Thread: Made the Cut (Figuratively Speaking!!)

My name is Ed and today I took the first step in my journey to become a straight razor shaver. After reading tons of articles and posts on SRP, I purchased a shave-ready Joseph Allen & Sons NON-XXL from the classifieds here and took it for a test shave today. As Lynn instructed in his post/article "First Straight Razor shave", I only shaved on the right side of my face, from the sideburns down to the jaw. That first blade to face contact was a bit nerve wracking, but upon no sensation of pain and no visible blood, I began to make the short strokes required for facial hair reduction. Once finished, I dried off the razor and finished shaving the rest my face with my trusty DE safety razor.

The advice by Lynn in his article was spot on. Because of the difference in instruments between the DE razor and straight razor, it was smart to instruct newbies like myself to take it easy and start with a small section of the face (although in all honesty, I did the right cheek as well). The angles used to shave and the way to hold the straight razor are very difference from a DE safety razor. It feels good to have that first attempt under my belt and I can't wait to try again tomorrow.

In case anyone is curious, the complete list of gear used today is:

1. Proraso Pre-Shave Cream
2. Proraso Sandalwood Shave Soap
3. Semogue 1305 Boar Bristle Brush
4. Joseph Allen & Sons Non-XXL 5/8 Razor (Medium Hollow Ground)
5. Merkur 33C DE Safety Razor w/Open Comb (Used to finish shaving per Lynn's advice)
5. Proraso Aftershave Lotion - Great cooling feeling immediately after the shave
6. Proraso Aftershave Balm - Keeps the face nice and moisturized/applied about 5 min after aftershave lotion
(Usually when I am done cleaning up my brush/bath countertop)

No, I am not a Proraso distributor or sales guy nor do I get a commission from them, but when I undertook the endeavor of DE shaving about two years ago, I figured I would use products from one company to start and as it turns out, I have really liked their products. I do have some other products on my shopping list I will be trying, but I will get them as I use up my current supplies. Any suggestions are always welcome.

I'm glad I found this site and thanks to all the moderators and senior members for your advice and guidance. Perhaps one day, I will be in that category!

Welcome! You're definitely not alone in the proraso front, I like them for the "clean" scents they give. A choice I like alot is getting a bunch of samples. I have about 10-15 samples and have been playing around for a few months with them. I know maggard's, old town shaving and SRD offer a variety for $2-$3 each. This way you're not out alot if you hate how it works. I like having an unscented post shave balm when the soap doesn't match well with my Sandalwood. Also member "Obie" has started a thread called "First Tier Soaps" that will give you many good options.

You started out with the right gear Eroman, great you enjoyed your first straight razor shave!

I also forgot to mention the one of the cool things about this practice is the ability to shave with an instrument that is older than me! That Joseph Allen & Sons could be anywhere between 97 - 124 years, as the gentleman who sold it to me advised it was made after 1891 but before 1919, based on the "England" stamp (post 1891) on the tag and the omission of the acronym "Ltd." (Pre-1919) on both the razor and the box. That is a very cool thing considering most everything now-a-days is made to be disposable and not last very long.

Nice set up and excellent choice in a straight razor. I am a Proraso man myself. Good luck you are on the right path.

Originally Posted by eroman99

I also forgot to mention the one of the cool things about this practice is the ability to shave with an instrument that is older than me! That Joseph Allen & Sons could be anywhere between 97 - 124 years, as the gentleman who sold it to me advised it was made after 1891 but before 1919, based on the "England" stamp (post 1891) on the tag and the omission of the acronym "Ltd." (Pre-1919) on both the razor and the box. That is a very cool thing considering most everything now-a-days is made to be disposable and not last very long.

That is part of the attraction. To use something 100 or 200 years old the way it was used back then is an unbelievable great feeling. Thinking about its journey from then to now. If only razors could talk but in a way they do.

Been looking at proraso, looks good and price is very reasonable. Wasnt sure if its was good though.Thanks for review and good luck with day 2!!!

Originally Posted by VAPDGUY

Been looking at proraso, looks good and price is very reasonable. Wasnt sure if its was good though.Thanks for review and good luck with day 2!!!

You'll find Proraso is liked by many folks, so it's got a proven track record. Plus, as you mentioned, the cost is not bad. For all the Proraso stuff in my original post photo, it's probably $55. I've priced out other brands where just the shave soap and aftershave run right at $50. If you try the brand, I don't think you will be disappointed. The green soap (menthol fragrance) or the red soap (sandalwood fragrance) are both great smells and lather up quite nicely. Good luck deciding.

Love your setup there - perfect, well done, and obviously well researched - looks great!

You can never go wrong with Proraso, one of the ultimate best soaps in terms of bang for the buck you can get - stellar performing, and for the White, Green and Red, fundamentally awesome scents - the Red is a real favorite, love the White, and I get drawn back to that Menthol green only occasionally - just great stuff all around.

Hi and welcome aboard. Good luck with your shaves