Thread: A New Convert, a Fun Story, and a Few Newbie Questions

Hello all,

This is my first post on straightrazorplace; it seems like a great place for information. Anyway, my name is Brandon, and I've used a few straight razors of dubious quality in the past (and had plenty of cuts). A little while ago I manned up and got a Dovo Shavette to practice with (nice, no stropping), and some burma shave soap (nice) with a matching brush (crappy, but works). I've been pretty happy with that for a while. WAY better shave than with any disposable razor . . . .

However, being the experimenter that I am I had to upgrade sooner or later. So I bought a good (I think) razor, a Fromm 72R, a 2-piece Fromm strop (leather and canvas), and strop paste. I tried the razor as it came from the package, and it grabbed quite a bit. Ouch! So I conditioned the leather strop, and went to work trying to learn to use it.

When I tried the razor again it was a little better, but not much-- not nearly as sharp as the disposable blades for the Shavette. Then I came across a post late one night about using green chrome compound on a canvas strop. I didn't read it all the way (was going to bed), but the image stuck with me.

Being a metalworker and having some small experience with polishing compounds, I decided to try the green chrome stuff on the canvas strop (I had no idea what else to use the canvas for, lol). 1: Set canvas strop and chromium green on window sill to warm up for an hour. 2: Rub the "crayon" across the canvas to get a good layer into the fibers. 3: Let it sit on the window sill and stay warm for a while longer to help the compound permeate the surface of the cloth.

Just a little while ago I gave the razor 40 laps across the canvas strop with the chromium on it, lathered up and . . . HOLY F#*^!

I never knew anything could be so sharp in my life! I had four days worth of fur on my face, but that razor went right through it like greased prunes throgh a guy with dysentry. No grabbing at all, no nicks, no cuts, no razor burn . . . nothing. Just a perfect shave that was even better and more comfortable than the shavette. I now understand the mystique, I'm sold! lol.

Questions:
1. That green chromium stuff is definitely abrasive, so should I keep using it, or no? It only took about ten laps on the strop before I could see a slight graying of the compound due to abraded metal coming from the razor. The very edge also shined up very quickly as well. It obviously works, but I would hate to destroy my razor by using the wrong stuff.

2. When I used the canvas strop with green compound I achieved a great edge, so I know my stropping technique is at least barely proficient. Given that knowledge, why was my earlier stropping on the leather largely ineffective? Greater abrasiveness with the green compound? A razor that still needed work after leaving the factory?

Anyway, it's great to be here on the forum, and I look forward to sharing knowledge and swaping lies with fellow shavers. I've definitely bought my last disposable blade. Now, for my next straight razor purchase . . . any ideas (stands, razors)? lol.

Brandon

Brandon, Welcome to SRP. Great to hear that you are having soem good experiences with the straights.

The Chromium Oxide paste is a polish, and very mild abrasive so it is removing steel from the edge of the razor (however small the amounts). I would not suggest using this all the time, just for a touch up when the leather is not quite getting your edge to where it needs to be.

The reason why the original stropping was not acheiving the results may be, IMHO, the leather is not removing the steel from the edge but more aligning the very tip of the blade. This is probably why the leather alone was not achieving a good edge.

Now that you have a good edge use the leather to keep it there and touch up with the paste when needed.

Hope this helps.

Happy shaving,
Stu

I agree with Stu. New razors always need to be honed before use. If you strop well, the edge will last a long time with occasional touch up on the Crox.
Oh....welcome to the SRP.

Hi Brandon, welcome to SRP.

Glad to hear yoy're having a good experience, and I'm sure it will be even better with time.

I'll try to answer your question as best I can, if I'm missing anything I'm sure someone will come by and fill in the gaps.

1. That green chromium stuff is definitely abrasive, so should I keep using it, or no? It only took about ten laps on the strop before I could see a slight graying of the compound due to abraded metal coming from the razor. The very edge also shined up very quickly as well. It obviously works, but I would hate to destroy my razor by using the wrong stuff.

Chromium is, as Stu said a very mild abrasive, and a pasted strop is mostly used for touching up a razor that's starting to dull, or as a finisher/polisher after honing to give a more comfortable edge.

It's not recommended to strop the razor on CrOx every day, only a few laps when the razor start to dull, with everyday use you will, over time, hurt the edge.
How often that is necessary depends on several things as the quality of the steel and how well it hold an edge, your shaving technique etc.

2. When I used the canvas strop with green compound I achieved a great edge, so I know my stropping technique is at least barely proficient. Given that knowledge, why was my earlier stropping on the leather largely ineffective? Greater abrasiveness with the green compound?

Also as Stu said, the leather is not removing any steel, it's function is to align and smoothen the edge.

A razor that still needed work after leaving the factory?

A new razor is selldom, if ever shave ready from the factory, yes it will often shave, but not very comfortably, and even after stropping on CrOx you're razor will probably still need some work to be really shave ready.
I would recommend that you get a second, shave ready razor from the classifieds section or one of our vendors, when you recieve it you can send your Fromm out for professional honing.
I'm pretty sure you will be in for a surprice compared to how it is now.

Good luck with the shaving!

It looks like you've figured much of this out yourself, but I'll add this.

If you had a 12K stone, a Naniwa SS for example, and finished the edge
up a bit before shaving and then stropped it on plain leather, it probably
would have shaved fine. Brand new razors are usually not shave-ready
and the 12K might have gotten it ready to shave.

So, using the CrOx on the canvas achieved the same result for you as
you would have gotten with a 12K finishing stone. That alone tells you
that it is removing metal, and you therefore have to be careful with its
use. As others have said, stick with plain leather until you see/feel a
difference in edge quality, then do as few laps on CrOx as it takes to get
the edge right. Overkill is definitely possible with CrOx, but probably not
with plain leather.

Good luck!

Hello All. Thanks for the feedback. I'm definitely going to see about getting a shave ready razor for comparison. I need to get a decent brush anyway, and it will be good to have a backup razor. I have a feeling that I'm leaning towards starting a small razor collection, but I'm okay with that :-)

I'll also stick with the leather strop as a first step, and then try the chromium oxide if the edge doesn't true up the way I want it. With a little more experience I should be able to get better at discerning what the condition of the edge is.
Thanks again,

Brandon