Straights in Spring, anyone?

Johnus said:
Oil strop? How does that work? Hate to show my ignorance; but have not heard of it before.
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No worries, it's not a common thing and something I learned from Neil several years ago (and I then bought one from him). It's nothing you've use for, on a domestic basis, really. If a restorer has finished a razor and hasn't got a buyer, but have honed the blade, he can strop it on an oily strop (as the last thing he does), it'll put an oil film on the very edge, that protects it against air and therefor also against breaking down the sharpness. This's also good to use if you ship many shave ready razors. If you have to many razors, like me :icon_rolleyes:, it can also be a good thing, since it can take a month or two before you use a razor again.
 
Thank you. The strop that you use for the oil strop is a leather one?

Saturday morning. Another Open Razor Day. Used my T&H 1805. Nice soap, good lather (but does leave a film on the sink and bowls).
Still on for another straight shave tomorrow!
 
Neil Miller said:
Will - even razors that are sold as 'shave ready' by the manufacturer aren't always so. The ones that are and are made by modern mass manufacturers are rare in my estimation. In fact of all the companies I have dealt with only one has provided a truly shave-ready razor - Revisor.
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The Ninja is down, no longer cuts. So now I only have the 2 Kropps and the Hero. How longs does a properly honed razor keep it's edge? I do hope my three remaining razors will see me tru the month...
 
Wil said:
The Ninja is down, no longer cuts. So now I only have the 2 Kropps and the Hero. How longs does a properly honed razor keep it's edge? I do hope my three remaining razors will see me tru the month...
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My razors usually feel freshly honed for 7 or 8 shaves after that they'll still shave well for quite a while but I like a fresh edge so I guess I tend to re-hone quite frequently.

A life long straight razor user on Artisan Shaving recently did a test of a Wacker near wedge and found using 2 passes that it was good for 65 shaves, he did raise an interesting point that that could be viewed as 130 passes so maybe anyone who does 4 passes would only get about 32?

I don't know the quality of the Ninja but it could well be that the steel isn't up to holding an edge for very long.

Kropps are good razors (I have one) and I would expect it to be good for a month of shaving on its own. It they have been honed by someone who knows what they are doing but still lose their edge quickly then the problem might be your stropping. Its easy to roll the edge if your technique is a bit off, the quality of my shaves improved exponentially as my stropping improved. Straight shaving is all about brining together all the variables at the same time.
 
Jeltz said:
Wil said:
The Ninja is down, no longer cuts. So now I only have the 2 Kropps and the Hero. How longs does a properly honed razor keep it's edge? I do hope my three remaining razors will see me tru the month...
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My razors usually feel freshly honed for 7 or 8 shaves after that they'll still shave well for quite a while but I like a fresh edge so I guess I tend to re-hone quite frequently.

A life long straight razor user on Artisan Shaving recently did a test of a Wacker near wedge and found using 2 passes that it was good for 65 shaves, he did raise an interesting point that that could be viewed as 130 passes so maybe anyone who does 4 passes would only get about 32?

I don't know the quality of the Ninja but it could well be that the steel isn't up to holding an edge for very long.

Kropps are good razors (I have one) and I would expect it to be good for a month of shaving on its own. It they have been honed by someone who knows what they are doing but still lose their edge quickly then the problem might be your stropping. Its easy to roll the edge if your technique is a bit off, the quality of my shaves improved exponentially as my stropping improved. Straight shaving is all about brining together all the variables at the same time.
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The smaller Kropp I have used 5 times now, Dipesh had some 4/5 shaves with it before me, so that one has probably seen at least 20 passes and it still cuts very well. I like this one best. Second is the slightly larger Kropp, and last the Hero. The Hero shaves about the same as the Ninja.
Can you use a Chinese waterstone (12000) to refresh the edge when these razors go "down" too?
 
To an extent, it depends how badly off the edge is. Certainly if you have one I would suggest you try the Ninja on it just to get some practice if nothing else. Also a balsa strop with chromium oxide powder is good for refreshing a dull edge. Just get some balsa wood from a model shop and stick it on some stronger flat wood with a handle shape cut into one end. Dust a very small amount of Chromium oxide powder on and work it in with some kitchen roll. I got my powder from Talyors1000 on ebay but Neil also sells it. If you do get some be aware that it is also a pigment for paint and will turn anything you drop it on green.
 
