All About Pocket Knives

My dad was a barber and was known for having the sharpest razor in town among about 25 barbers. About ten years ago I started trying to learn how to sharpen a razor and use it. I watched many Youtube videos and would attempt it with little success and put everything away for months. Finally yesterday I managed to get an edge good enough to get a baby smooth shave. I feel that it is an homage to my dad who has been gone many years

buck16 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 8:35 am My dad was a barber and was known for having the sharpest razor in town among about 25 barbers. About ten years ago I started trying to learn how to sharpen a razor and use it. I watched many Youtube videos and would attempt it with little success and put everything away for months. Finally yesterday I managed to get an edge good enough to get a baby smooth shave. I feel that it is an homage to my dad who has been gone many years

That is a great homage to your father, he would be very proud, well done. You have just achieved some thing that very few can, it is a skill that few can master.

Great!!!
And the shaves will only get better.
Do you use a brush and shave soap?

Right now I use Edge. That's what I used with a Schick disposeable.You know, until safety razors were invented , every young man had to learn with and maintain a straight razor. Probably a lot of razor burn and beard growing.

buck16 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 8:20 pm Right now I use Edge. That's what I used with a Schick disposeable.You know, until safety razors were invented , every young man had to learn with and maintain a straight razor. Probably a lot of razor burn and beard growing.

And styptic pencils and band aids.

Buck, your grocery store should carry Van der Hagen shave brushes and shave soap. Should be less than $20 for both.
My opinion, the Van der Hagen is the best bang for your buck soap out there.


My recommendation, avoid Williams shave soap. Yeah, it's cheaper, and there's a reason.

Thanks Steve, I'll get on line and see if any store near me sells them. Well, I revisited cleaning and conditioning my strop today and tried to use a light stroke. I can't quite make a hair pop yet but seems pretty close. Getting my strop in better shape helped.

buck16 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 6:44 pm Thanks Steve, I'll get on line and see if any store near me sells them. Well, I revisited cleaning and conditioning my strop today and tried to use a light stroke. I can't quite make a hair pop yet but seems pretty close. Getting my strop in better shape helped.

How did you clean and condition your strop? Always interested in how others clean their strops.

Steve Warden wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 10:32 pm Buck, your grocery store should carry Van der Hagen shave brushes and shave soap. Should be less than $20 for both.
My opinion, the Van der Hagen is the best bang for your buck soap out there.


My recommendation, avoid Williams shave soap. Yeah, it's cheaper, and there's a reason.

Tried to get some Van der Hagen shaving soap over here, always looking for a good shaving soap, $35 Aussie for one piece, i will have to pass.

Cudgee, I used WD40 and stiff brush to clean it per a guy on YouTube. I tried it on a spot under the clasp at first. Didn't seem to harm it so I did the rest. I condition it with mink oil......rubbed it in and then blew it with a hairdryer on warm. Seemed to work pretty well.

cudgee wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 8:52 pm

Steve Warden wrote: ↑Wed Jun 02, 2021 10:32 pm Buck, your grocery store should carry Van der Hagen shave brushes and shave soap. Should be less than $20 for both.
My opinion, the Van der Hagen is the best bang for your buck soap out there.


My recommendation, avoid Williams shave soap. Yeah, it's cheaper, and there's a reason.

Tried to get some Van der Hagen shaving soap over here, always looking for a good shaving soap, $35 Aussie for one piece, i will have to pass.

WOW! I Googled the US $ to the Ausie $ and saw 1 US = 1.31 Ausie. Close? If so, the Van der Hagen Luxury should be $5.24 for you, as I'm paying $4.

buck16 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 11:01 pm Cudgee, I used WD40 and stiff brush to clean it per a guy on YouTube. I tried it on a spot under the clasp at first. Didn't seem to harm it so I did the rest. I condition it with mink oil......rubbed it in and then blew it with a hairdryer on warm. Seemed to work pretty well.

If you don't like using WD40, i personally don't use it on leather, i think it is to harsh, i use PH neutral leather cleaner, or you can use PH neutral saddle soap. I use the cleaner, only because i can get it from the super market, it comes in a spray dispenser which makes it easy to use, and works a treat to clean wood knife handles.

I ordered a Van der Hagen kit from Amazon; brush, mug and soap for $19.99. As usual they ripped me on shipping so I used credit card points.Still money though.

Congratulations!! Straight razor shaving is the best. I kept razor burn on my neck for years until I discovered straight razor shaving. It’s the smoothest, least irritating shave you’ll ever have.

The biggest thing about keeping them sharp is, it just takes time. You can’t rush it. IMO.

I agree with Steve about using a good soap instead of the spray stuff in the can. Can soap will work against you, but a good soap and a badger hair brush will help a lot.

My favorite is Prorasso. I buy the cream in a tube off Amazon. One tube lasts a LONG time. And it’s pretty cheap too.

Colonel26 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:27 pm
My favorite is Prorasso. I buy the cream in a tube off Amazon. One tube lasts a LONG time. And it’s pretty cheap too.

Thumbs up to Prorasso.
If you have a Bath and Body Works near you, they sell Prorasso branded as C.O. Bigelow. Same stuff. Often they'll have BOGO deals.

Steve Warden wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 2:09 pm

Colonel26 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 12:27 pm
My favorite is Prorasso. I buy the cream in a tube off Amazon. One tube lasts a LONG time. And it’s pretty cheap too.

Thumbs up to Prorasso.
If you have a Bath and Body Works near you, they sell Prorasso branded as C.O. Bigelow. Same stuff. Often they'll have BOGO deals.

Yes sir! I have used it and it is the exact same thing. The only problem is Bath and Body Works is in our local mall and I avoid that place like the plague! Have you see the freak show that is walking around those places? Lol

So I just order it off of Amazon. They usually have package deals where you can get the shaving cream and the aftershave together for a decent price. And that prorasso aftershave is some kind of awesome!

My razor don't work so good.

1967redrider wrote: ↑Fri Jun 04, 2021 10:52 pm My razor don't work so good.

Must be one of them new fangled razors!

A straight razor would still work under that chin and on those cheeks!