I made a huge newbie error...

[Lereas]

So the other night I saw a straight razor on ebay for cheap. Now, I'd seen other decent ones start low and shoot up to 50 in the last minute, so I thought I'd toss a bid in. I won with a pretty low bid, which clearly indicates what everyone else thinks it's worth.

I hadn't thought to check first, but it's a MasterUSA, which is on straightrazorplace's list of "probably not so good".

If I try to use it, what are my risks? Is the steel just not good, and can't take/keep an edge? I am currently winning on a gold dollar razor which people seem to have mixed feelings on, and I'm wondering if I should pursue that more and just sell this other one somewhere.

 

[drewmac]

From one straight newbie to another, I would buy a shave-ready razor from somewhere other than ebay. www.whippeddog.com is good; Larry's a top notch guy. The classifieds at www.straightrazorplace.com are also good for spotting a newbie straight. With these, you will know that they are honed by someone knowledgeable.

 

[Lereas]

I know a guy who's really into knives. Maybe he'll buy it off me for what I paid just to have it.

 

[michiganlover]

From one straight newbie to another, I would buy a shave-ready razor from somewhere other than ebay. whippeddog.com is good; Larry's a top notch guy. The classifieds at straightrazorplace.com are also good for spotting a newbie straight. With these, you will know that they are honed by someone knowledgeable.

+1 on Larry's straights. He is a great gentlemen to do business with.

Good quality, decent priced, shave ready straights show up on our Buy/Sell/Trade nearly daily here as well.

E-Bay is a really bad place to go for your first straight, as you can't be sure the razor you are purchasing is going to be anything close to shave ready.

Gold Dollars are typically riddled with issues, and I wouldn't buy one off of Ebay. I would buy it from a reputable retailer (such as http://www.ruprazor.com) that has given it a once over, and corrected the errors.

 

[Lereas]

I've emailed Larry to see if maybe I can send him the one I bought for scales salvage or something and then buy something worthwhile.

Only kinda related: how often do you recommend professional honing, supposing you're using the same razor every day?

 

[Luc]

I've emailed Larry to see if maybe I can send him the one I bought for scales salvage or something and then buy something worthwhile.

Only kinda related: how often do you recommend professional honing, supposing you're using the same razor every day?

Larry will be able to advise if he can do something with it or not.

Depending on your technique, razor and stropping, ~20 shaves is what I heard. I have straights that lasted ~15 shaves and others that I'm still using and way pass 25 shaves.

 

[drewmac]

Only kinda related: how often do you recommend professional honing, supposing you're using the same razor every day?

From what I've read, two to three times a year as long as your stropping skills are good.

 

[michiganlover]

Only kinda related: how often do you recommend professional honing, supposing you're using the same razor every day?

There are quite a few variable involved, the major one being that newbies are much harder on their edges than vets due to inadequate stropping technique, and the fact that they are just learning to shave.

You will notice a difference when the razor starts to go dull.

As a newbie, you would probably need a re-honing after about a month of everyday shaving I would imagine.

You can prolong the time period between honing with balsa that has Chromium Oxide on it (a mild abrasive), and a Barber's Hone. I have heard it said that some people have been able to keep an edge going for a couple of years with just a Barber's Hone, but I don't think this is the norm.

Since you are already contacting Larry, he can set you up with his "poor man's strop kit" which has a piece of balsa with Chromium Oxide on the one side, and Ferrous Oxide on the other. This will go a long way in helping to keep the edge sharp for a longer period of time. Larry also sells Barber's Hones.

 

[flycbyrd]

So the other night I saw a straight razor on ebay for cheap. Now, I'd seen other decent ones start low and shoot up to 50 in the last minute, so I thought I'd toss a bid in. I won with a pretty low bid, which clearly indicates what everyone else thinks it's worth.

I hadn't thought to check first, but it's a MasterUSA, which is on straightrazorplace's list of "probably not so good".

If I try to use it, what are my risks? Is the steel just not good, and can't take/keep an edge? I am currently winning on a gold dollar razor which people seem to have mixed feelings on, and I'm wondering if I should pursue that more and just sell this other one somewhere.

you need to find one that is shave ready. most likely the Gold Dollar on ebay needs to be honed. you may want to ask the seller and save the emails. if it gets over 25 and its not sharp and needs to be honed you can report fraud and give ebay the emails and get refunded the money.

 

[mparker762]

I have heard it said that some people have been able to keep an edge going for a couple of years with just a Barber's Hone, but I don't think this is the norm.

