Beginners Tips: December 2014

I wanted to shave with the straight razor in my early twenties, but life got in the way and I did not start until my early sixties. When you start, then, does not matter as long as you do. Once you experience the pleasure of straight razor shaving, I doubt you’ll return to your old ways.

Whatever you do, don’t start on the cheap, because your results will reflect that. Every new venture has an initial cost and straight razor shaving is no different. Purchasing a low quality razor and strop to save a few extra dollars most likely will result in a cheap shave. It is also a waste of money, to me, anyway. Spend the money and give yourself a good start.

What’s more, see what you buy. Ordering shave gear without seeing it just because it is cheap is no bargain in the end, because with sight-unseen, you don’t know what you get. Also, stay off eBay until you know your way around the straight razor world. eBay is notorious for lofty descriptions. Not only that, but almost every straight razor is noted as shave ready, when it is far from it.

In the beginning, it is temping to buy one razor after another. Don’t. Take your time buying razors, because your taste will change and the razor you love today you might not tomorrow — Start with a 4/8, 5/8 or 6/8, all ideal blade sizes for beginners. Is it not a good idea to experiment with different blades? Yes, of course, experiment with as many different razors as you reasonably can. Slowly, though, and methodically, as you give yourself time to evaluate your taste while honing your skill.

Save some of the money for a good strop. A cheap strop that pretends to have something that looks like leather is not much of a bargain. A quality strop, something that will improve with age and possibly find a permanent home in your shave den, need not be expensive. You don’t need a Kanoyama to start with, but there are plenty of quality strops reasonably priced.

What if I cut the strop, you might ask? Well, what if you don’t? Why compromise a good start by struggling with a useless strop? Sure, you can strop on a variety of objects, such as a rolled newspaper, palm of your hand, blue jeans, and so on, but why bother with that? Get a real strop for your first. Slow down and pay attention. A few nicks in the strop along the edges are innocent, and you can smooth them by sanding. If you put a big gash in the strop and render it useless, buy another one. Remember, that is part of the learning curve.

Yes, stropping properly takes skill and practice. The strop is essential to the straight razor experience. That’s why you should not dismiss it as something minor, or a luxury. The strop is more than that; it is your straight razor’s friend. Learn to strop and learn it well. Strop before each shave. The strop does not sharpen your blade; rather, it reconstructs it after the previous shave.

I strop the way the old time barbers did: the blade at an angle, with the toe leading, and then returning with the heel leading. This also gives me the X-pattern automatically. I use about six or seven inches of length on the strop, because this way I can manipulate the blade between the thumb and the index finger easily, thus experiencing smooth and seamless strokes. As a rule, my stropping count is 30 strokes on linen and 60 on leather.

Leave the honing for later. There is plenty of time for that — I waited several years. In the beginning, honing your skill with the razor and the strop take precedent over honing. During the time I waited, I continued studying stones and honing. I watched quality videos, and asked questions. In time, with practice that included some mistakes, I finally sat with three honing giants: Lynn, Randy and Sham.

Find a teacher and learn. I have been lucky to learn honing from the masters, all three generous with their knowledge and willingness to share. Most of all, I am grateful to the noble Lynn Abrams, for he has taught me much of what I know about straight razors, shaving, stropping and honing.

If I can add to Obie's excellent post, I would a do your due diligence before purchasing a wet shaving product. There are plenty of reviews on the net and the forum here has plenty of members to answer any questions that may arise from doing your due diligence.

I would like to mention the importance of being able to generate a good lather which goes a long way to getting a comfortable shave. Get a good quality shave brush from a known reputable maker. It could be a $10 Omega boar brush or a $200+ badger brush, they both will work if you take the time to learn how to use them. Again get one quality brush learn how to use it before trying others. Buy one quality soap and again it could be anything from Arko to MdC. The idea is to keep it simple and learn to use your single quality brush in combination with your single quality soap/cream without adding the variables of multiple brushes, soaps and creams. Once you can do that expand from there because variety is always fun.

Bob

If more people took your advice Obie, I truly feel we would retain more members in this shaving community.

Great post Obie :)

I agree with all you have said...

