How to get a new razor into "shave ready" condition?

[nuzzer135]

Hey experts,

I am super new to maintaining a straight razor and wanted to understand how to get a new razor shave ready. My girlfriend was kind enough to get me a hollow ground thiers issard straight from the art of shaving store and she was told that the razor is sharpened and ready to use. I gave it a whirl and found that it did cut hair but required many passes and a whole a lot of effort. I have been shaving with my father's old straight for a while now and its a lot smoother than the new one my gf gave me. My question is do I need to get it fully honed by a professional or can I get a sharper edge by using abrasives on a strop for example? Is is okay to just use a 8000 grit stone to do some light honing to get it sharp and smooth? I am clearly lost at all the info that is available on the topic and my father told me to figure it out myself lol. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Least expensive route if possible.

Thanks

 

[A0th22]

you dont need a professional to hone it for you. you can make due with a 8k hone, but it wont be that great, it will be alot better to get a finishing stone like a chinese 12k/coticule/natural japanese hone. of those three the chinese 12k will be the cheapest. though i would get a coticule or japanese hone if u had the money. iv never used abrasives though there are alot who do

 

[Doc226]

Get it honed by someone that knows what they are doing, don't learn honing on a nice razor, you are likely to cause premature wear and weird edge geometries.

 

[johnmrson]

Hmmmm, another Art of Shaving unsatisfied customer. Someone should have a word with them about the disservice they are doing to straight shaving.

 

[Wid]

If it's the one in Chicago I thought they had the razors honed. I know who hones them and they are suppose to be quite good with the hones.

 

[raccoonandbrush]

Send it to me and I WILL make it shave ready with my Naniwa Super Stones. All I ask is you pay for shipping both ways. Let me know if you're interested.

With the Super Stones, I have honed a stainless steel blade and a wedge, which are relatively hard to hone, and the Super Stones put a fantastic edge on them.

 

[Krodor]

Hmmmm, another Art of Shaving unsatisfied customer. Someone should have a word with them about the disservice they are doing to straight shaving.

Just remember that sometimes the edge is just fine and the new user might not have the technique or the "feel" for it yet. I think in this case I might send it out for an experienced user to review the edge, and if not up to snuff, have that person touch it up to shave-ready.

OP, an easy check (not perfect, lots of caveats, but easy to do): does it sever a hanging moist hair when you hold the hair by the root-end? If so, it is likely your technique. If not, then I'd send it out. It should be a "2" or "3" at least post strop, preferably pre-strop.
http://www.coticule.be/hanging-hair-test.html

If you know what you are doing, you can get to that stage on an 8000 grit stone. Many people shave off a Norton 8k.

One other thing: abrasives on a strop work well, and are optional (I don't use them these days), but the last stropping you do should be on plain, unabrasified leather. Thus, if you have one strop only, don't put abrasives on it

 

[nuzzer135]

If it's the one in Chicago I thought they had the razors honed. I know who hones them and they are suppose to be quite good with the hones.

It was actually purchased at the woodfield mall store in schaumburg. I called over there and they said that it is definitely is shave ready and may just need stropping. I think everyones definition of shave ready is different though. They recommended a guy over at www.therestoredrazor.com who does sharpening for them.

 

[nuzzer135]

Just remember that sometimes the edge is just fine and the new user might not have the technique or the "feel" for it yet. I think in this case I might send it out for an experienced user to review the edge, and if not up to snuff, have that person touch it up to shave-ready.

OP, an easy check (not perfect, lots of caveats, but easy to do): does it sever a hanging moist hair when you hold the hair by the root-end? If so, it is likely your technique. If not, then I'd send it out. It should be a "2" or "3" at least post strop, preferably pre-strop.
http://www.coticule.be/hanging-hair-test.html

If you know what you are doing, you can get to that stage on an 8000 grit stone. Many people shave off a Norton 8k.

One other thing: abrasives on a strop work well, and are optional (I don't use them these days), but the last stropping you do should be on plain, unabrasified leather. Thus, if you have one strop only, don't put abrasives on it

Thanks for the reply. I performed the hair test and the razor only catches and splits the hairs when the hair itself is light dragged across the razor. So according the the standardization I believe it is rated at the HHT-2. So its totally possible its my technique that I should work on. But when I finished up using my dad's old razor it was much easier and that could be because of a different razor. To my understanding different razor = different technique. I just have to keep at it I guess.

And I've only bought one strop so it'll probably be better to keep off the abrasives till I know what I'm doing wrong I guess.

Thanks for the info.

 

[nuzzer135]

Get it honed by someone that knows what they are doing, don't learn honing on a nice razor, you are likely to cause premature wear and weird edge geometries.

Totally understand. I read somewhere that the spine is what gives the edge it's angle and I wouldn't wanna ruin those set degrees. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[cb91710]

If it's the one in Chicago I thought they had the razors honed. I know who hones them and they are suppose to be quite good with the hones.

<snicker>

 

[Wid]

I said suppose to be, although I never used their edge.

 

[cb91710]

I said suppose to be, although I never used their edge.

Ahh... I snickered because I thought you were doing their honing.

But remembering now, I think it's Craig who is doing honing for one of the AoS stores.

 

[Wid]

Nah, if I did it I know the edge would be good.

 

[Wid]

It was actually purchased at the woodfield mall store in schaumburg. I called over there and they said that it is definitely is shave ready and may just need stropping. I think everyones definition of shave ready is different though. They recommended a guy over at www.therestoredrazor.com who does sharpening for them.

They do the entire area as far as I know. Never tried their edges, never had the need.