JayGee
Forum GOD!
It looks like a good razor, wouldn't get too fixated on the lack of tang stamp. I have an early 20th C French razor that is unbranded & its a great shaver.
The main thing; is it shave ready?
If you skim it above your arm and it pings off hair easily (do it over a white sheet of paper, proper shave ready & you won't detect any resistance at all, you think its doing nothing & then see the hairs on the paper).
There are other tests (shaving with it), but, as its early days, cutting arm hair without too much effort will be sharp enough to get a shave.
Stropping is key & as you've found out, has to be learnt, everyone messes it up to start with. A paddle strop is a lot easier to learn with, it is always flat. Get a paddle first, as you progress a hanging strop is most peoples preference & the paddle will be great for travel or to use with a paste.
Good stropping technique will keep an edge in great shape for a surprisingly long time (months), bad stropping will wreck the edge in no time. Newspaper held with a bulldog clip is a great stropping medium, when you nick it no bother and you'll learn the correct tension, not slack, but, not tight as a drum.
Other than that its practice, practice, practice. Well worth it though.
Lather is important, a (much) wetter slick lather is what you need, a yogurty type lather will cause far too much blade stiction which you'll get away with using a DE & think its fine, it isn't.
A steep hill at first & a shave ready razor can feel blunt/tuggy until you get a consistent, correct angle. The chicken/egg situation can be really frustrating at times as the only way to learn is to get things wrong, pay attention & don't do it wrong a 2nd time. That will either appeal to you or it won't. 3 months & you'll be reasonably proficient.
When your edge needs a refresh, there are members who can (expertly) sort that out for you for not much at all.
The main thing; is it shave ready?
If you skim it above your arm and it pings off hair easily (do it over a white sheet of paper, proper shave ready & you won't detect any resistance at all, you think its doing nothing & then see the hairs on the paper).
There are other tests (shaving with it), but, as its early days, cutting arm hair without too much effort will be sharp enough to get a shave.
Stropping is key & as you've found out, has to be learnt, everyone messes it up to start with. A paddle strop is a lot easier to learn with, it is always flat. Get a paddle first, as you progress a hanging strop is most peoples preference & the paddle will be great for travel or to use with a paste.
Good stropping technique will keep an edge in great shape for a surprisingly long time (months), bad stropping will wreck the edge in no time. Newspaper held with a bulldog clip is a great stropping medium, when you nick it no bother and you'll learn the correct tension, not slack, but, not tight as a drum.
Other than that its practice, practice, practice. Well worth it though.
Lather is important, a (much) wetter slick lather is what you need, a yogurty type lather will cause far too much blade stiction which you'll get away with using a DE & think its fine, it isn't.
A steep hill at first & a shave ready razor can feel blunt/tuggy until you get a consistent, correct angle. The chicken/egg situation can be really frustrating at times as the only way to learn is to get things wrong, pay attention & don't do it wrong a 2nd time. That will either appeal to you or it won't. 3 months & you'll be reasonably proficient.
When your edge needs a refresh, there are members who can (expertly) sort that out for you for not much at all.