1st cut throat

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21
I've been thinking about getting a cut throat for a while. Have read the guides listed above the threads.

But, does anyone have any recommendations for which blade and Strop to purchase and for honing is it better to just send it away rather than purchase a stone.

Any advice will be most welcome.

I'm 21 but would quite like something to potentially last the rest of my life so if that means spending a bit extra in the short term for long term preservation then it would be worth it.
 
Fairly difficult question to answer IMO. I think any decent razor could last a life time if looked after, even a good £20-£30 vintage from eBay.

Razors are quite subjective and you may find that you would try quite a few before finding something you really like and would want to use exclusively. I've been using a straight for about 18 months and now have 12 of them! I also have a few different strops.

I wouldn't get into the honing side of things to start with as this can get very expensive, there are a few guys on here that could hone them for you, I myself could do this for you, although I'm not as experienced as some of the others.
once you have a shave ready razor you can keep it going for a long time with stropping and pastes (diamond or chromium oxide). if you really want a stone I would suggest a 12k Naniwa for refreshing the edge from time to time.

As for strops, I started on a fairly cheap paddle strop which worked well for me because you can change the face on them, i.e. plain leather or pasted leather. however I do prefer a hanging strop and kept the paddle strop just for pastes.

if I had to use only one of the razors or strops I own it would be either -
Razor - Puma 89 or Friedr Herder 76
Strop - Tony Miller - 3" veg tanned horse hide

hope this is of some help
 
It is more important where you buy it rather than what you buy when you start out. It needs to come from someone who will truly make it shave ready.

Billyji1 is a reliable seller on eBay, but stick to his vintage blades, particularly vintage Sheffield. He also sells strops. I would start with a paddle strop. Much easier.

Otherwise try contracting @pugh-the-special-one or @Fergiebilly , both of whom have very good reputations.
 
SR shaving is not picking up a razor and having a lovely shave, there is a learning curve that can take up to a year to become competent, although most ppl become quite competent in around 3 months or so, so you need to be sure you really want to do this before you have invested cash. The razor imo should be a 4 or 5/8ths, and a round point. a cheap strop can be had for £10...you WILL cut/nick this...so buy a better one when you have got the hang of it. Soaps can be cheap or expensive...you choose, I prefer a tallow based soap. A set of stones can be built over time, and again these can be expensive...or not so expensive, some jnats can run into several thousand pounds each, try to find out what you will need..a 1k stone for bevel setting, then say a 3k/6k combination stone, 8k to 10k next and you should get a shave off that...although I like to take it to 12k then either a thuringian or a black arkansas...like I said these can be purchased as and when finances allow, it will be better than having to pay £15 a razor to get it honed, and it is another wee skill for you, I enjoy honing...as many on here do so it is worthwhile, get a vintage blade from the bay and learn on that, utube is your friend on honing . I have a few vintage blades that I will prolly be moving on, so you might want one, keep your eyes on the marketplace :).
But remember...things will go wrong, most likely there will be blood, but you need a determination to get there...and you definitely will as long as you stay with it.
 
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