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What else do I need? Here's what's on the way so far...

B

Brassplyer

Here's what I've got coming:

- Solingen Premium Qualität German Straight Razor
- 3"x27" buffalo hide strop with both a poly web strop and cotton strop attached
- Dovo leather balm
- Dovo leather conditioner
- Dovo red and black paste
- Norton 4000/8000 wetstone
- Naniwa 12,000 Super Stone
- Granite 9"x12" lapping plate w/abrasive sheets
- Rein Dachs Klassik 20×52mm two band walnut badger brush
- Geo F Trumper Lime Shaving Cream
- Three 90g pucks of Alles Seife Austrian Shaving Soap - various scents

Was thinking I'd store the razor in a zip-lock bag, maybe throw some desiccant or rice in. I've seen mentions of razor wax to protect the steel - will paste wax work just as well?

As far as a mug for working up lather on the brush is there anything special about shaving mugs? I've seen videos where they don't use a mug at all. Any reason you couldn't use a common cereal/soup bowl?

Thanks!
 
mattps1

mattps1

A good start, I have a few of those items you've listed.

if your new to straight razor stropping and i'd start with cheap strop. The one you describe sounds very good, and it would be a shame to accidently damage it early on, it might be a good strop to graduate to when ready. Most new starters (myself included) end up cutting their first strops a bit, although can be fixed by sanding it down if not too deep.

You can use vaseline, oil on the blade between shaves to protect for rusting. For longer term storage Renaissance wax is good, but it's more difficult to remove and better for longer term storage.

I found having some flat stropping surface like a leather paddle strop to apply paste to is handy, and keep your main strop clean. I haven't had experienced balsa wood as a stropping surface, but many swear by it using diamond pastes.
 
rbscebu

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
Aftershave?
Mirror?
Shaving towel(s)?
Shaving coat?

A true gentleman would have his own valet but a good valet is so hard to find these days.
 
B

Brassplyer

rbscebu said:
Aftershave?
Mirror?
Shaving towel(s)?
Shaving coat?

A true gentleman would have his own valet but a good valet is so hard to find these days.
Click to expand...
I hired a valet with impeccable qualifications... :)

proxy.php
 
rbscebu

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
You did well. I trust that valet knows how to properly look the master and shave him with a traditional straight razor.

You might also consider getting a proper reclining barber's chair. That should assist your valet in do a better job of looking after you.
 
Legion

Legion

Staff member
Razor, soap, brush, strop, something to touch up the edge when it fades.

Everything else is luxury, so you have what you need.

Ziplock bag with desiccant would be fine for storage. Don't put any waxes on the blade if it is going to be used regularly. You can use any old soup mug as a lather bowl if the size and shape is appropriate. I don't even do that. I rub the soap on my beard, and raise the lather directly on my face with the brush. You might need some sort of mug or cup to soak the brush in first.
 
Eastcoast30

Eastcoast30

^+1
Get rid of the leather balm and conditioner. Tony Miller stopped providing that stuff with his strops a long time ago. It is way overdone and not needed. Condition your strop with the oil that is present on your hand or forearm every year or so. And the Dovo pastes will ruin your strop.
 
B

Brassplyer

Eastcoast30 said:
^+1
Get rid of the leather balm and conditioner. Tony Miller stopped providing that stuff with his strops a long time ago. It is way overdone and not needed. Condition your strop with the oil that is present on your hand or forearm every year or so. And the Dovo pastes will ruin your strop.
Click to expand...
My understanding is the Dovo pastes are for the cloth strop - I see a lot of people recommending them, how do you feel they'll ruin the strop?
 
rbscebu

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
Brassplyer said:
My understanding is the Dovo pastes are for the cloth strop - I see a lot of people recommending them, how do you feel they'll ruin the strop?
Click to expand...
Once a strop of any material has abrasive paste applied, it is there for life. Almost impossible to get that strop back to a clean (non-pasted) condition. The only solution is to get a new clean strop.

If you decide to refine an edge on diamond pasted balsa and that edge has previously been stropped on an abrasive-pasted strop, the edge will first need its bevel reset to remove the convexity in the bevel that the abrasive-pasted strop gave it. Without the bevel reset, the diamonds in (not on) the balsa will not be able to do their magic.
 
