Any straight razor users here?

With my shaky hands?  I would no doubt end up bleeding to death if I tried using a straight razor!

Congrats if you can do that!

That is a skill that I would love to learn.

Sweeny Todd anyone? Not me but I'd love to get a shave with that. Most barber shops still use them.

I have trouble getting a decent shave with a Gillette Fusion. I gave up on electrics many years ago; maybe I should give them another chance.

I'm not really good at sharpening - certainly not good enough to shave with a razor that I'd sharpened myself. I've been trying for quite a while to learn to sharpen chisels, gouges, and plane blades. I normally use two water stones, a Veritas honing guide, and a leather-wrapped wood strop (with honing compound ). I've become reasonably competent at it, but my technique cold be a lot better.

I once asked my barber for advice on sharpening. He had no idea how to sharpen anything. He relied on somebody who came around know and then. He had an old-fashioned long leather strop hanging on his chair, but he'd never used it.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Sweeny Todd anyone? Not me but I'd love to get a shave with that. Most barber shops still use them.

Yes, I love that touch at a barber shop.

I am working on this one right now. These were made by Clauss Razor Co. during WWI I believe and have U.S.M.C. stamped on the tang of the blade.

These are highly sought after and regularly sell for over $100 on eBay.

My grandfather had a barber shop in Phila. many, many years ago. I used to get my haircut there (for free). I don't think he ever sharpened those things. When he trimmed the sideburns and back of the neck, it felt like he was pulling each hair out by the roots. Shhhhhhh, you could play the horses and numbers in the back room too. 

Jim 

Don't use one but that's a very cool hobby you have there.recently switched back to using a double edged razor .aside from modeling I'm also a wood worker and anal about keeping things sharp ,chisels plane irons etc. Would love to know about your methods for sharpening  those things

Mike;

You are a man after my mold. I have Grandpa's razor and it still works fine. He had three and this is the third one. I went to a barber supply place and found one and also picked up two more (almost new ones) at an antique store.

 I only shave with them when I have to go somewhere special with a special lady. No ,I know I am 71 , but , I ain't gotten over liking the company of the fairer humans in this world  .Besides they are so soft and smell so good when they hug me.

    They all comment on how smooth my facial skin is Wrinkles and all.

A good razor and good skin care ( Yes , for men !) and I am good to go. Everyone laughs at me .I still have Grandpa's mug and have found a place to get mug soap. The brushes are hard to find though.

A leather goods store here in town found all the stropping supplies and made two strops for me .Now I can pass them on to whom I designate .

     That's going to be ,God willing , a long time from now though.

A ! My friend ;

   You know the value of fine tools. Most carvers ,wood workers and many modelers today have no idea on how to care for tools. My littlest gouge is just barely a thirty second of an inch wide  ( I was told it's an outlining gouge)

Believe it or not I use sharpening paste in a piece of hard leather about a foot long .After a few uses the compound gets buried in the leather . A few drops of gun oil and a few swipes and I am back in business.

Thanks tankerbuilder. If you need any supplies let me know as I have a lot of links saved to websites that sell everything. If I can't find it the thousands of guys on the shaving forum can.

Raualduke, it is pretty straight forward to sharpening them as the spine of the blade is the guide for the angle. I put a strip of electrical tape over the spine to protect it from the stone and with the stone wet you start with circles for a bit and then straight down the stone and straight back sometimes doing X strokes especially on blades that have a curve to them known as a "Smile" in the blade. 

There are lots of videos on YouTube teaching how to do it.

This guy is Glen and he is one of the best, most respected razor restorers and honers on the shaving forum. This stone in the video is the same one I use to get the razor shave ready after setting the bevel on the 1,000 grit stone. After I use the 4,000 grit and 8,000 grit in the video I then run it several passes on an old Austrian made barbers hone I bought on eBay and then I finish the edge with the 12,000 grit Naniwa water stone. Then it's just stropping on the leather and a test shave.

Thank you for the reply green thumb

Fascinating...

I think I'm not gonna shave the rest of the week while I'm on vacation. When I return from CT, I'm gonna treat myself to a straight razor shave. There's one that charges $5 for a shave.

My best man at my wedding suggested that I treat myself to a proper shave on my wedding day.  I took his advice, and got a shave from the barber up the road that morning.  It was a great start to an even greater day.