Jeltz said:
To an extent, it depends how badly off the edge is. Certainly if you have one I would suggest you try the Ninja on it just to get some practice if nothing else. Also a balsa strop with chromium oxide powder is good for refreshing a dull edge. Just get some balsa wood from a model shop and stick it on some stronger flat wood with a handle shape cut into one end. Dust a very small amount of Chromium oxide powder on and work it in with some kitchen roll. I got my powder from Talyors1000 on ebay but Neil also sells it. If you do get some be aware that it is also a pigment for paint and will turn anything you drop it on green.
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ive had over 60 shaves (3 passes) with my halma since it was honed
 
Sunday morning shave.. Running a little late because of Day Light SavingsTime. Hate to lose that hour. Nice shave, used the last of my Speick's shaving soap. Nice soap. Finished with Lucky Tiger After Shave. Ready for tomorrow.
 
Jeltz said:
To an extent, it depends how badly off the edge is. Certainly if you have one I would suggest you try the Ninja on it just to get some practice if nothing else.
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Believe mine is a "JNat" finishing stone with slurry stone. But I was thinking: all hobby set aside: should it not be possible to maintain a professionally honed razor with just a strop and a barber hone? Stropping it daily and say once a week a few laps on the barber hone?
 
Actually I suspect that most J-nats will give a better finish than most barbers hones. I would suggest that a little work on J-Nat every 7-10 shaves will probably maintain the edge for a very long time, I have never used one but I would try a light slurry and proceed through a couple of dilutions then finish on water.
 
Jeltz said:
Actually I suspect that most J-nats will give a better finish than most barbers hones. I would suggest that a little work on J-Nat every 7-10 shaves will probably maintain the edge for a very long time, I have never used one but I would try a light slurry and proceed through a couple of dilutions then finish on water.
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I was wondering that when I typed my previous post. Will try the J-nat.
 
In the interests of research I ordered a sight unseen razor from Larry at Whipped Dog in the States (United, of America). Arrived this morning so decided the best thing to do was bust it out and give it a go.

As described on the site it won't be coming first in any beauty contests, chipped scales by the pivot and a few mm must have been taken off the blade to get it to shave, it does however work like an absolute champ.

Delivery was faster than I expected and thoughtfully it is shipped in such a way that there were no additional customs charges.

Cheaper than some shavettes too. For a first blade I would say consider it.
 
Hello, I seem to be a late-comer to this particular party. The challenge does sound like a good one, but I've already missed half of it, and as a total beginner I'm still getting my technique together. So no. I probably will not be just straight shaving for March.

So far I've had 4 successfull straight-DE shaves. I managed my right cheek quite easily, and on my third and fourth attempt did my left cheek as well. It's so very awkward! But I AM loving it. I found the newspaper practice strop veryvery useful too. Tried that for the first time yesterday, brilliant idea. If you haven't tried it, I suggest you do.

I've got a DOVO FAVORIT, which I was given by my uncle who no-longer uses it. I love it. It's MY precious!

I have noticed that the strop in bending a little (cupping) so I need to try to work out that kink. It seems a little dry too, which I thought might have something to do with it, and having been advised by the local barber I went to for advice to put some baby oil on it, I bought some today. However, before I actually go ahead and try to work some oil into the strop, can somone give some guidance whether that's a good idea, and if yes, how to go about it? or should that advice be ignored and something else tried to flatten and get the suppleness back in the leather. (Someone on SRP said something about rolling a glass bottle full of hot water over it??)

Anyway! Great to have an active forum of likeminded old-fasioned types. :)

James
 
Ace, you're here :) you'll soon be the recepient of the trusty Prof's Paddle Pif which might help you with some strop issues.

Keep up with the off-hand I'm almost feeling more confident with my left than I am with my right and that's after just under 2 weeks
 
I havent nicked myself at all yet, but my right is getting a much better shave, and still probably not compareable to the DE.

But I believe the people that tell me it will be better, so I persevere.

More advice... My skin feels good after shaving, but looks TERRIBLE! Especially if I do ATG. I use facewash and conditioner, folowed by hot towel before (briefly) then Alum, withchazel and skinfood after.
 
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