B

Brassplyer

rbscebu said:
Once a strop of any material has abrasive paste applied, it is there for life. Almost impossible to get that strop back to a clean (non-pasted) condition. The only solution is to get a new clean strop.

If you decide to refine an edge on diamond pasted balsa and that edge has previously been stropped on an abrasive-pasted strop, the edge will first need its bevel reset to remove the convexity in the bevel that the abrasive-pasted strop gave it. Without the bevel reset, the diamonds in (not on) the balsa will not be able to do their magic.
Click to expand...
No plans at the moment to use a balsa strop. The process I've seen demonstrated is that the cloth strops are used before the leather strop and that one puts the paste on the cloth strop. I see various videos of people using the cloth strops that way - do you think it's incorrect to use the paste on the cloth strops?
 
Legion

Legion

Staff member
Brassplyer said:
No plans at the moment to use a balsa strop. The process I've seen demonstrated is that the cloth strops are used before the leather strop and that one puts the paste on the cloth strop. I see various videos of people using the cloth strops that way - do you think it's incorrect to use the paste on the cloth strops?
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You can do it, but every time you do you will be wearing away steel on your razor and rounding the bevel. Better to use your strops clean, and do regular touch ups on a flat hone, imo
 
rbscebu

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
If using an abrasive pasted cloth strop, be sure the thoroughly clean the blade of all abrasive (invisible) particles before it goes even near your clean leather strop.

Personally I am not a pasted cloth (or leather) strop kind of bloke. I prefer to keep my bevels flat. This makes it much quicker and easier to perform the inevitable refresh when required. You should be able to get and keep your edge very much shavable just using stones. If you then want better, go up to diamond pasted balsa strops.

Anyway, it's your razor and your SR shaving experience. Do whatever that you are happier with. After all, we are here for the enjoyment of SR shaving and all that it entails.
 
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stone and strop

stone and strop

Brassplyer said:
Here's what I've got coming:

- Solingen Premium Qualität German Straight Razor
- 3"x27" buffalo hide strop with both a poly web strop and cotton strop attached
- Dovo leather balm
- Dovo leather conditioner
- Dovo red and black paste
- Norton 4000/8000 wetstone
- Naniwa 12,000 Super Stone
- Granite 9"x12" lapping plate w/abrasive sheets
- Rein Dachs Klassik 20×52mm two band walnut badger brush
- Geo F Trumper Lime Shaving Cream
- Three 90g pucks of Alles Seife Austrian Shaving Soap - various scents

Was thinking I'd store the razor in a zip-lock bag, maybe throw some desiccant or rice in. I've seen mentions of razor wax to protect the steel - will paste wax work just as well?

As far as a mug for working up lather on the brush is there anything special about shaving mugs? I've seen videos where they don't use a mug at all. Any reason you couldn't use a common cereal/soup bowl?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

If the razor is not shave ready send it out for a proper honing so you have a baseline of what a decent edge is.
 
Slash McCoy

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
I will put my edge up against anybody else's edge and I never use any cloth or fabric component of any kind, nor any paddle strop and certainly never any Dovo white, red, black, green, blue, chartreuse, mauve, or yellow polka dot paste. But of course you can do or use whatever you want. Your razor, your face.
 
C

cpcohen1945

For oiling the blade -- a good idea (not mine):

Make a 1:100 solution of oil (machine oil, or USP mineral oil) and alcohol.

After shaving, and drying the blade, wipe it off with that mixture. The alcohol carries away any residual moisture, and the oil protects the steel. There's very little oil, and you don't have to clean the blade for the next shave.

. Charles
 
B

Brassplyer

rbscebu said:
Do whatever that you are happier with. After all, we are here for the enjoyment of SR shaving and all that it entails.
Click to expand...
I don't know what I'm happier with - lol. I'm information gathering at this point while waiting for the stuff to arrive. Still haven't held a straight razor in my hand, it'll probably be here Tuesday.

It's par for the course when embarking on a new pursuit - lots of varying perspectives and often contradictory advice. Just trying to sift through it.

Do you think the cloth strops are even necessary? Or should I be able to do everything I need to do with the honing stones and a leather strop?
 
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