New to straight razors
- Thread starter marty2905
- Start date
I also just started with straights. This is actually a pretty complicated question that only you can answer. Spend some time in the straight razor forums, read about what is involved in maintaining these beasts and figure out what you want to take on yourself and what you would prefer to farm out to the pros. Cheers!
Hi Marty,
Congrats on your foray into the world of straights
To answer your question, I need to ask you a few:
Congrats on your foray into the world of straights
To answer your question, I need to ask you a few:
- Is the straight you got shave ready (honed by a pro)?
- Do you intend to get more straight razors?
- Buy a couple (or a few) of blades from bay razors (in decent shape, not total trash)...best is to get different grinds (hollow, wedge, etc...). The various grinds will give you a pretty good metric of what to expect from the each grind.
- Buy hones (you needs basics like Norton or Naniwas)...i recommend Naniwas (1k, 3k, 5k, 8k and 12k)
- Practice honing with your eBay razors...NEVER on your pro honed blades
I would say at this stage, no need for a hone. Also, depending on what you want to do, honing-wise, you might need a few stones or a minimum of stones to keep the edge sharp...
Welcome to the wonderful world of straight razor shaving.
If you know your razor is shave ready, i.e., you bought it from a reputable source known for selling shave ready razors, you have a number of alternatives. 1) Buy a second shave ready razor for rotation and send out your razors for honing as needed, 2) Get a pasted strop of some type as these are often easier to use than hones, or 3) get yourself one or more hones. As suggested above, the Naniwas are a good first choice in that you don't have to soak them as you do the Nortons. For pure touchup work, you likely will not need anything lower than 8k. Alternatively, millions of men from past generations have gotten along just fine with only a barber hone. You can even find 2 sided barber's hones where one side is coarse and the other fine.
I wish you all the best on your journey and remember to have fun.
If you know your razor is shave ready, i.e., you bought it from a reputable source known for selling shave ready razors, you have a number of alternatives. 1) Buy a second shave ready razor for rotation and send out your razors for honing as needed, 2) Get a pasted strop of some type as these are often easier to use than hones, or 3) get yourself one or more hones. As suggested above, the Naniwas are a good first choice in that you don't have to soak them as you do the Nortons. For pure touchup work, you likely will not need anything lower than 8k. Alternatively, millions of men from past generations have gotten along just fine with only a barber hone. You can even find 2 sided barber's hones where one side is coarse and the other fine.
I wish you all the best on your journey and remember to have fun.
NO simply put. do not buy a hone.
wait and see if you fully like the new shaving and give it some time. your razor is it came shave ready, it should last for a good 2 months minumim. (i think)= feel free to correct
wait and see if you fully like the new shaving and give it some time. your razor is it came shave ready, it should last for a good 2 months minumim. (i think)= feel free to correct
- Thread starter
- #7
It depends what you want to do honing-wise...
1-Just maintain the edge
or
2-Reset the bevel on a straight and then make it shave ready
Also, it depends on your budget... Again, I would advise to learn how to shave with the straight and strop first...
+1 to Luc - The Viscount of Aqua Velva. If your razor is a shaver now then strop, face prep, and shave technique will make all the difference. If your razor is not sharp then that is quite a different story.
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