The story continiues

Hello all,

Just thought I'd update you on the progress, it's been nearly 2 months now and I'm still persevering with my shavette. I had my latest shave last night and it was almost superb :)

I did a 1 pass shave all over my face with the 2nd pass being across my cheeks and my moustache area. I can confirm that I have no major cuts or slices but I'm still getting nicks which as mentioned before is from the square corners of the razor blades.

I'm very pleased with my progress and I think I'm learning the technique pretty well and just need to progress onto the proper straight razor and strop which I will in time (we've only just had a new baby over Christmas so money doesn't stay in my wallet very long lol).

Cheers all,

Strops

I recently changed (temporarily) from a straight to a shavette. I had a couple of instances the first couple of times that the toe of the blade created a plow trough in my cheek. I learned the lesson well after that. I still get the occasional nick, but my blood vessels see the razor coming and run for cover, so I'm no longer bleeding out :)

Keep it up and carry it the direction you want to go. Realistically, razors/gear don't have to be all that expensive.

All,

The story continues :)

I've recently changed the blades to my shavette from Wilkinson and ordered some Derby blades which seem to have more rounded edges, this seems to have cured the problem of no end of nicks, I only had 1 nick last night which was my fault for losing concentration but other than that I had the best shave I've had to date. I think this is also down to an improving technique however the blades definitely helped.

I have also got a brush and soap now and I think that did help however I'm still in the market for a decent straigth razor

Congrats on finally getting a brush and some quality soap. Those two things help SO much in the amazing shaving experience. Even using plasticrap razors, a good brush and soap can make a big difference in it being a chore and being a hobby.

Don't feel rushed to get a straight. If you really want one, that's understandable. But don't feel the need to hurry and get one simply to hop on board with the rest of us straight users. The better your technique is with building lather, face prep, and angle and pressure, the better your experience will be when you finally get your straight and strop, and you'll be singing the Straight Razor Blues a much shorter time.

As countless others have mentioned if you want a low-cost, shave-ready razor that isn't necessarily pretty check out Whipped Dog. I ordered a couple sight-unseen razors and let them know I was looking for variety. I ended up with a 4/8 square point and a Wade and Butcher meat cleaver, both shave really well. For a new razor I'd go Straight Razor Designs, or The Superior Shave. Disclaimer: I purchased a Ralf Aust from SRD which I've been happy with but have not bought anything from TSS. Others have and speak highly of the site.

I would check out the Classifieds when you are ready to purchase a razor. Good luck!

I'm not telling anyone to avoid Whipped Dog but personally I don't like the idea of unseen purchases. If you're like me and that bothers you and you're also on a budget, I would look at one of our own (manah) who usually has a few cost effective razors on hand that have been nicely restored. He has four razors under $100 available today. Three of them are under $60. He advertises his as shave ready and the price includes worldwide shipping. Its worth a look before you buy what you haven't seen and what is advertised to already have issues with hone wear and/or rust.

strazors.com