If I may add my thoughts to your post...

"Spend the money and give yourself a good start."... This is excellent advice! From my 1 year experience researching razors for use & collection, I would also recommend choosing a brand that is sought after ie Wade Butcher, Joseph rogers, Heljestrand etc. Not because they shave better than other good (and likely cheaper) razors, but it is much easier to sell for a price close to (whether it be higher or lower) than you paid. I see many fine razors of lesser known brands sell for less than their worth (and sometimes more) simply due to the lower number of active searchers/buyers. I would also recommend not purchasing a new razor unless you are willing to commit to giving it a fair go and using for a few months... like buying a car one tends to lose value due to depreciation. The exception to this is if buying new from a reputable seller/honemeister who will also hone it for you. You may lose 10-30% depreciation but benefit more than the monetary loss due to having a sharp razor that allows you to remove that variable from the many challenges or other variables when starting straight razor shaving, and knowing you have a good product from a knowledgeable seller who has your best interest at heart.

"Find a teacher and learn"... Also excellent advice... I wouldn't be where I am or enjoy the pursuit as much as I do without the help from some great local members sharing their knowledge and experience.

"Leave the honing for later". Unless you have some spare cash to throw around, I strongly agree with this. Soon after starting I bought 2 smaller Eschers, and shortly after a large coticule. I wish I could go back in time and undo that mistake. Was interesting to try, but should have waited. After trying some honing, I realise I should have just bought the norton 4/8k or similar and a great bevel setter (I bought the Chosera 1k and have no regrets what-so-ever). I get a great edge from Norton 4/8k, and realistically, the expensive finishers add so little value to my shave due to my lack of experience/technique. And for the sake of a few $, just send razors to Lynn, Glen, Oz or similar, so you know you are getting a great edge until you know you will be straight shaving for the rest of your life and purchasing hones is warranted (if you take the time to learn, I suspect this may the case)

Finally, take time to learn from this site. I spend quite a bit of my spare time on this forum, and the knowledge shared certainly helps me improve, even after 1 year. I was lucky living in Australia, as I had a 2-3 week wait before my first razor arrived, affording me enough time to research technique etc before putting metal to skin. I am glad I had this time otherwise my first experiences may not have been so favourable.

A great read Obie, "Once you experience the pleasure of straight razor shaving, I doubt you’ll return to your old ways." So true, you go from your old ways to an even older way. I remember thinking years ago it must have been a terrible way to shave, but it is the exact opposite.

Dear Obie,

That is one of the most brilliant posts I have read here in many years. Short, but succinct. For which many thanks.

Dear beginners,

Please listen to Obie. Get quality. Stick with one product. Do not get yourselves fooled by seemingly great offers, or great brand names. Get quality - it will pay off eventually. A $100 strop, or a $150 brush, may seem expensive in the beginning, but they will service you for many, many years.

Again, thank you very much for being the voice of reason, Obie.

Kind regards,
Robin

Robin,

Bless your hear, my dear friend. Thank you.

Very well said Obie and perfect advice for our new members. Thank you.

Obie - excellent article!

I agree with your advice about taking one's time, starting within a certain size range of straight razor, and learning the fundamentals before venturing off into collecting and honing.

I especially like how you stressed the importance of a good strop and stropping itself. Explaining what the strop is used for and what it does, that nicking it isn't the end of the world, the position of the razor on the strop, and a suggestion for the number of linen and leather laps on the strop is great advice. The importance of stropping and learning the proper technique is fundamental to success in this hobby, and it's importance can't be stressed enough.

Thanks for the great read!

I fully subscribed to the approach outlined above.
I'd been through the DE & SE RAD process and much of that included trying a lot of what I considered substandard hardware.
I didn't know this at the time, but did as I moved forward with my recent straight razor purchases.

In all honesty, making solid although possibly more expensive purchases up-front will most likely save time in the long run.

Oh my.... "Find a teacher and learn". Plus like a million!

Unfortunately, I don't have a hands-on teacher -- only my "virtual" ones (that's all of you!)

Having hands on instruction would probably have save me some grief over the last week. I had three big issues (that I know of so far), all of which I would expect to have been readily apparent and easily explained by hands on instruction.

