Seeking opinion/advice on SR setup

[SailorTodd]

After half a decade considering getting into SR shaving, I recently took the plunge and ordered my first straight razor - a 5/8" full hollow, carbon steel, West Coast Shaving branded Solingen blade. I also ordered a high quality strop, as well as a Gold Dollar razor and cheap strop for refining my stropping technique. I then ordered a paddle strop and Herold-Solingen Red/Black strop paste combo.

I ordered this comprehensive combination of supplies to keep my razor shave ready as long as possible without sending my blade to a honemeister or purchasing honing stones. I am currently not in a location that is convenient to quick mail service (~2 weeks each way) and I don't have accommodations that would suit me setting up a full honing system.

Presuming my WCS razor comes shave ready, will my setup described above be sufficient to keep my razor in shave ready condition for at least 6 months, assuming I am careful with my stropping technique? Any recommendations on technique to follow in using the above to keep my blade sharp?

 

[ScottChapin]

Maybe. Depends on how sharp they are and your demands. I get 1-3 months out of a blade before I’m back to a finishing stone. I wish I could find a NOS barber‘s stone. It would be relatively inexpensive and keep a blade going for a very long time.


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[jholen]

Checking out the newbie honing compendium. Specifically the balsa strop method. It's excellent and not that expensive to get going.

 

[SailorTodd]

Is a balsa strop better than a leather paddle/bench strop for pasted stropping?

 

[Slash McCoy]

Is a balsa strop better than a leather paddle/bench strop for pasted stropping?

Yes, properly set up and properly used, balsa and diamond are an order of magnitude better than a leather paddle and old school pastes. Night and day difference. The old school stuff works. Sort of. It was considered good enough when there was nothing better. To get an edge prepped for the .1u diamond, you need to strop on a balsa loaded with .25u diamond. To get the edge prepped for the .25u diamond, you need a balsa strop and .5u diamond paste. To get an edge ready for .5u diamond, you need a good edge finished on a 12k synthetic stone or 1u lapping film. Skip steps and you won't even know how much better it could be. In the Method system, a leather paddle or bench strop has no particular reason to be there.

Are both razors shave ready? Typically that means they have a decent 12k edge and are probably ready for the balsa progression.

 

[RumpleBearskin]

The initial state of the razor will be critical. My first straight was a Dovo from WCS. As delivered it was able to shave and was obviously sharp enough to send me down this rabbit hole.

But in order to find out if it was truly sharp I sent it out. What came back was night and day. Yours may be sufficient, or ... it may not be sufficient. Only way to find out is to give it a try.

 

[SailorTodd]

Yes, properly set up and properly used, balsa and diamond are an order of magnitude better than a leather paddle and old school pastes.

I read your thread on balsa strop progression. It will be great for me once I am back in a place where I can make that setup. Unfortunately for the next few months I won't have the facilities to make or use that sort of setup (think dorm-style living). I am hoping I get a truly shave-ready razor and can keep it nominally maintained in the mean time. Then I'll find a good honemeister to give me a truly shave ready edge and make a balsa strop setup to maintain it.

If my blade doesn't come shave-ready I'll give it a good coating of oil and postpone my transition to SR shaving another few months...

Thanks for the input so far. Any further advice on employment of my earlier-mentioned setup is greatly appreciated.

 

[bluesman 7]

I've never used the pastes that you mentioned, but here is a thread about using them. How to Use CrOx, Red Paste, and Black Paste to Maintain Your Edge? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/how-to-use-crox-red-paste-and-black-paste-to-maintain-your-edge.559970/

I have very little personal experience using pastes, but I do know that pastes can take a mediocre edge to a very usable edge and they are very easy to use.

It sounds to me like your kit will be good enough to get you started straight shaving. Good luck.

 

[LJS]

Thanks for the input so far. Any further advice on employment of my earlier-mentioned setup is greatly appreciated.

With the right razor (they all hold edges differently), if you start out with a shave-ready razor (most are not truly), and your stropping techniques are good, then your proposal is possible. But if any of those thing listed are not spot on from the start then no. A softer steel won’t stay sharp regardless of strops and technique. Strops, barring extreme methods, won’t hone a non shaving edge. And if your stropping technique is sloppy then you will start to roll your edge pretty fast reducing how long it will be sharp. But as long as all the stars align for you then what you proposed could work.

 

[Seveneighth]

The Solingen pastes are good. The red works best on a newspaper strop, the black on a smooth leather. I also follow with good fine FerOx to refine the edge further.

 

[azwetshaver]

I do not use pastes, but I've read positive reviews from those that do.

Typically I get 30-40 shaves before I touch up the edge.

When you first start, you will get less shaves out of an edge. This is due to poor stropping and shaving technique. This is normal. As your techniques improve, the edges will last longer.

 

[SailorTodd]

Still anxiously awaiting the arrival of my supplies (takes 2+ weeks for mail to reach me where I am), but with the comments here and obsessively reading everything else I can on methods and technique I am confident that I can at least make a start on SR shaving without completely boning it up. Thanks again!