I used to use them regularly years ago and got my best shaves with them. I had two straights that hadn’t been used for years rehoned. I can’t seem to get a decent shave with them. One is a gold dollar and the other is a vintage razor made in Massachusetts. Don’t know if I should get a new razor or try a new hone. If a new razor, what would you recommend? Thank you.
Recommendations for a straight.
- Thread starter Miketorrge
- Start date
They worked for you before you quit?
I’d give them a hone, or send them out for a hone. If I read your post right and you sent them out for a hone… it may be your technique, or you may need to send it out to someone else.
Depending on the finish stone used on a send out home… your face may not like it. It may just need a different finisher. Talk to your honer about that if you sent it out would be where I started.
I’d give them a hone, or send them out for a hone. If I read your post right and you sent them out for a hone… it may be your technique, or you may need to send it out to someone else.
Depending on the finish stone used on a send out home… your face may not like it. It may just need a different finisher. Talk to your honer about that if you sent it out would be where I started.
If you decide to get a new razor, I like griffiths for used or new razors (all options they have will be good).
Can also get your current razors honed up by someone. Over time there might have been some light corrosion by the edge that killed it.
Can also get your current razors honed up by someone. Over time there might have been some light corrosion by the edge that killed it.
I think it’s great that you are going back to an old SR hobby. Consider that your technique is rusty and will take some time to get back. If you are like me, it took a good while to get to great shaves.
I don’t buy new razors. You can get get some great old steel with the kinks worked out from guys around here - see the Buy Sell Trade thread.
You might start with replacing you the Gold Dollar with something better and easier to shave with. See where that takes you.
I don’t buy new razors. You can get get some great old steel with the kinks worked out from guys around here - see the Buy Sell Trade thread.
You might start with replacing you the Gold Dollar with something better and easier to shave with. See where that takes you.
Can you post a pic of the razor made in MA?
If the MA razor is of good quality, I would send it to Alfredo (@Doc226) for a proper honing.
I will second Griffith Shaving Goods. Matt offers an excellent selection of new and restored vintage razors at fair prices. Matt will ensure that the razor comes with an excellent edge if you order "shave ready". And Matt stands behind the razors he sells.
If the MA razor is of good quality, I would send it to Alfredo (@Doc226) for a proper honing.
I will second Griffith Shaving Goods. Matt offers an excellent selection of new and restored vintage razors at fair prices. Matt will ensure that the razor comes with an excellent edge if you order "shave ready". And Matt stands behind the razors he sells.
- Thread starter
- #6
Thank you for the advice. I do think I liked the vintage one. I’m sure my technique is lacking.
- Thread starter
- #7
Here is the vintage one.
I have never owned a Worcester Razor, but the razor looks good and I have read good things.
There is something nice about buying a brand spanking new razor. In addition it supports a frail industry. Aust,Revisor and Suer have the most traditional hollow grinds. They come shave ready and are easy to hone. Aust has the most meticulous QC of the bunch.
This razor should take a screaming edge. It’s a top quality razor and far better than any Gold Dollar ever made.
I’d hone it for ya. I’m in the Chicagoland area.
- Thread starter
- #11
Thank you so much for the offer. I just did some stropping on it and I’m gonna give it a go again. I will reach out to you if it doesn’t get any better.
The Gold Dollar Chinese made razors are really soft. They won't keep an edge. That MA razor looks good, though. My first straight that I used was a Japanese razor that was professionally honed. After that, I got a couple of Thiers Issards and they are fantastic. They are run at about 64 HRC so not easy to hone, but they keep an edge a good long while.
Yup the Worcester should shave just fine, once properly honed.
Did you have the razor honed by a Straight Razor honer or by a Knife shop?
If you load the photos in a Photo editor and enlarge, it does not look like the heel and toe were fully honed.
What are you stropping on?
It is not uncommon for an inexperienced person to roll a properly honed razor edge when stropping or on a contaminated strop. An edge can easily be rolled in a single lap.
It can take some time, up to a year to master stropping, (Get to a point were you are improving the edge with each lap).
And the quality and cleanliness of a strop definitely will impact the quality of the shaving edge it will produce. A great new strop is as inexpensive as $50. There is no need to strop on a contaminated or cheap strop. Stropping is your last chance to perfect the edge, before it touches your face.
Some Gold Dollars can be honed to shave ready, but it does take some experience to work out all the kinks and get the razor sorted so that it can be honed. Some are just not worth the effort.
But as said there are way better options available and quality vintage razors are equal or better in some cases than modern razors costing 10 to 30 times more.
A good test of a razor honer is simply, ask the person that will actually hone the razor, if they shave with a straight razor daily.
If not, find someone else.
More than likely the Worcester needs rehoning and stropping will not revive it.
