THE GROOMING GUIDE
Every time a razor is used, the beard hairs expose the edge to heavy wear.
If you use a razor, you should have a shave. There are different models, handheld and free-hanging.
Stiles do not sharpen the razor, but are used to keep the edge sharp by cleaning it between shaves. In addition, the knife’s microscopic teeth on the edge are sharpened by the leather strap and prevent the knife from becoming dull. Regular grooming and good technique can make a razor last for many years.
Which model should I choose?
There are two models, free-hanging and handheld. The free-hanging is the more classic model while a handheld is a modern version of it.
Questions and answers about groomers
In our guide, we have collected some of the most common questions we receive. If you have more or other questions, please feel free to contact us.
Good groomers are made of a flexible and durable material, with a smooth surface and the right thickness.
There are mainly two types of skins used, of which cowhide strips are the most common. Calfskin has a higher quality than cowhide, but it is also more expensive. Calfskin provides a very good sliding surface that specialists can use to get a better effect on the sharpening of the knife’s edge, but “ordinary” cowhide is absolutely sufficient.
Straightening a razor is something that should always be done before every shave with the razor. It has two purposes. To remove dust and other small particles from the knife blade. In addition, straighten the microscopic waves that appear in the blade during shaving.
Stugs typically have two sides, one side that is covered with a heavy cloth and one that is covered with leather.
The fabric side is first used to clean dust and other small particles from the knife blade.
Then the leather side is used to straighten out the microscopic waves that are created in the razor blade. The waves occur naturally when the knife blade cuts off the beard hairs. If the waves are not straightened, there is a risk that the sharpness of the blade will deteriorate. Something that can lead to unnecessary wear and tear and or the risk of injury.
Hang it up with the leather side up and keep it stretched.
It is important to be light on the hand in which you hold the knife, a good rule of thumb is that the knife’s own weight is sufficient. Too much pressure can cause the leather to bend around the knife handle, causing the edge to round towards the end and become blunt. But keep in mind that, while being light on your hand, you also use firm movements.
Hold the knife straight against the leather and let the entire blade make contact. The knife blade must never be kept inclined as the sharpening itself is done at a straight angle.
The knife is pulled in the direction from the edge, i.e. with the back of the knife before from top to bottom along the leather. Start by pulling it away from your body, while keeping the brush taut. Remember to turn the razor with your back to the leather when you change direction. If the edge is held against the leather, it is rounded off and the sharpness is lost.
Sharpening a razor is an important but also a very difficult process.
It requires great care and knowledge to be done right. If you are a beginner with a razor, it is recommended to let someone more experienced sharpen the razor for you. Of course, over time, you can learn it yourself. Feel free to start with another razor that you bought cheaply and do not intend to use for shaving. This is so as not to ruin your nice razor.
Trim paste is used both to extend the life of the trim and to sharpen and maintain the knife blade.
By lubricating the leather with grease, the quality is preserved, while it makes it easier to sharpen the knife. They come in different colors, representing different thicknesses, and used for different things.
The first time, or when the leather feels dry, it should be used together with the yellow grooming paste. It helps to keep the leather soft and prolongs its life, without containing any abrasive effect. The yellow paste is also called white.
The pastes are used by gently working into the leather, using the palm of your hand or a soft cotton cloth. If you use different types of pastes, it is important that they are used on different sides of the brush or on different brushes. Once you have used a brush with a paste, the same paste should be used in the future to get the desired effect.
The red paste contains small abrasive particles and has a medium-coarse abrasive effect. It gives the knife a subdued sharpness.
Green paste has a high abrasive effect, it contains a lot of abrasive with coarse particles. It is used on really dull razors and should be used with caution.
Grey paste is used on canvas, which is found on the back of some double-sided shags. It is used to polish the sharpness of the edge and acts as soft limestone.
Double paste contains both red and black paste, which is used on two different shafts, or on different sides of a double hand-held shag. The red paste is coarser and is used to sharpen a sharp edge on the knife. The black grooming paste is finer and is used to polish the edge of the blade and finish the job.
The sharpener is used to renew the sharpness of the knife edge before shaving, while the sharpening stone, or honing stone, is used to sharpen the blade and give the razor a whole new sharpness. By using a fine-grained sharpening stone, you sharpen the knife blade and with the sharpener you maintain the sharpness. However, a sharpening paste containing abrasives can be used together with the sharpener to make a lighter sharpening of the edge.
Sharpening your razor is something that requires a lot of knowledge and for the vast majority of people, we recommend handing in your razor for sharpening. Should there be a mistake during sharpening, the knife can be damaged and become unusable. We therefore only recommend that you get a sharpener yourself and let someone else sharpen the knife for you.
We have a number of blog posts for those who want to know more about razors
A guide to help you choose the right razor in five steps
Read more: Choosing a razor in 5 steps
In our shaving guide, we’ll walk you through how to shave with a razor or shavette.