Thread: starting out cheap

You need to put this shaving thing into prospective. All of us here are lost souls on the road to shaving hell. We have no choice but to spend the big bucks on fancy razors, brushes, soaps and all the other paraphanelia. We've all been brainwashed. Remember at one time millions of men shaved with a straight every day and I can guarantee you few had any of these fancy-pants badger brushes and english creams and custom made mugs. All you need is a serviceable razor some soap-any soap even hand soap will do, heck you can even shave with water and some smooth leather to get started. You can pick up some inexpensive vintage barbers hones for a song to keep the edge and a $5 brush at your drug store.

I'm not saying I would recommend this kind of setup but in a pinch it will do and did for millions a long time ago.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Remember at one time millions of men shaved with a straight every day and I can guarantee you few had any of these fancy-pants badger brushes and english creams and custom made mugs.

This is true. However, a few years later these same millions made a mad dash to King Gillette waving their bills in the air. The fancy-pants badger brushes and english creams may not be necessary, but they ain't mere frippery neither.

Yep, I'm sure most of the guys of past did not enjoy their straights as much as we do

Hey everybody. I'm in the same boat a ltltony. I'm a college student and def. on a strict budget. Anyone have any shave ready razors I can start w/ for real cheap? Just so I can know what a real sharp straight is like and know what I have to strive for when honing etc. Same w/ hones and strops. If anyone has any old ones they'd let go for cheap please let me know, I'm excited to get started!!

As it´s been mentioned before, we do have a giveaway coming up that you should take advantage of.

Originally Posted by izlat

Yep, I'm sure most of the guys of past did not enjoy their straights as much as we do

Ah Ha thats the whole point here. You are not supposed to enjoy your straight. Its a shaving impliment. You have lost sight of the fact that to us this is more of a hobby and therefore we do it for enjoyment more than anything else (most of us anyway). Thats why we accumulate all the multiple razors and soaps and brushes and other paraphanelia. If the shave was the only factor we would all be using mach whatevers or just have one or two straights and one brush and one soap. The same as people who go out and drop several grand on a fancy watch. If telling time was the important factor we would all be wearing basic Seiko's or Casio's.

Guys of the past viewed shaving much as modern guys who use a cartridge system or electric, drudgery and if some one came out with some revolutionary shaving system tomorrow all these guys today would be running to buy it just as the guys did years ago.

Just one man's opinion of course. Take it for what its worth.

The 2K wet - dry paper is about 1 miccron. Chromium oxide is .5 micron. The Help files list a comparison of grit size vs. micron size. The 2.0 or 2.5K should be fine enough for a start. A 1500 paper is about 3 micron or a 4K stone. You may have to drop a little lower to put an edge on an ebay special. Try Scary Sharp on Google.

Rick

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.

Originally Posted by rickw

The 2K wet - dry paper is about 1 miccron. Chromium oxide is .5 micron. The Help files list a comparison of grit size vs. micron size. The 2.0 or 2.5K should be fine enough for a start. A 1500 paper is about 3 micron or a 4K stone. You may have to drop a little lower to put an edge on an ebay special. Try Scary Sharp on Google.

Rick

Really?

Here in italy p2500 sandpaper is about 8.4 microns