strop advice

[Ssandstorms]

I recently purchased my first SR and came "shave ready" along with it I purchased a hanging strop and jewelers rouge (white).
When the blades came in I immediately went and ran a hair test. Blade passed with a short "ZING" nice.
unfortunately, my strop was still on backorder but I used a leather belt as a temporary.

Fast forward to this morning. My strop has been here a week and I have already had another shave since then. This morning I decided to do the hair test but I failed... I stropped again probably 50 laps and tried again, failed.
Am I chasing something that's impossible? what should I do from this point? Or is there really anything I can do?

 

[azwetshaver]

At this point I would try shaving with it. Paying close attention to the feel and determine whether the edge is tugging. If it is tugging, the edge is dull. It is common for new straight razor users to dull the edge with improper shaving and stropping techniques. Before more stropping, or sending out to be honed, try shaving with it.

 

[RenoRichard]

+1- give it a go as suggested above, but I would add to have another razor handy. If your's starts pulling or tugging, switch off to another razor to finish your shave. There's no fun in shaving with a straight that's not quite right. It could be any number of things- e.g., a dull edge through weak technique, a rounded edge from stropping, or possibly it had a wire edge when it arrived. Your razor may also still be just fine. Sometimes a HHT is not definitive, hair varies a lot. Also, at times I've gotten good comfortable shaves from razors that didn't pass the HHT, or passed but not well. If you have the ability to see the edge under magnification, even 20 times, you may be able to see what's happened or if the edge is still good. But, ultimately give it try on a nice easy flat area of your face to see. Good luck and don't give up too soon. It's a bit tricky when you start, but most of us have been where you are. Perseverance does pay off IMHO.

 

[Ssandstorms]

I'll give it a shave in a day or so. and get back to update.

 

[Slash McCoy]

You should not apply any abrasive paste to a hanging strop. Get a clean strop and a shave ready razor. If you did not roll the edge while stropping on the pasted strop, it can probably be brought back pretty easy by any experienced honer.

Never use a belt as a strop. Use it to hold your pants up. Use a strop for stropping. Yes, they are both leather, but only one is a strop.

 

[Ssandstorms]

It was more of a limited use in despiration.
I was reading you balsa technique @Slash McCoy and have a few questions
Do you still use a leather strop in addition to the balsa?
Do you think the response between 0.5u, 0.25u, and 0.1u is noticable or is it simply for getting the best edge?

 

[Ssandstorms]

At this point I would try shaving with it. Paying close attention to the feel and determine whether the edge is tugging. If it is tugging, the edge is dull. It is common for new straight razor users to dull the edge with improper shaving and stropping techniques. Before more stropping, or sending out to be honed, try shaving with it.

Shaved today and was able to get a nice 3+ pass only a knick or two. Within what I had when I first used it.

My question I think can be summed down to:
When is it time to hone vs strop?
Should the hair test be my guide to that?
What are the reasons that my blade went from hair test pass to HT fail?

 

[rbscebu]

It was more of a limited use in despiration.
I was reading you balsa technique @Slash McCoy and have a few questions
Do you still use a leather strop in addition to the balsa?

Yes, before each shave you strip your SR about 50 laps, very lightly with the strop held tight so that it remains almost flat.

Do you think the response between 0.5u, 0.25u, and 0.1u is noticable or is it simply for getting the best edge?

Yes it is noticable in shaving. Shaving off 0.5u is good. Shaving off 0.25u is not so good. Shaving off 0.1u is the best.

Once you have the edge properly finished off 0.1u diamond pasted hand held balsa strop, all you have to do is give it about 50 laps on a clean leather strop then shave. After each and every shave give the edge 50 laps on 0.1u diamond pasted hanging balsa strop. Then give it 50 laps on a clean leather strip before each and every shave.

I also strop about 10 to 20 laps on a clean leather strop in-between shaving passes, but that is just a personal preference.

Baring physical damage, your razor should never need honing again and if everything is right, not even the 0.5u and 0.25u pasted balsa strops are needed again.

 

[azwetshaver]

Shaved today and was able to get a nice 3+ pass only a knick or two. Within what I had when I first used it.

My question I think can be summed down to:
When is it time to hone vs strop?
Should the hair test be my guide to that?
What are the reasons that my blade went from hair test pass to HT fail?

I can only comment on my own experience as I do not use pastes. I use clean strops and hone when I need to. I typically get around 40-50 shaves before honing. When I started, this was a lot less. The main indicator is a rough shave. The edge will start tugging instead of easily shaving. This is a slight feeling and may be difficult to feel especially if you're concentrating on not cutting yourself. I will not feel the tugging in my hand. I will feel it on my face. The shave will not be comfortable. I set that razor aside mid shave and pick up another. Usually the shave will be comfortable and I know the edge in the first razor needs to be touched up. This is a benefit to multiple razors.

The HHT has always been hit or miss with me. Sometimes I wonder if I am doing the test correctly. This was especially true when I was (still am) learning to hone. Some edges would just never pass a HHT, but would shave so smooth. I stopped doing HHT and test my edges by shaving with them.

 

[Slash McCoy]

It was more of a limited use in despiration.
I was reading you balsa technique @Slash McCoy and have a few questions
Do you still use a leather strop in addition to the balsa?

Yes. They serve two completely different purposes.

Do you think the response between 0.5u, 0.25u, and 0.1u is noticable or is it simply for getting the best edge?

Not sure what you mean. But .5u and .25u are commonly held to give edges that irritate the face. The .1u gives an edge that is quite smooth though it is amazingly sharp if you do it right. You can not jump from a 12k finishing stone or a 1u lapping film, straight to .1u (200k grit!) diamond paste on balsa. It will take thousands of laps to fully develop the .1u edge. And you can definitely tell the difference between a .5u or .25u edge, and a .1u edge.

If you use less than optimal tools and techniques, you will get less than optimum results. There is no escaping that simple fact.

I suggest you never strop, hone, or shave, desperately. If you don't have what you really need, you are seriously better off with a shavette and a Feather DE blade, or a Good News throwaway, than a straight razor that is not properly stropped and honed.

 

[Ssandstorms]

Not sure what you mean. But .5u and .25u are commonly held to give edges that irritate the face. The .1u gives an edge that is quite smooth though it is amazingly sharp if you do it right. You can not jump from a 12k finishing stone or a 1u lapping film, straight to .1u (200k grit!) diamond paste on balsa. It will take thousands of laps to fully develop the .1u edge. And you can definitely tell the difference between a .5u or .25u edge, and a .1u edge.

Simply put, I was asking if 0.5 and 0.25 were sufficient to shave with, however from the sounds of it that isn't advised.

I suggest you never strop, hone, or shave, desperately. If you don't have what you really need, you are seriously better off with a shavette and a Feather DE blade, or a Good News throwaway, than a straight razor that is not properly stropped and honed.

I will keep that in mind for the future.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Simply put, I was asking if 0.5 and 0.25 were sufficient to shave with, however from the sounds of it that isn't advised.

Some guys don't mind. I would never deliberately and knowingly try to shave off an edge like that. I have done that before, already. Also shaved off .3u film. Same thing. You can try to tame the edge but it ends up being an exercise in compromise. You might not be as picky as me, I don't know. Your razor. Do it like you feel it, but the best way will give the best results.