That has more to do with the siren call of HAD than any limitation of barber hones. There are some members on SRP that kept their razor going 20+ years with just their barber hone, then they discovered SRP and caught HAD and next thing you know they're messing around with coticules and japanese hones just like the rest of us...

 

[drewmac]

That has more to do with the siren call of HAD than any limitation of barber hones. There are some members on SRP that kept their razor going 20+ years with just their barber hone, then they discovered SRP and caught HAD and next thing you know they're messing around with coticules and japanese hones just like the rest of us...

So, I bought a barber hone from Larry last night. With the proper strop and hone techniques do you really think that I can keep from having to send my razor off to be honed?

 

[Chimensch]

That has more to do with the siren call of HAD than any limitation of barber hones. There are some members on SRP that kept their razor going 20+ years with just their barber hone, then they discovered SRP and caught HAD and next thing you know they're messing around with coticules and japanese hones just like the rest of us...

That would also be me. 28 years with just a Swaty and then coticules, Charnley forest, Jnat and, of course, a Norton 4K/8K.

 

[jtrops]

I have heard it said that some people have been able to keep an edge going for a couple of years with just a Barber's Hone, but I don't think this is the norm.

I had only a barber hone, well two, from the time I started 6 years ago. I only decided to get the DMT's when I wanted to delve a bit deeper into the honing waters with a Gold Dollar. In the 6 years I shaved with flea market razors, and a barber hone I had great shaves. It would have been more prudent to buy a shave ready razor, but I got lucky, and the barber hones were all I needed.

As long as you don't do something traumatic to your razor the barber hone should be enough for a very long time. Add a CrOx balsa strop, and you could go virtually forever.

I guess I'm not a newb, but I don't consider myself an expert either. I just enjoy a straight shave, and the economy of it.

 

[LarryAndro]

You definitely can shave forever with a barbers hone and a strop. I think it best to put something pasted between the hone and strop. But, it is quite doable in my opinion. Straight razor users did it forever before we came up with better equipment.

You need to get off to a good start. If you win the Gold Dollar, I would be willing to hone it for you for free. PM me if interested.

 

[pelicano]

Hi Larry,

I bought my first razor from you a few months ago, and I have to say that it still has a great edge.
Just wondering, and I don't mean to hijack this thread, but since I just started to dabble in honing, I really wouldn't mind knowing how you hone.

Would you mind sharing?

Thanks

 

[professorchaos]

Not such a huge error...you could have paid more. And you've like learned a lesson about bidding on ebay. I've ended up with more than a few razors which I wish I hadn't.

 

[shavewithbigelow]

If you win the Gold Dollar, I would be willing to hone it for you for free. PM me if interested.

DEFINATELY take Larry up on this offer. The GD wil most certainly not be shave ready and it is probably to difficult for a newb to hone one as their first razor. A barber hone won't do it. Like I said if he offered......accept the offer!

 

[drewmac]

DEFINATELY take Larry up on this offer. The GD wil most certainly not be shave ready and it is probably to difficult for a newb to hone one as their first razor. A barber hone won't do it. Like I said if he offered......accept the offer!

+1. I am currently having Larry hone my first shave ready razor for me and I bought a barber hone from his site as well. In addition to the Filly strop from Ken Rup (sorry Larry, I bought it before I found your site ) that has chromium oxide applied to the back of the strop, I hope I am all set. (Sorry to kinda hijack this thread, but this seemed like a newbie directed thread)

 

[LarryAndro]

Hi Larry,... since I just started to dabble in honing, I really wouldn't mind knowing how you hone. Would you mind sharing? Thanks

There are different ways to hone, and I certainly don't think there is only one way to get the razor sharp. So, don't make me defend my method or philosophy. But,...

The main hones I use are pretty typical... Naniwa Superstones 1K, 3K, 5K, 8K & 12K, followed by 0.25 micron diamond spray on felt, 0.1 micron ferrous oxide on leather and then the untreated leather strop.

There are three areas where I seem to differ somewhat than most honemeisters. But, I don't think these areas of variance produce a better edge than others. They are just a way to get to the final goal. After all, can you tell from a finished edge what hones and methods were used to get there? No! The evidence is long gone... swarf on the hone or washed away.

The first area of difference for me is that I make very frequent use of DMTs, more than most it seems. DMT 220, 325, 600 and about half the time the DMT 1200. Then, I backtrack to the Naniwa 1000 and continue. It has worked best for me to set the bevel earlier than the Naniwa 1K. (Of course, if a razor doesn't need reconstruction or is in the neighborhood of sharp, I won't even use the DMTs.)