1. My expected poor beginner shaving technique.
2. Unable to produce good lather (this wasn't entirely my fault -- combination of my soap and my hard water. Eventually trying with distilled water was like night and day difference. Also, I just found that cheap-o Van der Hagen from CVS works fine with my water -- go figure)
3. Poor stropping technique and inability to tell that my razor, while seeming sharp, wasn't good enough for a comfortable shave. My first shave was only hampered by poor shaving technique. But as I went along, my shaves kept getting worse -- my shaving technique was improving, but my stropping was producing a dull edge -- I could mangle my way through a shave, but there was too much tugging to stroke smoothly with light pressure.

After a re-read through all the beginner info here, I'm happy to report that my seemingly biggest initial problems are (mostly) fixed and I manage my first full face shave today w/o using the cartridge for touch-ups! (Thanks to my virtual teachers. :) )

A lot of good information and following comments. Razor, Strop, Soap and brush plus continual learning one step at a time makes the art possible.
I still use VanderHagen for razor testing, and many daily shaves. Their brush and soap are of good enough quality to enjoy a shave. After learning the lathering and application of that lather start using the straight slowly and carefully one area at a time. See the many threads in the library.
Do not buy ebay stuff till you know more what wet shaving is about.
If you ar serious about starting straight razor shaving, ask questions on the threads to learn more about good steel and strops.
The best method is to find a person near to you who can help you learn properly and that will save you a lot of time and money!
The Mentors are some who help at no cost:
Local Help - Straight Razor Place Library
~Richard

This forum and its community are indispensable to my burgeoning study of the art of straight razor shaving. I continue to invest a good amount of time here reading and contributing (albeit humbly) when, and if, I can. As was stated before by our member Manjuro, I was fortunate enough to find this forum with its wealth of information and support before I began my journey. In the beginning I did not have the option of seeking out the personal assistance of a mentor, and life's circumstances still dictate that I must continue my studies solely with the assistance of our community and through self-study. I will venture to guess that many like me have had and are going it alone, with much trial and error (more the latter than the former, at least for me) and all the ups and downs that undoubtedly accompany this path. I have been at this for little over a year, with the necessary push to become self sufficient. This much more out of necessity than choice. Slowly but surely I am getting better by the day, and could not do so without the support of SRP. If I could give one piece of sound advice to a fellow student just beginning their journey, it is this; find this forum and be a sponge! Ask many questions. Do your homework. Participate. And even though you may not have direct access to a mentor, don't hesitate to begin your journey solo. We all have to start somewhere.

Looking back I admit I assuredly made mistakes. My first investment in the necessary tools of our craft was a small one, considering the quality that is available if you can afford it. I could not, but I didn't let that stop me. I paid for it. But, I also profited. What was once a frustrating and discouraging experience putting those initial tools to use, despite their sub-par quality, has become a positive one. I worked hard to make what I had work for me. And that is a satisfying feeling. Yes, perhaps I should have saved my pennies for better tools, thus easing the learning curve (by no means a small one). But, I don't regret diving right in. Life is painfully too short to do otherwise. Again, my humble opinion.

As for the necessity to invest in the tools to become self-sufficient, that was dictated solely by the fact that I did not, nor do I still, have ready access to the professionals of our craft. I searched high and low in my locale and came up empty. Perhaps in time this will change as enthusiasm for our art grows. I did however find a fellow member, a specialist in his own right, far removed but still living in the same country. His knowledge, assistance and encouragement to attain my goal has been crucial to my progress in said endeavour (thank you, Vasilis. Onegaishimasu!). So, if you are taking that first step past the threshold, don't hesitate to reach out. Help from a distance is still help, and it is much needed in the beginning.

This has been my experience thus far. It seems I learn something new everyday. I sincerely hope that tossing in my two cents will help someone in similar circumstances. Don't let them hold you back! As is often said here, its all about the journey, making it your own and enjoying the ride. Peace brothers, and thank you.

