New guy here, give me all the info

I'm a 21 year old college student who is tired of the disposable gillette razors and want to get into straight razoring. I have a good background in ceramics and bartending so I think I have the manual dexterity to learn this daunting task of straight razoring. I've scoured the internet in search of what I should buy as my "starter pack". Like I said, college student, so not trying to kill myself with a 300+ straight razor and equipment but am willing to break the bank initially if it allows me to refrain from buying a replacement product down the line. Let me know what products I should be buying. What brush (badger hair) should I get? What kind of razor? How long? How thick? What kind of shaving cream? What strop? I'm clearly lost as you can see/read.

Thoughts on these?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007MW2ZW/...M0NC1AQQ&psc=1

Amazon.com: Escali 100% Pure Badger Shaving Brush: Health & Personal Care

Thank you! I appreciate any help.

Go to a reputable store... thewww is only so useful...speaking to a human being is so much quicker... yes read the wikis here... but then get to a real person... i only just started but researched way too long before speaking to a person...

jteichner, Welcome to Straight Razor Place.

+1 on the recommendation to buy from Straight Razor Designs. They are a great business and sell professionally sharpened razors. I bought my first razor from them, a Ralf Aust 5/8 round point. I would recommend the same for you. I really think the Aust razors are one of the better values in newly manufactured razors. Taylor of Old Bond Street makes nice soaps and creams and from what I have read their Sandalwood is a popular scent. Cella and Proraso are some other popular creams at a similar price point.

As mentioned above, there are some good deals to be had in the classifieds here at SRP. The auction sites are dangerous waters so I avoid them until you have a pretty good sense of what you are looking at. The shaving brush you linked too on Amazon looks iffy. Check out the brushes at SRP. I like the Thater fine badger brushes.

Finally, read the beginners information in the SRP library and watch Lynn Abrams's shaving videos on YouTube. There is a lot of valuable info there.

Straight Razor Place Library:Books/Beginners Guide - Straight Razor Place Library

https://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=

As opposed to the first reply, I would say don't go to a brick and mortar store. The only ones that I know of that sell actually straight razors and accessories is The Art of Shaving and they are ridiculously overpriced. Nice products just not worth what they charge. However if you do find an experienced barber who still uses/has some old straights hanging around they might be willing to sell you a razor or two and teach you how to use it.

I the likely event that you don't know an experienced old timey barber, you however will really only have the internet to turn too. The soap you picked is good, the brush I would guess is good too, never heard of the brand but I haven't heard of a lot of things. You still need to get a strop too. But some people already made suggestions on that. Don't skimp and try to get a little cheapo strop of ebay. Do some research and make sure its a reputable brand with both leather and fabric components.

Next is the most important piece. The Straight Razor. Some people will argue and say the soap or the strop or whatever is the most important piece but you can't shave with a straight if you don't have a straight. And you can't get a good shave from a straight if you don't have a good straight. There is a list of manufacturers to avoid in the Library on this forum. But a good rule of thumb is if its got flames or spiders or marijuana leafs or other gaudy/ridiculous designs on it don't buy it. And if it is really cheap, like under 80 bucks, don't buy it. Now I am not saying that everything over 80 bucks is high quality but everything that is a new razor under 80 bucks is guaranteed crap.

Anyways something along 5/8s would probably be pretty good. Thats were most people start. Most people start, if they get brand new, with a Dovo Best Quality. They're about 80 bucks or so, nothing fancy, and they shave really well. That way if you give it a go and decide you don't like it you didn't just drop 300 on a razor that you don't want to use. Also Ralf Aust is another good brand, little bit more expensive but I have never heard a bad thing about them. Of course you could go the vintage route which is what I and I think most people on this forum prefer. You can usually get a razor that is of better quality for a lot cheaper. Just make sure you buy from someone who is trustworthy. If you buy from the classifieds on here your almost guaranteed to get a good razor that will be shave ready. If you buy from ebay well you never really know what you'll get. The seller could say its shave ready but what they really mean is that it can kinda barely shave butter thats been sitting in the sun on the equator.

Oh and if you do buy new make sure you buy from some place that will hone it for you before the ship it out. Lots of the good places will also offer a follow up honing for free so that when it starts to dull you just have to send it in to them and they will hone it for free for you the first time.

Welcome! There are lots of shaving forums on the internet, but you'd be
hard-pressed to find one which is more helpful and congenial than SRP.
You've come to the right place for honest, civil, and useful advise.

