SR n00b with a couple of questions.

[mbidney]

(I copied and pasted this from the SR Clinic forum, hoping someone would see it in here)

First thanks for all of the information in this forum. It has helped me get started with this most excellent new hobby.

About a week and a half ago I bought my first straight. It is a Theirs Issard Bijou De France from vintageblades. Being new to shaving with a straight, I was told that this razor came shave ready. Does anyone have any history with vintage blades to confirm or deny their ability to get a blade shave ready?

I did not strop the blade the first couple times I used it per their instructions. In subsequent shaves I have stropped. But today I decided to try the "HHT" and it is failing miserably. I can't even run a hair down the blade and get it to cut. Maybe tapping 20 times the hair directly on the blade will yield me 1 cut hair.

Today I have run the blade a few hundred laps on the strop to see if I could move the dial on the HHT but to no avail.

Any tips or advise would be greatly appreciated

 

[Doc226]

I have never tried a VB edge but have read pretty good things. It is easy for a new straight razor shave to mess up the edge either during the shave or the stropping. You could send it out for someone to check it for you and hone it if need be.

 

[mbidney]

Maybe 200 more passes on the strop and no improvement.

Is this something I can still shave with until I purchase another blade to use? I would really hate to shave with anything else at this point.

 

[Wid]

Did you buy the razor professionally honed?

 

[mbidney]

Did you buy the razor professionally honed?

I bought it from vintage blades and it said it came shave ready.

After about 350 passes on the strop today it was as good as it ever has been, but still didn't pass the HHT, not one time.

 

[Wid]

HHT is a skill in itself that is learned over time. If it shaves good I wouldn't worry about it at this point.

 

[mbidney]

HHT is a skill in itself that is learned over time. If it shaves good I wouldn't worry about it at this point.

Thanks for the help!

 

[wherndon]

HHT is a skill in itself that is learned over time. If it shaves good I wouldn't worry about it at this point.

Yep what Rick said. I have never even tried the HHT. As long as it shaves to my satisfaction, I am happy.
regards,
Bil

 

[wherndon]

Oh, you could also get a pasted cloth strop, or balsa, to help the edge.
And welcome to B&B.

 

[MikeA]

The main sharpness test is always the shave test. Does it shave smoothly and comfortably? If yes then no need to worry about sharpness tests or which honing material creates the sharpest edge. Especially as a beginner concentrate on shave technique, once you get proficient with shaving then start thinking about honing, that's when sharpness tests become important, as Rick indicated its another set of skills.

 

[gash]

I would expect to see very little improvement beyond about 75 stropping passes, so 350 passes probably wouldn't do much. Plus, as Wid noted, stropping takes practice. A noob's stropping can easily tamper with an edge, so if I were you, I'd limit my between-shave stropping to about 75 passes (no offense - just part of the learning process). Forty or 50 passes probably would be enough. You can practice your technique by using a butter knife so that any mistakes won't damage the razor's edge or the strop.

Per my experience and studying:

Remember to strop lightly. Keep the strop taught, and use the weight of the razor. Work on keeping the weight constant throughout the stropping motion. Consistency is more important than speed.

Some YouTube videos can be very helpful in learning the technique. This one explains the basics pretty clearly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_6UH1pRmUQ