Newb to straights

[Psychdude]

And I'm curious - if I have a strop, how often will I have to hone my razor, provided I don't seriously screw up the edge? Shoudl I even bother trying to hone it myself, or just send it off to someone who knows what they're doing?

(And can I seriously consider using newspaper instead of leather as a stropping mechanism?)

Thanks!

 

[Fnord5]

If you have a strop, don't bother with the paper unless you are traveling without the strop.

As for honing, depending on the razor, your beard, and your stropping technique, anywhere from 3-4 weeks, up to over a year using a pasted strop.

If every couple of months, you use a barbers hone (super hard, and very very fine grit) for a couple of passes, you may never have to re-hone it.

 

[Psychdude]

If every couple of months, you use a barbers hone (super hard, and very very fine grit) for a couple of passes, you may never have to re-hone it.

Really? Good to know! Maybe I'll keep my eye out for one of those barber's hones!!

Thanks!

 

[Fnord5]

Leighton suggested to me picking up a Spyderco UltraFine hone for use as a barbers hone. I decided to stick with a vintage natural stone that is reputed to be in the 12k-30k grit size.

 

[gugi]

And I'm curious - if I have a strop, how often will I have to hone my razor, provided I don't seriously screw up the edge?

It depends on the razor, your beard and your shaving and stropping skills. When it doesn't shave properly. Few weeks to few years, or perhaps never. Most likely fairly often until you get the experience,

Shoudl I even bother trying to hone it myself, or just send it off to someone who knows what they're doing?

Absolutely, touching up a razor is not honing, it's far far easier and I think everybody should be able to maintain their razors. Plenty of ways to do the job, pasted strops, barber hones, finishing hones.... If you fail to do so you can send it to somebody.

 

[sickz284u]

There is also a member doing free honing until the end of summer. I would highly suggest you send out a razor if you are wanting to get a better idea of what "shave ready" really is. This will also give you idea about what to expect for sharpness and with proper stropping techniques should be good for several shaves! Good luck either way you choose, and welcome to the dark side of our hobby.

 

[Psychdude]

There is also a member doing free honing until the end of summer. I would highly suggest you send out a razor if you are wanting to get a better idea of what "shave ready" really is. This will also give you idea about what to expect for sharpness and with proper stropping techniques should be good for several shaves! Good luck either way you choose, and welcome to the dark side of our hobby.

Unfortunately for me, it's only available to members in the US. Otherwise, I'd be all over it...

 

[gugi]

Unfortunately for me, it's only available to members in the US. Otherwise, I'd be all over it...

uhm if your razor isn't honed well you have to get that done first. only maintaining it good is easy, but you need to be there first.
floppyshoes is in canada and gssixgun is quite close to the border too.

 

[Psychdude]

uhm if your razor isn't honed well you have to get that done first. only maintaining it good is easy, but you need to be there first.
floppyshoes is in canada and gssixgun is quite close to the border too.

I bought it from member "Ambrose" who says it's shave ready. I'm inclined to take him at his word. I just need to knwo hwo to keep it sharp, aside from a strop. Do I need a Chinese 12K, or will a CrOx pasted strop work just as well?

 

[SavantStrike]

I bought it from member "Ambrose" who says it's shave ready. I'm inclined to take him at his word. I just need to knwo hwo to keep it sharp, aside from a strop. Do I need a Chinese 12K, or will a CrOx pasted strop work just as well?

Crox will work fine for you for a while, but you will need something more abrasive at some point. Then you can get the 12k or a barbers hone/etc to use it as a touch up stone, or you could go to 1 micron diamond paste or the Dovo stuff (don't remember which color). The consensus is that eventually pastes will not work though and at that point a touch up hone would be needed. IDK, YMMV and all that, I'll probably never get to that point as I touch up with a hone rather than paste.

 

[gugi]

Do I need a Chinese 12K, or will a CrOx pasted strop work just as well?

I don't think anybody knows (some go for years without any of these), but it's easy to find out.