Noob, purchasing my first razor

Hello all, i've been researching products for the past week now and even about a year ago. I'm a college student and i really don't need anything fancy like a dinosaur fossil handle(joke) or anything but i want something semi quality that won't be junk but affordable...browsing ebay i found a kamisori kr-2 (couldn't find this model on their website...?), i read around that japanese steel is decent stuff, and the price on that razor is affordable to me. Any info or input would be great, i shaved tonight with a straight razor with disposable blades...i think i did a fine job i want to get onto a better piece though. Thanks In Advance.

Those Kamisori's didn't quite hold up to our rigorous standards.

You should PM Forestry about the razors he's selling off. The're a great deal and will come shave ready which should be important to you.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=10455

http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=10399

http://straightrazorpalace.com/showthread.php?t=10457

X

You'll be better served with a shave ready razor from a member here, or a bottom line new Dovo, sent through the honing service at Classicshaving.com.

Apply for the giveaway too.

A traditional straight requires an up front investment. A strop, hone, and finally the razor itself.

First, welcome to the Straight Razor Place. Here you will find a plethora of information on straight razors and shaving with them. My name is Matt, and I will be your guide. Just kidding, that's Lynn's job :roflmao

I don't know what you've got already, but Tony Miller has a few starter kits on his web site

http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.c...g?categoryId=5

The kits have everything you need to start out shaving. The Dovo 5/8 is a good start out blade. Nothing fancy, but it is a good blade and the brand is one of the most reputable ones there are.

The other good thing about the kit is that Tony will hone the blade up so that it is really shave ready. Most new blades are not actually shave ready and so you will have to find someone who knows how to hone a straight razor. Many of the guys here can do it, but that means sending it off again after you get it.

Again, I don't know what you have already, or even what your budget is, but these sets are worth considering.

Also, if you haven't yet read it, the "CRITICAL INFO FOR NEW MEMBERS!!" thread at the top of the newby section would be a good thread to visit.

I don't know anything about the kamisori razors, but I am sure that one of the other guys will be along shortly to tell you everything you will need to know about them.

Again, welcome to SRP. I hope you enjoy your visit with us here.

Matt

Edit: Dang it, I was beaten to the post. Alan and Xman got there before me. Ah well, the information is still good so I will leave it. Matt

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Originally Posted by Kentriv

Edit: Dang it, I was beaten to the post. Alan and Xman got there before me. Ah well, the information is still good so I will leave it. Matt

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They are good points, Matt. Thanks for offering the fresh perspective.

X

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. I'm totally aware that there is money up front which won't be a huge deal, i am a college student so a budget is there. I think i'll probably go with a Tony Miller kit for a razor that's shave ready. i'm actually pretty excited to start once i gather up some loot. I'll be checking out the soaps and the stropping/honing methods till then. Thanks for all the info gentlemen, it's greatly appreciated.

oh another thing, i figure i can practice honing on my replacement blades on my current straight razor, that should work out even if it means screwing up those replacements...who cares right!? On another note, i bought my father a vintage old school gillette safety adjustable razor, i can't wait to see that thing!

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Originally Posted by 16valve

oh another thing, i figure i can practice honing on my replacement blades on my current straight razor, that should work out even if it means screwing up those replacements...who cares right!?

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You should. That will only teach you bad habits and might ruin your hone. Don't do it. Get a crumby old straight from eBay or something to practice on, please.

X

Sounds like your well on your way to being just as addicted as the rest of us. Welcome aboard. Keep us updated about your experiences. We want stories and pictures and a full ten page report with at least 20 different sources on why straight razor shaving is better then anything else ever. EVER!!!
Chop Chop.

Matt

i bought anythony millers kit on ebay last night, i figured gettin some feedback on both ends while buying his product would be nice. i got the #2 kit so i'll be good for awhile i hope.


i just couldn't wait, i went big and i'm not going home.
i figure it'll all be well worth it

i also bought a vintage straight on ebay called "SHUMATE PEACEMAKER" looks like a really nice blade and i could practice with it.

You may wish to order a hanging strop as well.

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Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

You may wish to order a hanging strop as well.

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explain why i should consider this, and why not just use the paddle strop ?

Fewer strokes for the same effect, easier to handle, less likely to roll the edge and you can buy a beginner's model for $30 or so with no extra shipping charges. Yes you can get by with a paddle, but a hanger is a big comfort thing and I'd probably find it too much of a hassle if I had to use a paddle every single day.

Eventually you'll get a hanging strop, but I think you'll be alright for now. You invested in some good equipment; give yourself some time with it to learn/master it. Ilija's comments are obviously from experience, so if you can swing it -- adding a strop is a good idea.

i called tony this afternoon and told him to put one of those in the mix for me. very nice guy.

Yep, Tony is the man. You will come to respect him highly as he is the stropmeister. I will probably never buy any other strops but his, at least not for my main stropping needs. Not saying there aren't other fine strops out there, but I am one of those loyal customer types. He has some killer stuff and the fact that he hand makes them is a big deal for me as my father is also a craftsman.

His high quality kits make it easier for noobs like us to break into the world of Straight Razor Shaving. Plus, if it weren't for his little blurb about SRP that he included in his instructions, I wouldn't even be here. Can you guys imagine what it would have been like if I had never come along? :D

Matt

My first strop was ordered from him and it's still serving me well. One day I will replace it with a new one for looks and relegate this one to travelling, but guess who I'll be getting the new one from.

