Guide to maintaining your straight razor

- It is recommended that you strop your razor (20 laps or so) after your shave to remove any moisture or dead skin cells from the edge to prevent pitting or corrosion, this will prolong the life of your edge, give it another 20 laps before the next shave to ensure that the edge stays aligned. No pressure or speed is required on the strop.

- After your shave, carefully wipe the razor clean with a towel and oil the blade to prevent rust. (clipper oil, mineral oil or machine oil works well)

- When opening or closing the blade, be very careful so that the cutting edge does not touch the scales so use both hands watch it carefully and watch your fingers, in other words do not treat it like a pocket knife.

- Do NOT cut anything but your own hair to test sharpness as a freshly honed or sharp edge is very delicate and could easily be damaged, the best way to test a razor is to simply shave with it. (hair from your brush is a no no)

-  It is very common for gents to accidentally bang the edge when putting the razor down or while rinsing it in the sink, be cautious of that too. If you drop your razor, don't try to catch it, let it go, it's not worth it! Otherwise, treat it like a baby

-  Most importantly, the edges are SHARP so don't leave them where the little ones can get their sticky fingers on them. Store them in a dry place. NOT in the bathroom