the fine DMT or the 1k Suehiro. With the finer stones, the grabbing tendency diminishes on the thumbnail and is not really helpful. For me, a 10k achromatic Hastings triplet loupe is useful in viewing things closely between 3k and the slates. Nothing higher is really needed IMO as the skin's reaction as shaved is the final arbiter rather than the microscope.
I agree with what one responder says about only applying the HHT after stropping, not off the stones. But even then, the HHT can be misleading. I remember spending a lot of time on one razor that failed the HHT after stropping, returning to the stones and introducing needless wear, when in the end, it shaved just fine even though it failed the HHT. And beyond this, I've had plenty of edges that passed the HHT flawlessly but then resulted in raw shaves. Perhaps it is an indicator, but not an absolute goal in itself.
Practice, practice, practice. Pick up some beater razors and practice, practice, practice before trashing something nice...
For the so-called the bevel-set, I use the thumbnail test. The blade should grab the nail all along the edge before moving on. This can be used off the fine DMT or the 1k Suehiro. With the finer stones, the grabbing tendency diminishes on the thumbnail and is not really helpful. For me, a 10k achromatic Hastings triplet loupe is useful in viewing things closely between 3k and the slates. Nothing higher is really needed IMO as the skin's reaction as shaved is the final arbiter rather than the microscope.
I agree with what one responder says about only applying the HHT after stropping, not off the stones. But even then, the HHT can be misleading. I remember spending a lot of time on one razor that failed the HHT after stropping, returning to the stones and introducing needless wear, when in the end, it shaved just fine even though it failed the HHT. And beyond this, I've had plenty of edges that passed the HHT flawlessly but then resulted in raw shaves. Perhaps it is an indicator, but not an absolute goal in itself.
Practice, practice, practice. Pick up some beater razors and practice, practice, practice before trashing something nice...
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“I can shave but am left with serious stubble and irritation.”
The razor is not sharp enough. I could have been well honed, but a single errant stropping stroke can roll the edge and it needs to go back to the stones.
A pasted strop, any pasted strop increases the damage with an errant stroke. The problem with Straight Razor shaving is mastering stropping on a clean strop.
Test. If you can’t cut arm hair the edge needs to revisit the stones, at least a finisher. All tests must be calibrated, what do the results, or the test mean to you. What does a TPT feel like, impossible to explain in writing.
Hair test, pass or fail, but how close are you, or are you close? If you cut a hair, how much of the blade did you actually test, what about the rest of the edge.
Yes, all that other stuff matters, lather, pre shave… matters but if the edge is rolled, nothing else matters.
The visual test is the only non-destructive test that tests the whole edge and is 100% accurate. If you see ANY shiny reflections, the bevels are not fully meeting.
For most folks, a good finish stone, quality 8k or Naniwia 12, Hard Ark or Jnat are easy to use finisher. If you look at your edge and see reflections, (straight down on the edge with magnification), hone on the finisher until you no longer see reflections.
Now strop on linen and leather with light pressure, stop, then flip. Flip with your fingers, not the whole wrist. Do not land the edge on the strop until the razor is moving in the spine leading direction. The spine never leaves the strop.
If you muff the edge, 10-30 laps on your finisher will bring it back, look at it to verify. And Chinese 12k are not 12k.
If you want to dramatically speed up your learning, find someone locally for hands on training, stropping and honing. You can learn to strop and hone in an hour or two, in person.
The razor is not sharp enough. I could have been well honed, but a single errant stropping stroke can roll the edge and it needs to go back to the stones.
A pasted strop, any pasted strop increases the damage with an errant stroke. The problem with Straight Razor shaving is mastering stropping on a clean strop.
Test. If you can’t cut arm hair the edge needs to revisit the stones, at least a finisher. All tests must be calibrated, what do the results, or the test mean to you. What does a TPT feel like, impossible to explain in writing.
Hair test, pass or fail, but how close are you, or are you close? If you cut a hair, how much of the blade did you actually test, what about the rest of the edge.
Yes, all that other stuff matters, lather, pre shave… matters but if the edge is rolled, nothing else matters.
The visual test is the only non-destructive test that tests the whole edge and is 100% accurate. If you see ANY shiny reflections, the bevels are not fully meeting.
For most folks, a good finish stone, quality 8k or Naniwia 12, Hard Ark or Jnat are easy to use finisher. If you look at your edge and see reflections, (straight down on the edge with magnification), hone on the finisher until you no longer see reflections.
Now strop on linen and leather with light pressure, stop, then flip. Flip with your fingers, not the whole wrist. Do not land the edge on the strop until the razor is moving in the spine leading direction. The spine never leaves the strop.
If you muff the edge, 10-30 laps on your finisher will bring it back, look at it to verify. And Chinese 12k are not 12k.
If you want to dramatically speed up your learning, find someone locally for hands on training, stropping and honing. You can learn to strop and hone in an hour or two, in person.
I sent my first vintage to a man named Glen Mercurio in Idaho. He says he honed it on Naniwa stones, 1000/5000/10000 and finished the edge on a green, German Escher finishing stone, and gave me his opinions on the Norton 4/8. My experience has been quite the opposite of yours. My DE razor sucked, A LOT, compared to the pure joy that was my first SR shave, today. He sent a paper with my SR, containing a breakdown of his restoration job, honing, and a maintenance guide suggesting 25 passes on the canvas, and 75 passes on the leather of the strop. I'll have to wait at least 2 days to find out how well I stroped the blade, and how good the edge still is.
So Glen Mercurio was recommended and he has a Facebook and Website: Gemstar Razors.
- Thread starter
- #26
Just reached out, thanks!
Thank you to everyone who has provided input thus far - great responses that have been very helpful.
Once I get a “shave ready” razor it may help decide if I want to keep down this path or not. a few members on this thread and others have stated that it is a lot of work, and while rewarding it may take a lot of time to learn and become proficient.
Will keep everyone posted!
Good choice. I'm on my 4th shave, and after following Glen's strop instruction, I'm still getting an amazing shave from my first straight razor.
A plethora of sound and useful advice has already been posted by other contributors. I progressed from DE shaving to straight and kamisori shaving, via a stag horn Böker Barberette (using half DE blades and half long Dovo blades) and a cheap metal Candure swing lock shavette (using half DE blades) to develop technique. I have since also developed an interest in vintage SE razors (Rolls, Darwin, Valet, Henckels, Ronson). However, my personal experience has been that no other razors come close to the sheer joy of shaving with a traditional straight or kamisori razor.
- Thread starter
- #29
Everyone,
Thank you for the detailed advice. Ended up having a friend locally who has more experience and showed me the ropes.
The issue I was having ended up being a bevel set problem, which led to a poor edge.
That being said, this appears to be significantly more work than I thought it would be (between re-learning technique, honing, stropping, etc) and I plan to continue with a DE for the time being. That being said, have a whole new respect for straight shavers and now have some new knowledge to share going forward.
Thanks again!
Thank you for the detailed advice. Ended up having a friend locally who has more experience and showed me the ropes.
The issue I was having ended up being a bevel set problem, which led to a poor edge.
That being said, this appears to be significantly more work than I thought it would be (between re-learning technique, honing, stropping, etc) and I plan to continue with a DE for the time being. That being said, have a whole new respect for straight shavers and now have some new knowledge to share going forward.
Thanks again!
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