Thread: Hi, interested in straight razor shaving, need advice on starter set

Hi everyone,

Lately, ive noticed that fusion blades cost heck of alot, that my electric brawn blades atleast cost 125$ per year (thats without the cleaning liquid) and i remembered that in Peru I had a straight razor shave (wel shavette i think ) and that it was the best shave ive ever had.

Now im looking into trying a SRS. I looked at recommended starter blades, read lots of articles on starting out, stropping honing etc...

however, im still kinda confuse for maintenance.

I was looking into buying this start kit :

Classic Edge 5/8 Black Straight Razor by DOVO
Classic Edge 5/8 Black Straight Razor by DOVO

For stropping, i was thinking of buying : ( this is before every shave right, around 25 to 50 strops?)
3" Chestnut English Bridle Leather Stropping Board
3" Chestnut English Bridle Leather Stropping Board

for maintenance (is this every 6 times i shave or just when I feel the blade losing sharpness ? )
Balsa Stropping Board with Chromium Oxide
Balsa Stropping Board

Im also looking to buy a boars brush and any recommended soaps.

Would I be good with this as a start up ?

Do I need oil for storing the blade ?or oil to put on the leather ?

Thanks everyone for the help.

Jean-Paul

I suggest you go to Whipped Dog, they have everything you will need (I have no financial interest in them) I am just a very satisfied customer!! You can save yourself allot of money!!

Just curious: Did you choose that website because you live in Canada?

The basic stuff you'll need are: razor (there are so many to choose from), strop (leather, or one with both leather/canvas), brush (badger is preferred by many, but boar can work for some), shave soap or cream. You can get a shave mug/bowl/etc for lathering, or just lather directly on your face.

You can buy a brand new razor if you wish, or get a used one to save money. Either way, make sure to get it professionally honed to be shave-ready.

A hanging strop with leather on one side and canvas on the other is a good start. The number of strokes you perform on each side varies, and you will have to look for the results you get, but 25 - 50 strokes is a good start. No strop oil is necessary. However, you can rub the leather with your hand a few times to warm it up before stropping.

Typically, a badger brush lathers better than a boar brush, so I would stick with badger.

There are so many shave soaps and creams to choose from. If you want to try something at your local store, then pharmacies may have a bar of Van Der Hagen Luxury soap. It is a good soap, especially for a beginner. I think Target stores sell this soap in a set.

Honing the razor comes about 2 - 4 months down the road, depending on how often you shave. It would be a good idea to send the razor out for honing. You can learn to hone later, or keep getting it honed by others.

I hope this helps.

Hi Jean-Paul, and welcome to SRP!

You're not alone in noticing the price of disposables, cartridges, and electric blades. That's one of the many factors that brought many of us to straight shaving (and wet shaving in general). Shaving with a straight *can* in the long run be cheaper, but it can also be a slippery slope that leads some of us to spend way, way more on shaving stuff than we ever dreamed. But in theory at least it can be much cheaper. Just thought I'd mention that so you're going into this with your eyes open.

Now, to your questions...

That razor will serve you well. Dovo are a quality maker, and Phil will put a truly shave-ready edge on it before shipping. The whipped dog suggestion is a good one as long as you're aware of what you're getting. Larry's sight unseen deals are fantastic value, but you will get a blade that, while it shaves well, may not be all that pretty. It may in fact be quite beat up, but it should have a good edge on it. So it depends on what you want. If price is the absolute bottom line, then you won't beat whipped dog. But if you want a new blade, that Dovo is a good choice. Also, check out the classifieds here on SRP: Straight Razors - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

That strop should be a good one for learning as it removes one of the variables of a hanging strop (how taut to keep it). Bridle leather has a good reputation as strop material.

As for maintenance, I respectfully disagree with the assertion that a balsa board with or without CrOx is a 'need'. I shaved very happily with a straight for a good few years before I made myself a balsa/CrOx board. Does it help give a smoother edge? I think it probably does. But does one *need* one? IMHO, no.

As for a brush, there are *tons* of options out there! Boar, the many variations on badger, synthetic... I started with a boar and didn't really like it, but then it was a spectacularly cheap one, so it's unfair to judge based on that one. You might find a 'best badger' brush for not much more than a boar. Just something to keep an eye out for.

And for soap, again you're going to run into the too many options problem. Scents are obviously a matter of personal preference, so I'll suggest a couple readily accessible ones that just lather well: anything by Proraso (I'm assuming that if your looking at classicedge.ca that you're in Canada: proraso is available at Shopers) and Body Shop Maca Root cream

You don't need any oil for the leather. Just rub it down with the palm of your hand from time to time. The oils in your skin are all it needs. As for oiling your razors, that's one of the great divisive topics here on SRP! Some oil their blades religiously, others (myself included) don't. Do a search of the forum, read the various threads and do what you think is best for your situation.

Good luck!

Yes indeed i am from Canada. In Gatineau actualy.

So you are saying that only stropping on leather should be enough for a few months. Down the line I should look into a balsa/crox or felt/diamond spray ?

Also, in the blade im looking at the same as the best quality from dovo ? They sell the white best quality the exact same price.

Well, hello from across the river.

I'm honestly not sure if that's the same as the Best, but they sure do look similar. I'd say your best bet is to send Phil an email to be sure.

Yeah, for now, leather is more than enough. And if you really want a balsa/CrOx thingy, let me know and I'll set you up at no charge. I have a chunk of balsa here and more CrOx than I'll ever use.

And if you want to meet up some time to talk razors, etc., or when your blade needs a touch-up, just let me know and I'd be happy to help.

Kris

Originally Posted by jp6666

Hi everyone,

Lately, ive noticed that fusion blades cost heck of alot, that my electric brawn blades atleast cost 125$ per year (thats without the cleaning liquid) and i remembered that in Peru I had a straight razor shave (wel shavette i think ) and that it was the best shave ive ever had.

Now im looking into trying a SRS. I looked at recommended starter blades, read lots of articles on starting out, stropping honing etc...

however, im still kinda confuse for maintenance.

I was looking into buying this start kit :

Classic Edge 5/8 Black Straight Razor by DOVO
Classic Edge 5/8 Black Straight Razor by DOVO

For stropping, i was thinking of buying : ( this is before every shave right, around 25 to 50 strops?)
3" Chestnut English Bridle Leather Stropping Board
3" Chestnut English Bridle Leather Stropping Board

for maintenance (is this every 6 times i shave or just when I feel the blade losing sharpness ? )
Balsa Stropping Board with Chromium Oxide
Balsa Stropping Board

Im also looking to buy a boars brush and any recommended soaps.

Would I be good with this as a start up ?

Do I need oil for storing the blade ?or oil to put on the leather ?

Thanks everyone for the help.

Jean-Paul

I got my starter kit from Classic Edge and it was superb. The website has a complete kit, badger brush, brush stand, strop, styptic pen, oil, metal soap cup, and some Col Conk soap along with the superb DOVO 5/8th. It's under $200 cdn and I was very satisfied. The razor comes, "shave ready" honed by Phil, and it was a great way to get into SRS.

The DOVO is a great razor, have enjoyed it immensely! Like I said, check out the starter kit....

Enjoy!

All good advice above plus a great offer from Kris (kudos Kris) across the river. Wish I had that kind of local help when I started out. I'd suggest you take advantage of his generosity. I've also purchased from Classic Edge and Phil does a great job making your new razor shave ready.