Beginner Straight Razor Questions

A hint on stropping: before you practice on your leather strop, practice on fan folded newspaper threaded around a towel bar. The newsprint is actually abrasive enough to strop the razor. Once you are no longer cutting the newspaper, you can move to the leather strop. Once you get the hang of it, stropping is monitored more by sound than feel, so listen for the sound.

Total newbie here. I decided to go all into it. I acquired a 220/1000, 4000/8000, 12000 grit whetstones.

I acquired a Vintage Boker from eBay. It was shave ready.

I also acquired a few restoration pieces that I sanded, hand polished, then sharpened, honed and polished.

I wanted to learn on less expensive pieces but now I find that I was better off this route, than spending a few hundred on a new production.

I don’t let me beard go too long, though. I typically shave each day.


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As I said in a cross post, if you are interested in practicing/experimenting with your honing technique take a look at the Gold Dollar straight razors. The metallurgy is good, the craftsmanship/finishing is poor. Also, it makes sense to invest in a loop or hand held 10x-30x microscope to examine the edge and the effect of your honing.