The second area of difference for me is my strategy on the 1K. Most seem to want the razor to be cut your arm hair sharp on the 1K. I try to always leave a little work for the next hone as a general strategy. I think **I** have less problems with wire edges and overhoning that way. So, on the 1K I try to get the edge close to cut the arm hair sharp. On the 3K, I get is closer to sharp. By the 5K I want the razor about as sharp as I can get it on the 5K. And, from this point on I suspect I hone about like any one else.

The third difference is that I make frequent use of jointing when on the 1K. Jointing is drawing the blade across the hone in the vertical position. I do it on the side of the hone, with the razor blade at a 45 degree angle. It doesn't touch the honing surface. It is alway done with very light touch. I joint, hone and feel the edge. Often, I joint and hone again. What I want is a sharp edge, along with a very straight ege. The jointing gives me the straight edge. (I consider a straight edge as one of the most important aspects of a good shaving edge.) I think the jointing actually does two things. Gives me a very straight edge, and a very stable edge for the remainder of the honing process.

It is not an important part of my procedure. But, will comment briefly on the use of the 0.1 micron ferrous oxide, which is not used much judging by comments by others. That is basically jeweler's rouge grade ferrous oxide. (It is the same ingredient as in Dovo red paste as I understand. But, Dovo red has a bigger grit size.) I think the ferrous oxide does two things for me: (1) polishes the bevel to close to a mirror edge, and (2) sharpens the edge quite well. I suspect it is psychological. But, a sharp edge, well stropped just seems not quite as nice as a sharp edge, well stropped with a mirror finish bevel.

You asked for it, Pelicano! Now wake up the crew...

 

[flycbyrd]

There are different ways to hone, and I certainly don't think there is only one way to get the razor sharp. So, don't make me defend my method or philosophy. But,...

The main hones I use are pretty typical... Naniwa Superstones 1K, 3K, 5K, 8K & 12K, followed by 0.25 micron diamond spray on felt, 0.1 micron ferrous oxide on leather and then the untreated leather strop.

There are three areas where I seem to differ somewhat than most honemeisters. But, I don't think these areas of variance produce a better edge than others. They are just a way to get to the final goal. After all, can you tell from a finished edge what hones and methods were used to get there? No! The evidence is long gone... swarf on the hone or washed away.

The first area of difference for me is that I make very frequent use of DMTs, more than most it seems. DMT 220, 325, 600 and about half the time the DMT 1200. Then, I backtrack to the Naniwa 1000 and continue. It has worked best for me to set the bevel earlier than the Naniwa 1K. (Of course, if a razor doesn't need reconstruction or is in the neighborhood of sharp, I won't even use the DMTs.)

The second area of difference for me is my strategy on the 1K. Most seem to want the razor to be cut your arm hair sharp on the 1K. I try to always leave a little work for the next hone as a general strategy. I think **I** have less problems with wire edges and overhoning that way. So, on the 1K I try to get the edge close to cut the arm hair sharp. On the 3K, I get is closer to sharp. By the 5K I want the razor about as sharp as I can get it on the 5K. And, from this point on I suspect I hone about like any one else.

The third difference is that I make frequent use of jointing when on the 1K. Jointing is drawing the blade across the hone in the vertical position. I do it on the side of the hone, with the razor blade at a 45 degree angle. It doesn't touch the honing surface. It is alway done with very light touch. I joint, hone and feel the edge. Often, I joint and hone again. What I want is a sharp edge, along with a very straight ege. The jointing gives me the straight edge. (I consider a straight edge as one of the most important aspects of a good shaving edge.) I think the jointing actually does two things. Gives me a very straight edge, and a very stable edge for the remainder of the honing process.

It is not an important part of my procedure. But, will comment briefly on the use of the 0.1 micron ferrous oxide, which is not used much judging by comments by others. That is basically jeweler's rouge grade ferrous oxide. (It is the same ingredient as in Dovo red paste as I understand. But, Dovo red has a bigger grit size.) I think the ferrous oxide does two things for me: (1) polishes the bevel to close to a mirror edge, and (2) sharpens the edge quite well. I suspect it is psychological. But, a sharp edge, well stropped just seems not quite as nice as a sharp edge, well stropped with a mirror finish bevel.

You asked for it, Pelicano! Now wake up the crew...

This along with your many references is enough to make me want to let you hone my razor if it needs to be honed. its suppose to be shave ready but we will see when it gets here. If it does require honing when i come up with the money i will definitely use you.