I couldn't agree more with everything youve said. I made almost every mistake you mention, and wound up spending more money to correct them, especially with regards to strops and stropping. I was just reading a forum post where the OP was (again) asking for opinions on various eBay junk. It seems impossible to steer some away from seeking a perfect product at a steal of a price, but as you point out, good, quality and proven gear is available without breaking the bank or ruining your SR experience. Well said. I hope everyone reads it and takes it to heart before they head into this Adventure.

Obie...what a fantastic post,that advice is spot on,very well executed.
That's exactly what i have done since being here,and it's great advice for any newbie willing to listen to your words of wisdom.
I salute you Obie... your what i call a "super bad boy".

P.S Thank you for helping me make the right choice on my first silver tip badger by Thater your a Diamond.

I agree with Obie on this thread.
First of all don't start cheap because you get what you pay for. You can shop for price between certain brands or makes but also shop for the quality of the product. That is very important.

As for eBay, if you are new to that, don't just jump in & buy something sight unseen. Make sure there are pics of the actual item & make sure it isn't a stock pic. A lot of people just want your money & if they get you just once, that's all they want, is your money. There ARE sellers out there that do care about what they are selling so don't just look at the pic but make sure you read the item description more than once & study the pics very closely. I've been on eBay since '02 & I have a 100% positive feedback of 3693 as of this moment. If you are buying on there, take your time. Look at lots of other listings before buying. If you are selling on there, be genuine & real! I value my feedback & you should too. I care about my buyers & will go out of the way to satisfy them. That is why my feedback speaks for itself. There are deals to be made on there if you know what you're doing but there are also a lot of fishy sellers on there that will dig things out of someone else's garbage can & list it for sale. There's a reason it is in the trash can! Know what you're buying on there. DO NOT but a razor with a frown in it or one with chips or rust on the edge. Rust on the edge is bad because once you try to hone that rust out of there, more chips appear! Then you have a never ending cycle & a piece of junk that you wasted your money on.

If you are a beginner wet shaver, you don't have to buy a huge meat chopper for a razor! There are also certain makers you want to avoid listed here:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...azors_to_Avoid
You want something that will be comfortable in your hands as well as for your face. Start out with a 4/8, 5/8 or 6/8 like Obie said. It doesn't have to be an 8/8's or larger. If you are collecting, that's different, you have options, but as a beginner, start with a 4/8 & work your way up if you need to. Also the toe of the blade matters whether it is a square (spike) point, spanish, french or whatever is suitable for your face. You want to watch out for the square point. It will get you & you will bleed if you don't know what you are doing. Length of the blade also matters. Follow Lynn's Tip #6 right here, http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...-tips-6-a.html. Length makes a difference which is suitable for your needs. A 3" blade works well for me too just like Lynn prefers. It's YOUR face so do what is best for it! A 3 1/2" blade is different so if you have a large sharing area & don't grow any facial hair then that might suit you just fine but it covers a larger area to shave. If you grow facial hair like myself, I have a goatee, you will find that a shorter blade will be just fine for you, especially for under the neck area. Be reasonable & slow to choose the right option for you. You don't have to buy a 3 1/2" blade just because the next guy says it works well for him. Different people have different tastes & require certain blade lengths & ends for your face. Like Lynn says, for a 3 1/2" blade you might have to change the angle you shave to make it fit the area you are shaving. My preference is a 3" blade & I can comfortably shave the wtg, xtg & atg passes with no problem. There are different techniques & you will find that here:

Shaving passes - Straight Razor Place Library. This is why using a straight razor, you get a more comfortable, smoother & closer shave than other types of razors.

