Thread: Considering going straight. Some questions

Hello all,

after 20 years with a beard I recently started shaving again and now have a Merkur HD DE razor, decent brush and shaving cream. I'm thinking of trying a straight razor and have been reading through this forum for a few days. I now have a few questions I hope you can help me with.

I'm on a reasonably tight budget, so I'm thinking of ordering a couple of the Wapienica 5/8 NOS razors and a strop from "open razor' on ebay. I'm a hobby woodworker so I have Norton stones in 4k and 8k. I'm planning on sending one of the razors to Lynn for sharpening so I have a benchmark to judge by, and a sharp razor to start shaving with. The other I'll keep so i can learn to hone and sharpen a razor myself without risking messing up an expensive one in the learning process.

I live in the UK but will be in Canada during the autumn and thought I'd take advantage of the cheaper shipping to get a razor sent to Lynn.

So,

1. do you think this is a good route to go for someone new to straight shaving?
2. Is the strop sold with the wapi's reasonable as a first strop? I thought of getting one of the strops that Tony sells at the Well Shaved Gentleman, but figured if I might damage one in the learning process, then a cheaper one might be better to start with.
3. What would I gain from a strop like Tony's heirloom strop.
4. Would I be better off buying a different razor, perhaps from Lynn, rather than the wapi?
5. Would I need anything other than my stones and a single strop at least to get me started.

Thanks for your help, I'm looking forward to this journey.

Cheers,

Justin.

Originally Posted by mr_magicfingers

1. do you think this is a good route to go for someone new to straight shaving?
2. Is the strop sold with the wapi's reasonable as a first strop? I thought of getting one of the strops that Tony sells at the Well Shaved Gentleman, but figured if I might damage one in the learning process, then a cheaper one might be better to start with.
3. What would I gain from a strop like Tony's heirloom strop.
4. Would I be better off buying a different razor, perhaps from Lynn, rather than the wapi?
5. Would I need anything other than my stones and a single strop at least to get me started.

Thanks for your help, I'm looking forward to this journey.

Cheers,

Justin.

Welcome Justin. You're in good hands on this forum!

[1] Yes, one of many routes, but a sensible one nonetheless!
[2] I have no experience with that particular strop, but I would definitely recommend one of Tony's strops. You can't beat them for quality and many of his strops include free practice strop for exactly the reason you raise!
[3] You'd gain a top notch strop, and a beautiful object to hang in your bathroom!
[4] I own two Wapis, honed myself, and they're excellent. They give a surprisingly close and smooth shave (surprising for the cost, that is). They absolutely hold their own compared to the Dovo and TI I own. The only downside is that they have heavy steel scales which throw the whole thing off balance in my opinion. Without doubt I will be replacing the scales through one of the many forum members who make and restore razors.
You might want to consider contacting Josh Earl to see if he has a relatively low-cost alternative. He regularly sells good restored or reconditioned razors for newbies (~$35-$45). At least that way you will have a razor with the right balance.
Or of course another alternative would be to get new scales put on your Wapis and then have one sent onto Lynn for honing. Then you'll have the best of both worlds.
[5] Your Norton combi plus strop will do for now. Many people here swear by a natural finishing stone like a coticule, but those can be pricey. If you buy a paddle strop from Tony then you could use pastes instead to finish any honing.

In terms of shipping, I do recommend you wait till you're in Canada since you'll also likely to be hit by VAT charges and (even more so) brokerage or handling fees by ParcelForce in the UK.

Enjoy yourself!

Justin, I went the Wapi route and had three shipped directly to Josh Earl for honing. Then he shipped them on to me. I am currently using one and holding the other two in reserve. Last week I replaced the scales with the $22 ebony replacement scales from Classic Shaving. It was an easy job and really improved the razor, as it handles much better for me without the heavy steel scales. It also looks better, IMHO. I also bought a Tony Miller wide paddle strop with latigo leather on one side and 0.5 diamond paste on the other. Hopefully, this will allow me to keep my razors sharp without the need for rehoning for awhile. I also considered a 4-sided paddle with 3.0 and 1.0 paste in addition to the 0.5. 3.0 paste is about the equivalent of your 8000 Norton. Even with the Norton, you might want to consider a pasted paddle or finer stone (many recommend Belgian coticle) as a final finish after honing. BTW, Josh has a couple of razors up now on the B/S/T forum. They are an excellent alternative for you and will arrive shave-ready.

Originally Posted by Kyle76

Last week I replaced the scales with the $22 ebony replacement scales from Classic Shaving. It was an easy job and really improved the razor, as it handles much better for me without the heavy steel scales. It also looks better, IMHO.

Hi Kyle, could you tell me how you replaced the scales. Looking at my wapi's which arrived this morning, I'm guessing I'd have to drill out the pins. Do new pins come with the scales from classic shaving and is it just a case of fitting them and then peening over the tops?

Thanks,

Justin.

Using RM Airmail and USPS Airmail, with padded envelopes shouldn't be a problem especially if you both declare a low value. Both methods are cheap enough and should go under the radar. CS does include new pins with their replacement scales.
Use the search function on replacing scales or even better order the Bill Ellis' straight razor restoration CD. It has tons of highly useful info. I think his site is www.billysblades.com