Several Questions from a Straight Razor Initiate

[Groat]

I've been shaving with a DE now for several months and have been enjoying every second of it. I was enticed this morning into buying a vintage straight razor and now I've got to try and figure out how I'm supposed to use the thing before it gets here. I've perused the interactive guide a bit, but I've still got a few questions.

First of all, I'm not sure if I 'need' or should purchase a barber's hone. The razor is coming shave ready and I ordered a strop along with it.

Second, I see all sorts of different oils and metal polishes and strop pastes, etc. Are any of these things something a beginner should get or are they rather things that might need to be used on a razor after a matter of months have passed?

I'll be spending a good amount of time before the razor comes soaking up information on its proper use and care, but are there any small tips that may be overlooked elsewhere?

 

[johnmrson]

If the razor you're getting is genuinely shave ready, you won't need a barbers hone for a few months. Just be careful when stropping though because it's easy to roll the edge. I wouldn't be worrying oabout pastes at this stage. If your new strop has linen and leather, that will be fine.

Good luck with it all.

 

[gull]

I would get some CrOx on balsa wood for touch ups. Depending on how much you screw up the blade, you won't really need to use the paste for a while.

After a few months go by and your pastes don't work well enough, then get a hone.

When my blade started pulling, I went for the hone first. I was against pastes and didn't want to buy them. The hone didn't give me a smooth shave and after being urged to try the paste, I finally agreed and it really helped.

 

[BladeRunner001]

I've been shaving with a DE now for several months and have been enjoying every second of it. I was enticed this morning into buying a vintage straight razor and now I've got to try and figure out how I'm supposed to use the thing before it gets here. I've perused the interactive guide a bit, but I've still got a few questions.

First of all, I'm not sure if I 'need' or should purchase a barber's hone. The razor is coming shave ready and I ordered a strop along with it.

Second, I see all sorts of different oils and metal polishes and strop pastes, etc. Are any of these things something a beginner should get or are they rather things that might need to be used on a razor after a matter of months have passed?

I'll be spending a good amount of time before the razor comes soaking up information on its proper use and care, but are there any small tips that may be overlooked elsewhere?

Honing is something I wouldn't do on your vintage straight (especially if it's in great condition)...especially, if you've never tried. it's an art. Having said that, I recommend learning how to hone...get yourself one of two (practice blades) and a few hones (with different grits...say 1k, 3k, 5k, 8k, 12k). For starters, I recommend Naniwas as they are fairly easy stones to learn honing with and are reasonably priced. Don't worry about Coticules, Eschers, JNats, etc...that you can explore later once you get the basics done.

Most straight users don't require honing for 2-3 months and daily stropping (with proper technique) maintains the edge for this time period. But, noobies may require more frequent touch ups and I think this is normal since you are still perfecting your technique and you will "abuse" your edges more often and faster. So, I would say that you may need to refresh your edge after 3 weeks or so.

 

[Groat]

If the razor you're getting is genuinely shave ready, you won't need a barbers hone for a few months. Just be careful when stropping though because it's easy to roll the edge.

After a few months go by and your pastes don't work well enough, then get a hone.

This was essentially what I was looking for. The razor is coming from a reputable vendor, so I trust it to be ready to shave with. As for honing, I was really referring to a barber or finishing hone to keep the blade sharp between 'professional' honing. As a total beginner, I'm not keen on spending a ton of money on hones at this point in time. So what should I look at getting first: a barber's hone or pastes? Also, pastes are meant to be put onto a balsa wood strip and stropped on there, correct?

When I first got into DE shaving, Mantic's channel gave me most of the information I needed to get started. While the interactive guide to straight shaving is great, I feel like I would learn a bit more if I could see these things being performed. Does a youtube channel exist like Mantic's but for straight shaving and maintenance?

 

[gull]

What I would do is get a barber's hone. When the razor pulls, do a few swipes and then see how it is. If the razor isn't as smooth, then go get some pastes.

However, if the razor is great, then huzzah! You never need to get pastes!

 

[RF1963]

This link is to a guide to the Thiers Issard Diamond Pastes which gives a suggested maintenance regime

http://www.thiers-issard.co.uk/SharpeninginstructionsDiamond.pdf

 

[Luc]

I would hold on for the hone, you might now like shaving with a straight. If you do like shaving with a straight, then yes, a barber hone can be helpful. If you get a barber hone, I would recommend buying a second shave ready straight for when straight #1 will need touch-ups.

I never used any pastes but some use those on a regular basis and love them.

 

[luvmysuper]

I would hold on for the hone, you might now like shaving with a straight. If you do like shaving with a straight, then yes, a barber hone can be helpful. If you get a barber hone, I would recommend buying a second shave ready straight for when straight #1 will need touch-ups.