Where are you located?
Did you have the razor honed by a Straight Razor honer or by a Knife shop?
If you load the photos in a Photo editor and enlarge, it does not look like the heel and toe were fully honed.
What are you stropping on?
It is not uncommon for an inexperienced person to roll a properly honed razor edge when stropping or on a contaminated strop. An edge can easily be rolled in a single lap.
It can take some time, up to a year to master stropping, (Get to a point were you are improving the edge with each lap).
And the quality and cleanliness of a strop definitely will impact the quality of the shaving edge it will produce. A great new strop is as inexpensive as $50. There is no need to strop on a contaminated or cheap strop. Stropping is your last chance to perfect the edge, before it touches your face.
Some Gold Dollars can be honed to shave ready, but it does take some experience to work out all the kinks and get the razor sorted so that it can be honed. Some are just not worth the effort.
But as said there are way better options available and quality vintage razors are equal or better in some cases than modern razors costing 10 to 30 times more.
A good test of a razor honer is simply, ask the person that will actually hone the razor, if they shave with a straight razor daily.
If not, find someone else.
More than likely the Worcester needs rehoning and stropping will not revive it.
Where are you located?
- Thread starter
- #14
I used the MA razor today and got a good shave without much irritation. I was getting a little bit of the muscle memory back. My big struggle was against the grain, especially on the lip, and my normal trouble spots.
- Thread starter
- #15
Thank you for all that information. It was honed by a straight razor shaver from one of the shaving groups on FB. Today’s shave was much better. I am stropping on a chrome pasted fire hose strop, a paddle strop, and the shaving club shop tristrop from Peter Charkalis. It has leather, fire hose, and a cloth strip all combined in one. The paste on the one strip is old. I’m located in Knoxville. I am curious to try a different razor from a different honer to see if a different edge feels better.
I don't have much to ad here other than saying your Worcester razor looks like a great piece. How often are you stropping on the pasted strop?
If you are having issues shaving, ATG or irritation are generally edge sharpness issues.
A pasted Firehose is an aggressive strop and while it can add some keenness, it is also easy to roll or damage an edge. A Razor edge can easily be damaged in a single stroke.
Depending on the damage and the stroppers skill level, it may need to go back to the stones to repair the edge.
Either way the heel and toe are not fully honed.
Look straight down on the edge with magnification, if you see any shiny reflections, that is where the bevels are not meeting, chip, or rolled edges.
The edge should look like a grey line. The age of your paste should not matter, but the cleanliness of your strop does. If the strop was left out and airborne dust landed on it, the dust is much larger than any paste and will scratch the bevel and chip the edge.
Also with paddle strops it is easy to use too much pressure, t(he actual edge is so thin it can not be seen without SEM magnification) and flex the edge until it breaks off.
A pasted Firehose is an aggressive strop and while it can add some keenness, it is also easy to roll or damage an edge. A Razor edge can easily be damaged in a single stroke.
Depending on the damage and the stroppers skill level, it may need to go back to the stones to repair the edge.
Either way the heel and toe are not fully honed.
Look straight down on the edge with magnification, if you see any shiny reflections, that is where the bevels are not meeting, chip, or rolled edges.
The edge should look like a grey line. The age of your paste should not matter, but the cleanliness of your strop does. If the strop was left out and airborne dust landed on it, the dust is much larger than any paste and will scratch the bevel and chip the edge.
Also with paddle strops it is easy to use too much pressure, t(he actual edge is so thin it can not be seen without SEM magnification) and flex the edge until it breaks off.
I am about 45min from Worcester and never knew there was a straight razor company there, pretty neat find!
Speaking of finds, we went to the Halloween store tonight and I noticed this straight razor for sale
Speaking of finds, we went to the Halloween store tonight and I noticed this straight razor for sale
- Thread starter
- #19
Wow I had no idea. Thank you for the information. I guess you can’t really clean the pasted strop.
Probably not, not completely. Just make or buy a new one.
You can go to any fabric store and buy a yard of 2 inch cotton strapping for about $5 and two 2inch D-rings, any good hardware store, Ace hardware here in California and a $10 stick of Chrome Oxide, CBN or Diamonds.
Eventually a pasted strop will become contaminated by dust.
Get a 8,10 or 12k synthetic stone and re-set the edge. You should be able to re-set the edge in about 20 laps.
You can go to any fabric store and buy a yard of 2 inch cotton strapping for about $5 and two 2inch D-rings, any good hardware store, Ace hardware here in California and a $10 stick of Chrome Oxide, CBN or Diamonds.
Eventually a pasted strop will become contaminated by dust.
Get a 8,10 or 12k synthetic stone and re-set the edge. You should be able to re-set the edge in about 20 laps.
