Thread: Noob to Straight Razors.

Hello all, I just got off of Active Duty Army and we weren't permitted Straight Razors but I've always wanted to use one. My budget is pretty tight. I've purchased the $25 "gentlemans shaving kit" from wal-Mart. It included a brush, mug and soap puck. I believe all I need now is a SR, a strop, and oil. I'm new to all of this and have watched a few videos from Lynn as well as read his SR for beginners article on here.

I am considering purchasing a SR from whippeddog.com since
It seems to be the cheapest and they are "shave ready". Has anyone had experience with them?
Also do I need a honing stone and all that other fancy jazz? Am I missing anything?

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated,
Thank you,
-Scott.

ScottyK9, welcome to SRP. You are thinking in the right way. Limited budget aside, going with whippeddog.com is an intelligent solution. His blades don't win beauty contest, but the will win the shaving contest. It will come shave ready. He has several price points to look at. I've had a few from him and I was quite pleased with them. His basic strops will also be a good intro to straight razor shaving. I take it the "gentleman's shaving kit" is the VDH variety. Again a good basic beginning. If you are careful in your stropping you shouldn't need a honing stone (as you put it) for a few months. The art and skill of honing a razor from bevel to shave ready edge is a slow learning curve. Concentrate for the next several months on learning to use your straight edge properly, and that includes stropping. So enough you will find that your edge needs re-freshening. Told that goal read up on barbers hones and chrome oxide, a less expensive way to go till you can get some one on one experience with a mentor on the how to hone from start to finish.

I would suggest that you revise your info so we can see where you are. There are mentors and willing SRP members all over the place that can, and happily will, give you face to face tutoring and answer a lot of your questions.

+1 on Whippeddog! Got my first straight from him. He doesn't "restore" them, but he does hone them and they are shave ready out of the box. Plus, he's a great guy to deal with. Welcome to the forum, and thank you for your service!

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

ScottyK9, welcome to SRP. You are thinking in the right way. Limited budget aside, going with whippeddog.com is an intelligent solution. His blades don't win beauty contest, but the will win the shaving contest. It will come shave ready. He has several price points to look at. I've had a few from him and I was quite pleased with them. His basic strops will also be a good intro to straight razor shaving. I take it the "gentleman's shaving kit" is the VDH variety. Again a good basic beginning. If you are careful in your stropping you shouldn't need a honing stone (as you put it) for a few months. The art and skill of honing a razor from bevel to shave ready edge is a slow learning curve. Concentrate for the next several months on learning to use your straight edge properly, and that includes stropping. So enough you will find that your edge needs re-freshening. Told that goal read up on barbers hones and chrome oxide, a less expensive way to go till you can get some one on one experience with a mentor on the how to hone from start to finish.

I would suggest that you revise your info so we can see where you are. There are mentors and willing SRP members all over the place that can, and happily will, give you face to face tutoring and answer a lot of your questions.

Sounds good. I will be ordering one from him tonight. Besides one of his strops what will I need after that? And yes it was the Van der whatever brand. I will look into the stones thank you.

Thank you for all the information and kind words. I have updated my info.

Thank you
~Scott.

Originally Posted by billyc4362

+1 on Whippeddog! Got my first straight from him. He doesn't "restore" them, but he does hone them and they are shave ready out of the box. Plus, he's a great guy to deal with. Welcome to the forum, and thank you for your service!

Sounds good to me! I will be ording from him tonight, I'm super excited. And again thank you so much, I didn't mean to put it in there as like "hey look at me" lol, more as so you guys kinda know where I'm coming from. Shaving has always been a chore rather than a hobby and really an art form.

Thank you,
~Scott.

ScottyK9, there are a lot of SRP members in Florida. If you go to the membership list and under advanced search put in your city and see what comes up. If no one try easy driving cities to you and see who surfaces. I'd suggest a few I know in Florida but I don't know the geography of the state.

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

ScottyK9, there are a lot of SRP members in Florida. If you go to the membership list and under advanced search put in your city and see what comes up. If no one try easy driving cities to you and see who surfaces. I'd suggest a few I know in Florida but I don't know the geography of the state.

Will do, thank you. To be specific I live in Orlando and work for disney.

Hi and welcome. Sounds like you have done your research. Good luck and any questions feel free to ask.

Originally Posted by eddy79

Hi and welcome. Sounds like you have done your research. Good luck and any questions feel free to ask.

Hello and thank you guys for everything. I feel almost at home here. Hahah

~Scott.

Originally Posted by ScottyK9

Sounds good to me! I will be ording from him tonight, I'm super excited. And again thank you so much, I didn't mean to put it in there as like "hey look at me" lol, more as so you guys kinda know where I'm coming from. Shaving has always been a chore rather than a hobby and really an art form.

Thank you,
~Scott.

Didn't think you were putting it out there like, "Hey look at me". Both my older brothers served in the Navy. The eldest did 6 years, my other brother did 8 active duty, and has been in the Pa National Guard for the last 20+, and did a tour in Iraq. I know what you guys go through, what a sacrifice it is, and how thankless it can be.