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Originally Posted by Kentriv

Yep, Tony is the man. You will come to respect him highly as he is the stropmeister. I will probably never buy any other strops but his, at least not for my main stropping needs. Not saying there aren't other fine strops out there, but I am one of those loyal customer types. He has some killer stuff and the fact that he hand makes them is a big deal for me as my father is also a craftsman.

His high quality kits make it easier for noobs like us to break into the world of Straight Razor Shaving. Plus, if it weren't for his little blurb about SRP that he included in his instructions, I wouldn't even be here. Can you guys imagine what it would have been like if I had never come along? :D

Matt

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so matt, you're a noob too? i thought you were a guru haha. anyways, so how should things start out here when i receive my kit....like a few steps of sequences. say i shave 3 times a week, how often would you re-hone, and things of the sort, any tips and things would be great, i'm viewing as many vids as i can for the works. catch you guys later.

A quick touchup on the pasted paddle every 2-4 weeks should do the trick.

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Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

A quick touchup on the pasted paddle every 2-4 weeks should do the trick.

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man you guys are on point with the responses, thanks buddy i'll write that one down.

That's assuming you shave 3x a week. I touch up my blades every 5 shaves or so (depending on the blade) but depending on the blade and your skin type, you can get away with 15 in some cases.

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Originally Posted by 16valve

so matt, you're a noob too? i thought you were a guru haha. anyways, so how should things start out here when i receive my kit....like a few steps of sequences. say i shave 3 times a week, how often would you re-hone, and things of the sort, any tips and things would be great, i'm viewing as many vids as i can for the works. catch you guys later.

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Haha, nope not a guru. I am well informed as I spend a good deal of time on this site, as well as a few others. I read a lot. But I have only been actually shaving with a straight for about a month now. I just started restoring a razor, and I am still waiting on my hone to start learning that. (My Norton and Tony Miller pasted padle will be here soon!)

well guys i got my #2 newb kit (paddle strop kit) and i also had tony include a hanging strop and it came in today but damnit i gotta go to work now hahaha. anyways, pretty excited to try it out, i let the facial hair grow so i could reserve this shave for my new dovo beast....i'll keep ya updated how this will work out, confidence is key!:D

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Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

A quick touchup on the pasted paddle every 2-4 weeks should do the trick.

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Originally Posted by 16valve

man you guys are on point with the responses, thanks buddy i'll write that one down.

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No need to, the shave will tell you when the razor wants some attention.

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Originally Posted by 16valve

... confidence is key!:D

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And overconfidence is a recipe for disaster. ;) Just remember to stay loose, go slow and keep you mind on every millimeter of the business end of the razor at all times and you should do okay. Careful with the stropping too. Many a n00b has knocked the nice new edge off a razor by using pressure or stropping otherwise incorrectly. You may count yours truly among them. :o

Keep us posted! :)

X

quick question guys, i want to fully understand the sides of my strop just so i don't screw anything up. The "linen" side is the raw side correct? And paste is only applied to the opposite side of the linen? I took my ebay blade and practiced stropping along one of my leather belts:)

incorrect. i don't know what type of hanging strop you bought but if its ONLY leather then one side will be very smooth and refined. this is the side you use to strop. the other side is RAW meaning not as refined. this side isn't used. if you have linen on your hanging strop it will be covering this RAW side.

linen is exactly what it says, LINEN. as in a fabric. this is used before you do your normal stropping just before you shave. it is used to heat up the edge allowing you bit easier time aligning the steel as you do normal stropping on the smooth, pure leather side. it also helps to remove the microserations in the edge. some people use it after the shave as a means to both dry and align the edge before putting it away. not everyone has or uses linen side.

http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.c...2083968041.jpg
you can see here that the front side with the metal and horse head in it is the smooth side which is used for stropping. you can see as the strop bends the raw side which is not used.

http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.c...316939078.jpeg
you can see here a hanging strop with linen. smooth on one side and the white fabric(linen) on the back side. this is linen.

to do touch ups you use the pasted sides of the strop..these contain "grit" or cutting material that is fine and will reform that fine edge. like the people said above 5 shaves to 15 shaves or more, all depends on your use/beard type and technique/ability stropping and ofcourse the bevel. deminishing returns. you can't do touch up for 2years on a blade, eventually you will have to take it back to lower grit hones and put a good bevel back on it then just touch ups for a long time again.

for normal daily stropping just before you shave you use the plain leather side. remember to do it SPINE leading. if you go edge first you will cut into the leather and nick it, which you don't want to do. if you use a hanging strop pull it tight, use light to no pressure, lay the blade flat and go slow till you get technique down. speed does NOT matter. this daily stropping is where you can use the linen side also before the leather.

~J

ps. the above pictures were taken off Tony Millers site (for full disclosure)

Thanks for stepping in with the quick lesson <g>. I think he added the #4 Beginner strop to hos set which would not have the linen side as you mentioned.


16valve, did you get the instructions I included or where you just looking for more detailed info? Hopefully I didn;t forget them this time <g>

Tony

hey J, that was a BIG help. The reason i was asking is because the instructions i got included info about a linen side, that kinda threw me off but by the feel of this raw leather side i was really in doubt it was to be used. I just needed some clarification. I like to fully understand equipment before i use it and it aggrivates the hell out of me if i screw things up because i confused and such. again thanks alot, great info. Tony, that's basically all i needed, thanks for your response, you guys are a real helpful community.