Thread: New to the Art

Hello my name is Jack. Recently my wife purchased me a Straight Razor for my Birthday from the Art of Shaving, a strop, and a "starter kit" which includes a pre shave oil, shaving cream, trail sized badger shaving brush, and after shave balm. Found a channel called the Art of Manliness that had what i felt were good tutorials on how to lather shaving soap, how to strop, and ofc how to shave.

Well I tried it for the first time today, not sure if i stropped it right as I didn't get as close as a shave as I thought i would, prolly not having it at the right angle or just fear of having sharp steel against my neck who knows. Still have decent bit of stubble, but it def feels a lot better that when I have with a boring razor.

Definitely felt really good and was the first time shaving felt... fun I guess.

Any tips or where i should look on this site that is obviously brimming with information (why I'm here), because I definitely would like to continue shaving like this.

Thanks for any help!

Hello Jack. Welcome to SRP!
I would try to read everything in the Getting Started section of the library to start off. You might also consider sending your razor to one of the professional honers in the Classifieds under Member Services. The Art of Shaving razors are known for not being shave ready.
Straight Razor Place Library - Straight Razor Place Library

Thanks for the link. Luckily they gave my wife a buisness card to a local honer as there doesn't seem to been any in the Member SErvices in my area T_T Def will read up for the next time i have to shave. Thanks for the help!

Shaving with a straight involves many skills from honing and useage and stropping and lather production and that's just the beginning. It can take months to really master the basics. If you go through the forum read some of the introductory posts and take it slow with the easy strokes first. Don't try to do too much at once.

I agree that razor is probably not shave ready.

Originally Posted by Jackjone

. Found a channel called the Art of Manliness that had what i felt were good tutorials on how to lather shaving soap, how to strop, and ofc how to shave.

Hi Jack, welcome to the forums. IMO these videos are good introduction but not good tutorials, PLEASE look elsewhere. Lynn Abrams has some good videos for beginners.

I really hate to knock art of manliness (they are great people), stumbling on their videos are my first exposure to DE/SR shaving and I found them helpful in the beginning but they could have done so much better if they consulted the more knowleagble folk on these forums.

Just my opinion.

Welcome to the group Jackjone

Welcome to SRP!

The AOS razors are definitely not shave ready straight from the store.
Send the razor out to someone that knows how to hone a straight razor (check the classifieds on this site) - or make sure that the honer that your wife mentioned knows how to hone a straight - it's not honed like a pocket knife, chisel, or wood plane.

Definitely read through the beginner's section in the library, watch a few shaving videos, and practice stropping.

And ask us any questions that you may have along the way.

Welcome to the best forum on the interweb thingy!

Welcome the SRP. Sounds like your on your way to having loads of fun. There are so many videos out there on the art of wet shaving I couldn't begin to tell you which ones they are. I can however tell you about the one I started with and from there you can find many others. Look in the computer for Lynn Abrams Straight razor shaving. That will lead you to many youtube videos of him and many others on the art and care of the straight razor and related subjects. Enjoy and have fun.

Welcome jackjone. You've definitely found the right place for the best people for info. I'm a well seasoned str8 man. Thought I was doing pretty good,but after finding this site shaving has become a new ballgame. Take your time learn all you can, its not a race or you my loose something from your face. PS please,please no man scape. We need to pass this tradition to our children