To your questions: If you don't start with good tools, you're bound to be
disappointed with the results, probably sooner rather than later. I don't
think you can go wrong by purchasing a full set of gear right off the bat,
especially if it comes from Straight Razor Designs. The initial investment
may seem high, especially on a student's budget, but its a good place to
start.

Personally, I would invest a few bucks more and get a 3 inch wide strop,
but other folks here might disagree. The main thing is to learn to properly
use what you have. Stick with it for 6 months or so before you even think
about buying anything else. You won't need it, and you may need the time
to learn enough to make an informed decision about an additional purchase.

If you can find someone to personally mentor you, so much the better. Not
only will you get to see someone else's collection of gear, but you will indeed
learn more in a few hours than watching videos for weeks. Nothing beats
hands-on instruction.

Don't throw away the shaving gear you already have. Until you get the hang
of straight razor shaving, you may want to use it for touch-ups, or for those
times when you're in a big hurry, or for when, for any reason, you can't devote
your full attention to your shave.

Your next purchase may be a second razor, mainly so that you can send the
first one out to be honed by a pro, without interrupting your shaving routine.
Until you really know what you're looking for, stay away from ebay/amazon/etc.
Those big outfits are fine for consumable items, like soaps, creams, and
aftershaves, but be careful about expensive hardware, even if it looks like a
good deal. There are good deals to be had...just be careful. You'll probably be
better off dealing with someone you can talk to.

So there you go. Get good gear, learn how to use it, and educate yourself
before you jump in with both feet. Otherwise, you might end up like the rest of
us...with a bad case of Razor/Hone Acquisition Disorder. Prematurely, that is.

Enjoy the adventure!

I think I may invest in one of the Aust or Dovo straights from Straight Razor Designs (also comes with the strop). They seem to hold good value and have the free honing further down the line. Guess I'll go with an Omega brush or one at SRP. I will probably buy a shaving cream suggested here or online elsewhere? I have a barber that I could ask to teach me but no one from this site is registered in Nashville.

Thank you for the help guys!

http://straightrazorpalace.com/get-t...r-west-tn.html

http://straightrazorpalace.com/get-t...-new-guys.html


These two threads will give you some idea of who is in your area and want to get together some of those guys have quite a bit of experience
It will also give you a link to where you need to keep an eye for meet ups




There are quite a few members around you,,

Welcome to SRP may your SR journey be a smooth one :)

Hi and welcome. Any questions feel free to ask. Good luck with this journey

Let us know what you decide, and post pictures when you get it. You'll get some great feedback.

Here's a list of Nashville users, there are probably more in surrounding areas
http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...sername&order=

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jteichner

I have a barber that I could ask to teach me but no one from this site is registered in Nashville.

Thank you for the help guys!

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For most bang for the buck soap I would recommend Arko shave sticks, they work great for a great price. The scent can be strong and some don't like it, but it lathers really well

There is some really good advice already given and I would like to add just a little to it. If you are completely new to straight razor shaving please (and you may have already done this) watch all the youtube videos you can on the subject. There's many out there by some really good folks. Remember this is not a race. take it slow. There's a couple of good videos for beginners which should help greatly. Don't get discouraged there is a learning curve. which in my case may be the rest of my life. but it's fun. From my experience the folks here at the SRP have been more than willing to help with the advice I needed at the time. So welcome to the wonderful world of straight razors and welcome to the forum.

Welcome you got a lot of very good advise from a great bunch of people. Let me good some as well. Take your time and enjoy the learning its a little bit of a curve. Don't try to shave when you have a house full of those young college girls running around or after a fun night of frat house fun.

Good luck you will do fine I bet.

Good choice going with the combo from SRD; the strop is practically free.

Take your time, and only shave off the cream. The hair will come too...these razors are sharp and don't need any pressure to cut hair. Pressure will only cause razor burn.

There is a bit of a learning curve, so don't get discouraged. Keep with it and you'll see that you're doing better each time. Beard prep really is important. A quick splash of water before lathering won't cut it. Enjoy the ritual of prep, shaving, and cleanup. Switching from cartridges when shaving was a chore to straights turned it into a daily pleasure for me. I look forward to shaving each morning.

The set from SRD is a great buy, I personally would go for the Aust and get a 3" strop. They cost a little more, but it will cut down your stropping learning curve. Also, I would start stropping by laying the strop on the table to avoid slicing it up and dulling your blade. Trust me on this one:)
Most any decent soap will be fine, my first soap was col conk and it worked just fine for around $5 I believe.
Be patient, watch lots of videos, and hang out here and you will get the hang of it we promise!!!
Oh yes, and welcome to the forum!