Thread: New Here

Hello,

I was reading a few posts and they were helpful so I decided to join and say hello. I just recently bought a straight razor and have had quite a bit of success shaving with it (minus some small nicks and a lot of pulling). I have yet to purchase a strop but am looking for one to buy asap!

The razor I bought is amazon.com/Tactical-Black-Straight-Razor/dp/B0104HLJ3U from Velvet Forge. I'd never heard of them but it looks cool, had great reviews, and was reasonably priced.

So far I've shaved 3 times and struggle greatly with my left hand and my chin.

Anyone had similar starting experiences? Any opinions on that razor, or advice on good strops to get? Thanks for any responses and hello all!

First off, welcome. Use the library and watch all the videos you can. It takes a bit of time to get used to a straight razor. Don't know much about your razor, but I am sure someone will let you know if it is a good starter. If it did not come shave ready it may need a good professional hone. Good luck.

Straight Razor Designs has nice strops...good quality, reasonable prices. You should strop between each shave, so get that strop right away! Getting a 3" strop will lessen your learning curve.

Your razor is probably not shave ready, which is likely why you are experiencing pulling. I think that razor has been identified here before as a razor-shaped object, but I'll let others comment further on that.

Hello and welcome to Straight Razor Place.

I'll be frank. That razor looks dubious. My suggestion is to take them up on the "shave ready" or money back offer, then pick up a razor in the SRP classifieds.

Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings

Hello and welcome to Straight Razor Place.

I'll be frank. That razor looks dubious. My suggestion is to take them up on the "shave ready" or money back offer, then pick up a razor in the SRP classifieds.

Agreed - I would strongly not advise buying that razor or returning it unless you're looking for a letter opener or a butter knife - it is an RSO - a razor shaped object.

As Leatherstockings suggests - the SRP Classifieds is a sure place to get a shave ready, quality straight razor.

Welcome to the forum!

@Leatherstockiings We'll I've successfully shaved with it 3 times so far with mild difficulty that I anticipated. Would It be wise to bring it to a barber shop or even one of the "Art of Shaving" stores and have them take a look?

@Phrank Woah! That makes me concerned. I'll hop over the the Classifieds and peek around. Anyone else agree with this even though the razor received multiple high reviews?

Originally Posted by LoganB

We'll I've successfully shaved with it 3 times so far with mild difficulty that I anticipated. Would It be wise to bring it to a barber shop or even one of the "Art of Shaving" stores and have them take a look?

My understanding is that the Art of Shaving does not sharpen the razors they sell. A barbershop may or may not have someone qualified to accurately assess the razor. Remember, any work done to the razor could negate a warranty or return. Again, I don't think this razor will ever be suitable for shaving.

Welcome to the forum. That razor looks like a RSO to me. If I was you, living in the US, get a shave ready SR and strop from SRD. At least you know the razor will be shave ready - then you'll also know how un-shave ready that RSO actually is. You mention 'tugging'. That one word speaks volumes. Read everything you can on here. Good luck.

I agree. If you go to the AoS store they will undoubtedly try to "up-sell" you to one of theirs, many of which are OK name brand razors. BUT, they are not shave ready, no matter what they say, and they will be marked up compared to what you can buy from a reputable on-line shop (like SRD) or several others. The SRP classifieds are also a great area to search. There are many vintage bargains there, constantly being sold and replaced with others.

Just for reference, a quality, brand name entry level SR that is shave ready will cost around $125, give or take, compared to your $60 letter opener. Live and learn!

Originally Posted by LoganB

@Leatherstockiings We'll I've successfully shaved with it 3 times so far with mild difficulty that I anticipated. Would It be wise to bring it to a barber shop or even one of the "Art of Shaving" stores and have them take a look?

@Phrank Woah! That makes me concerned. I'll hop over the the Classifieds and peek around. Anyone else agree with this even though the razor received multiple high reviews?

Alright you all convinced me to return that and look for another. After a decent amount of digging I see a few decently priced ones in the SRP classifieds but am unable to find other places that look legit. Any recommendations for the razors in the classifieds atm or another place that sells legitimately. I've looked through a lot of the guides here and they seem to suggest a dovo 5/8 that I cannot find for under $100.

Thanks all for your replies so far it's been helpful!

Sidenote I would like to spend under $75 since I'm still a beginner.