Thread: What do i need to start SR shaving?

Hello everyone, This is my first post here. I have been reading on this sight for awhile now and i think i have learned alot but i still have a couple question.
First off i'll explain my situation. I am in the military and required to be clean shaven at all times. So a decent razor is a must have. I have used cartridge and electric razors since i have been shaving, up until recently. For the past 2 weeks i have been using a very cheap disposable straight razor. $4 dollar holder and some Personna Hair shaper blades. i am getting a good shave with it and i really enjoy shaving with it. I want to move up to a real straight blade razor. I will be deploying very soon and need to gather up the required supplies that i will be needing for the next 10 months. So here is my question.
What exactly do i need to start straight shaving? .
I already my soaps, brush, bowl, aftershave and that pen that stops the bleeding.
I know i need a strop, but what about a hone and those abrasive paste i have read about?
Pre-shave oil? I don't know.
How many different razors do i need? Can i use the same blades everyday?
I just wanna make sure i have what i need when i leave. i don't wanna be a thousand miles off the coast and realize i forgot something.
One of the reasons i want to start SR shaving is too save some money? The second is to have something to pass the time and let me clear my head from everything going on.
Lastly, of course im on a low budget. Definitely looking for a used razor but which kind? Sorry for the long post i just wanted to be thorough. Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you for your time.-Justice

For me, I would take

1 x razor
1 x strop (paddle for easy stropping while away)
1 x small amount of chromium oxide
1 x finishing hone for touch ups if needed (or barbers hone)
1 x brush
1 x bowel
1 x soap

This would change depending how long I was going for. If only for a few days to a couple of weeks I would skip the hone and chromium oxide. But it sounds like you will have a lot of time for practice...

For 10 months I would probably even consider a norton 4/8 combo and a second razor for practice and a small bottle of oil for razor storage.

The problem you may be facing is rolling the edge while stropping if it's something you have never done before, stropping and honing takes a lot of practice, honing at lot more then stropping. I would probably take your disposable straight just in case something does go wrong.

I am relatively new to SR shaving so more experienced shavers are welcome to "correct" me. These are my thoughts even though they might not be "correct".

First off you need a razor. Since you are on a budget I recommend the classifieds on this site. It must be shave ready, preferably by someone reputable.

Your razor will become blunt in those 10 months of daily shaving. Honing is an art that takes time to learn so you will probably not pull that off straight away. You can use a strop with chromium oxide/diamond spray/some paste to refresh your razor (not same as stropping). For how long a razors edge is sharp varies a lot. For some 2 months, for some 6. And the spread is even wider than that when it comes to more rare cases. I would recommend buying a few shave ready razors so you can switch when one gets dull (or rotate between all of them). How many is hard to say, three?

No, the razor doesn't have to rest, you can use the same razor every morning if you want to. Pre shave oils is just extra, no need to get those. You might want to put oil on you razors edges to prevent rust, especially if you wont use them for a while (a few days/weeks).

Granted I have to say that I am a very fast learner and am very handy. So I also have about seven other razors that I use. Along with four other brushes. Like I said though this is all my personal preference for the day.

Thank you all for the fast response. Bamasamson to answer your questions. I'm in the US navy stationed in Norfolk and i will be away from home for about 10 months.
I'm gonna look at the site that was mentioned. There are just so many optioned. i have seen razors from $20 to $600+. i still have alot of googling to do.

Lots of good advice here. +1 on the oil- consider the environment where you are being deployed. If you will be on a ship or other very humid environment, you will definitely want to keep oil on your blade(s) so it doesn't rust. SRD sells a really handy applicator with some oil, but there are other options as well. Thanks so much for your service and good luck!

I started with one razor, one strop, one brush, and one soap puck. I shaved with it for a while then decided I wanted to touch up my edges when it started tugging a little so I invested in hones. But in reality a Barbers hone or a high grit (8000-12000 grit hone) for touching up a razor should last you indefinitely. Unless the edge gets damaged and the bevel needs reset.

Welcome to SRP

Originally Posted by Justice

I know i need a strop, but what about a hone and those abrasive paste i have read about?
Pre-shave oil? I don't know.
How many different razors do i need? Can i use the same blades everyday?

You need one razor. What makes the edge last much longer than the replaceable blades (cartridge or others) is the stropping between shaves.
Everything else depends on experience. So, lacking that, your razor will probably need touch-ups with a fine hone or pasted strop more often. How often, unfortunately nobody could tell you, so start as soon as you can and hopefully by the time of your deployment you may have some idea.
If you damage your razor even a slight ding or just running it over your finger that would need a repair beyond the touch-up hone or pasted strop, so at this point you have to send it back for repair. US military these days is pretty civilized so that shouldn't be a big issue as if you were on say the space station, but do take with you your shavette-type of razor as a backup.

Originally Posted by Justice

One of the reasons i want to start SR shaving is too save some money? The second is to have something to pass the time and let me clear my head from everything going on.

You could pick up a vintage blade in good condition and a coticule with a slurry stone and learn to hone. That takes some time and this is pretty much the most minimalistic setup but would require more time and patience so it seems suitable for your situation. But definitely get a razor that is shave-ready from a reputable source to use as a reference.

Originally Posted by Justice

Thank you all for the fast response. Bamasamson to answer your questions. I'm in the US navy stationed in Norfolk and i will be away from home for about 10 months.
I'm gonna look at the site that was mentioned. There are just so many optioned. i have seen razors from $20 to $600+. i still have alot of googling to do.

Hello!

Welcome! As a vet who was stationed in Norfolk in the early 70’s I thank you for your service!!



I trust that the D & S piers are still looking good!

PM me and send me your address and I’ll give you a shave ready razor! Nothing fancy but a solid shaver! You will love the curve ball about its origins when you get it!

gugi has pretty much said it all, however I will add that you need to be patient and learn to properly strop as stropping is your friend! Being in close quarters a small paddle strop would be very handy!

Smooth Sailing and:

Sanfte Rasur, mein Klingenbruder!

(Smooth Shaving My Brother In Blades)

You've received excellent advise from many members. The only thing I could possibly add is think about trying a cold water shave. You may not always be where there is hot water and since you need to be clean shaven everyday a cold water shave, once you've tried it, is just as good as warm lather and hot water. Many swear by it and many use it when there are no other options.