A good strop is also very important but you don't have to buy a very expensive one. Don't buy the cheapest one either. Maybe buy in the middle of the price range but know what you're buying too, don't get screwed. Ask other members on here what the best one to start with is. I would make a suggestion but i have to use a loom strop. Beginners can practice with an old wide belt & a buyer knife to get the rhythm down. Keep repetitious. One bad stroke & you will dull your blade! Like Obie said, if you cut it, sand it down. If it is too large of a cut, keep using it with a butter knife to practice with. It will take awhile to get the stropping down right w/o lifting the spine or edge, making mistakes as you go but you will eventually get it down. Keeping it level with the spine & edge down at the same time & apply very, very little or no pressure at all & you will be ok. Stropping the way like Obie said is fine, like the old timers did it. They did it that way for years & it worked. If you want, you may also use Chromium Oxide pastes or diamond pastes on one part such as the fabric part or on a piece of balsa wood but it isn't mandatory. The old timers didn't have these things way back then so it is up to you whether you use these things or not. You don't have to if you don't want to. Like Obie said, stropping takes skill & a lot of practice. If you can't use the conventional strop, then use a loom strop. I don't have a collarbone in my left shoulder & i'm right handed so when I had the conventional strop, I tended to slack up a little bit on the strop with my left hand. We have a new guy on here, StoneDrum, who was born w/o his left hand, so I suggested he use a loom strop. I don't now what he eventually is using but it goes to show you that he has determination & will do whatever he has to in order to get the job done. More power to him!!!!

When you have some time in your straight & save some money for buying stones & learning how to hone, that would be fine but if you only have a couple of razors, then send them out alternately to be honed so that you will always have something to shave with while one is being honed. You can learn to hone here:
Beginner's Guide to Honing - Straight Razor Place Library
Watch the video's on honing. Different people use different techniques so use the one that works best for you. Buy you some good hones & make sure that you remember that new hones DO NOT come lapped! You will need a lapping plate to make sure your hone is perfectly flat. Some hones require soaking, so make sure & soak them when needed. Use distilled water & a cap full of bleach to keep the water fresh, it will stay that way for long periods of time. If you don't feel comfortable honing, by all means, send your razor(s) out to be honed by a professional honemeister.

I myself don't go by the HHT because my hair is so fine being blonde but I have tried it & it does work most of the time but when it comes to eBay, don't believe them when they say it will pass the HHT!!! That is not always true & it is just an added feature thrown in there to make the sale. Think it out & use your better judgement when it comes to buying on eBay or other vendors on the internet. Not ALL are what they claim to be.

If you need help like a mentor or some one on one training then you can look in your area to see fi there is someone that can be of some help to you. You can go here:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/memberlist.php?do=search
Type in your information & see if you can find someone close to you to help you out. Some one on one guidance is the best because you can work together, share ideas & so on. It is a good thing & never hurts to ask for help! It's possible that several members might be able to get together for a group session. Also be on the lookout for meets in your area or for one not so far that you could drive to. There are always meets going on in different areas! There is also local help:http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...php/Local_Help
Utilize the Library here & learn all you can & also use this thread ad a reference.

I hope the right people find this useful for themselves or other members they may know.
Thank you very much Obie for the great thread!

Great article Obie.

For those that can't find mentors from this forum in their area, I suggest that you find an older gentleman. Just about ever man, and a few ladies, born before 1940 that I have met know how to use a straight razor. Most are more than willing to teach you if just ask.

Excellent post, Obie!

Curiosity and a passion for old technologies brought me here, but it is the kindness and generosity of members like Obie (and many others) that motivate a beginner like me to keep at it and conquer one small goal one day at a time.

Living halfway across the world, with no mentors in my neighborhood, the advice from SRP's veterans is beyond helpful.

Obie
I just want to say this. I know I wrote a lot & I'm just voicing my thoughts, opinions & advice from previous experience. I know I'm not perfect, I learn something new everyday & I tend to go into detail a lot. I enjoy being here very much. Everyone has been so helpful here & I try to return the favors. I learn a lot from Lynn & Glen's video's as well as others here. Richard (Geezer) is always helpful to me in his thoughts & comments along with many others & it is greatly appreciated. There are many other members who have been of some help even though I haven't mentioned them but if we have communicated in pm's or in posts, then you know who you are & I thank all of you others too. In return I try to help out as much as I can because this is a great forum to be a part of. I always like to welcome all new members as much as I can. Thank you very much for this thread, I can't say enough because this is the best shaving forum there is that I know of. My thanks to all!:bow

Thanks obie, solid advice, thinking of your comment about damaging strops, i have started to advise buying a modular strop or one with replaceable leather, that way you will have a quality strop from the start, and the replacement leather pieces are about the price of a basic strop anyway so in the long run you aren't going to lose.
All the best
ed