I never used any pastes but some use those on a regular basis and love them.

Good advice.

Also, since you're waiting for delivery anyway, grab a butterknife and stand in front of the mirror and try to figure out some grips that will allow you to get where you need to get without blocking your view with your hands.
This is more of an issue than many new at straight shaving realize.

 

[johnmrson]

As Luc said, make sure that straight shaving is for you before you buy a barbers hone. If you do want to continue with it, then I'd definitely go for a barbers hone over pastes. If you start with a shave ready straight, you should be able to keep going indefinitely with a strop and a barbers hone. Some people still like getting a professional to hone their straight occassionally but that's personal preference.

 

[taffy]

Just see how you enjoy the shave a straight gives you before thinking about a hone, barbers hones are easily avaialble in your country, and at a reasonable price, so if you do decide to get a hone, this may be the best starting option.

 

[Groat]

Sounds like I'm pretty much all set to start out, then. I do have one more question: where should I mount my strop? I don't think that the towel racks in my bathroom are strong enough. I've seen people do it on the back of the door handle in videos, but I'm not quite sure how they do that.

 

[gull]

I have mine on my door handle.

I just sorta slid the ring of my strop into the handle and so far it's stayed in place. I can't really give you any advice on how to attach your strop till I know what kind of doorknob/handle you have.

 

[Legion]

It depends on the fittings of your strop but I just tied a few loops of string around the door handle and hooked the strop onto it. Any way that works is good. You are not swinging off the thing.

 

[Luc]

Sounds like I'm pretty much all set to start out, then. I do have one more question: where should I mount my strop? I don't think that the towel racks in my bathroom are strong enough. I've seen people do it on the back of the door handle in videos, but I'm not quite sure how they do that.

I don't have a round door handle but an actual handle. I bought one of those climbing hook but that one is not made for climbing. Which is fine as you wouldn't apply that much pressure on the strop...

My door handle is like the one top right

If you don't have that or can't use that, I would recommend a piece of string attached to the door handle. I have a hook to hang things behind the door, that's where I keep the strop when I'm not using it...

 

[Groat]

Well, my purchase of the aforementioned razor has fallen through. I've gotten a refund, which paypal has put a hold on for some reason. This gives me a few days to think things through. So now I've got a few more questions for you guys.

Would you recommend I buy the nicest razor in my budget or is it wiser to go with something a bit gnarly to start with? Is there much of a difference between vintage and new razors, especially for a new guy?

Other than that, I think I'll stay off ebay for this one. B/S/T or the vendors seems like the best bet.

 

[JeffE]

If you've gotten your money back and are wondering what to buy, it's pretty simple. Get a nice, new Dovo or TI from one of the many excellent on-line vendors on this site who also promise to HONE the new blade before sending it to you.

Vintage razors are fun, but part of the "fun," so to speak, is getting a blade to shave that may not be in perfectly preserved, excellent, right-out-of-the-box condition. When you're experienced at using these blades, then a razor that is a little bit quirky or challenging is something interesting and, in a way, fun -- like driving a 64 GTO.

But these vintage razors are generally not the best blades for learning on, just like you wouldn't give the keys to a 64 GTO to a 16 year old to learn how to drive. New TI and Dovo razors, however, are more like a brand new Honda Accord -- the perfect tool for learning on. Why? Because with a new blade you know that the blade is perfectly sharp, even, and without the kind of flaws and surprises that you might find on a vintage blade. That way you can pretty much eliminate any difficulty that might be attributed to your razor and focus instead on difficulties that are being caused by your technique. TIs and Dovos are made of a quality of steel that will retain an edge for a very, very long time too, meaning that you will not need to learn honing right away.

Anyway, that's just my two cents.

 

[Luc]

Well, my purchase of the aforementioned razor has fallen through. I've gotten a refund, which paypal has put a hold on for some reason. This gives me a few days to think things through. So now I've got a few more questions for you guys.

Would you recommend I buy the nicest razor in my budget or is it wiser to go with something a bit gnarly to start with? Is there much of a difference between vintage and new razors, especially for a new guy?

Other than that, I think I'll stay off ebay for this one. B/S/T or the vendors seems like the best bet.

I think that a vintage will give you the same result than a modern razor. Shave ready straight but cheaper...

 

[DrColossus11]

I would pick up one from Larry (Whipped Dog) along with a Poor Man Strop. Great starter set.

 

[gull]

I would pick up one from Larry (Whipped Dog) along with a Poor Man Strop. Great starter set.

+1

That's where I got my stuff from. When I get better at straight shaving, I want to get a new, fancy, shiny TI or dovo. Right now though, my vintage razor is serving me well.