Thread: Thinking of trying straights

My first post on this board, just wanted to say hello! I switched to DE shaving about four months ago (thanks to mantic's youtube videos), and I've had a closer and less irritating shave than with Mach3s and goop. So far, my shaving life has improved!

The problem is that I have a pretty wiry and tough beard. The only way I've found to get a really super-smooth shave is by using a Merkur Vision wide open for a final pass, but that really brings on the razor burn. So usually I don't bother. Reading this board it seems like straight shaving is less irritating and closer (at the expense of seeming kind of risky!). Did I get the relative pros/cons right?

Okay, so if I want to try straight-shaving, I need to buy:
- An inexpensive starter razor
- A strop or paddle (even though I don't know what to do with it)
- Lynn Abrams' DVD (to teach me what to do with it)

This set looks decent: http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.c...2&categoryId=5
Do you know if the razor actually comes "shave ready"? And should I get pastes? Is that even a good deal, or am I better off buying something on the forum here? I'm a bit worried about getting a crummy razor with a bad blade for $20 on the forum, but I may not know this forum very well

Okay, sorry about all this, but I want to make sure I'm doing it right before dumping $200 on the starter kit. Thanks!

Can't go wrong with Tony's stuff. If Tony (Heirloom's proprietor) writes (as he does on the page you hyperlinked) a razor is shave-ready it really is. Tony is held in high esteem on SRP so no worries. He's a great communicator as well so drop him a mail.

Thank you Kees!

I have all my razors shipped right from my supplier to one of our own members here, Elbonator who hones each by hand before sending it back to me. I used to do them all here myself but simply cannot keep up and even more importantly, EL is a FAR better honer than I. He has been doing this a long time and none of my customers has said it was not sharp enough.

Lynn, our group owner is another great sharpening resource too producing killer edges. My personal razors are all done by both of these indivduals and I have always been pleased.

Tony

Well with safety and cartridge razors there are several techniques other than the two or three pass basic technique combos. Right now I use my Power Gillette Fusion simply because Lynn is sharpening my razor (or it's on its way back). With that I did a three pass technique going with the grain, across the grain, and then against the grain with the precision side. It got pretty close.

There are other techniques you could try with the safety razor including:

• Diagonal slide
• J-hook
• Razor buffing

The Diagonal slide was a shaving technique from the early days of Gillette (forget when they published the poster). Basically the razor goes with the grain, but as you glide the razor, you make it go diagonally towards the center.

The j-hook technique follows a J. Except there's no little ledge or whatever it is at the top of the J (or the dot in case of a lowercase j). You just do small j's across your face. These get to be pretty close.

The last advance technique I know is called a razor buff. For cartridge razors, this is pretty bad since you keep the blades in contact at all times. In case of the safety razor, you just pivot onto the safety plastic thingie on the backpass. Kind of like doing an across the grain pass.

So those are some other techniques you could try. If you're sure you want to go straight, then by all means just go straight.

I'm not sure of any starter kits, but the basic things you need are:

• Straight razor (there's a sticky in this forum about suggested brands and brands to stay away from)
• Brush (you'll probably have this)
• Shaving cream/soap (probably already have this)
• Mug/Scuttle/Bowl (just something to hold your cream/soap; you probably have this)
• Strop
• Hone (not something that you need immediately)

I haven't gotten anything from any of the members here, so I can't really lambaste or support them. But some of the stuff they have seem to be reallly nice. I can honestly say, with confidence, I wouldn't have a problem with buying anything from anybody here - it's a pretty tight community.

You don't have to get the DVD - I didn't. I actually don't really know what's on it, so again I can't say that it's a bad idea to get it. SRP is pretty much the one stop place for all your information. Straight razor shaving just has that small of a community. Although now that I think about it, I already knew a lot about straight razor shaving, and did my first shave before joining or even knowing about SRP... Don't remember at all where I got my information...

If you'd like to know, I spent $400 getting stuff from classicshaving. Obviously, you don't have to spend nearly as much as I did (probably don't even have to spend $200). I started with pretty much nothing, so I had to buy the razor, soaps/creams, strop, hone, stropping paste, brush, etc.

The paste I would say is a good thing to have if you have more than one leather strop. So if you have like a multi-sided leather strop, then by all means get the paste. However if you have just a canvas/leather strop, maybe you shouldn't get it. Or you could always buy another strop just to have pastes. You can probably guess I'm new at this, so don't weigh my thoughts in too much. Other more experienced users might have a different take on this.

Welcome aboard escargot.

Tony's things – especially his handmade strops – are absolutely top-notch and would be sold for a hell of a lot more if he were corporate instead of an honest craftsman & businessman who loves straight-shaving.

Almost everyone on this board has something made by him.

Ya can't go wrong.

Originally Posted by dylandog

Welcome aboard escargot.

Tony's things – especially his handmade strops – are absolutely top-notch and would be sold for a hell of a lot more if he were corporate instead of an honest craftsman & businessman who loves straight-shaving.

Almost everyone on this board has something made by him.

Ya can't go wrong.

That is the truth. His starter set will make you very happy.

Welcome to SRP! If you look at all of your options, you'll see that you have quite a few. The quickest and easiest way is to order the kit from Tony. He is a nice guy and won't steer you wrong. Also, there are many reputable guys selling razors for newbies on the Buy/Sell/Trade forum. You may look for JoshEarl, that is where I picked up my first straight and he is a stand-up guy who usually has razors from $30-$45 that would be great starters. Also, I hear that Lynn Abrams - AdjustMe69-keeps Wapienica razors ready to go for new guys at a great price. Just ask. Wapis are fantastic 1/4 hollow razors from Poland sold on ebay by Wojtec for like $11 - get one expertly honed by Lynn and you've got an awesome start.
Then you need a strop and later a hone. Everyone says that the DVD is a great place to start (I did not pick it up to begin with - but I will soon).
Most guys find that str8 shaving is waayy more comfortable on the skin than M3 or DE shaving (though if you haven't tried a Gem Safety single edge razor, you should - I love my 1912) and also that after you know what you're doing, you will not nick / cut yourelf as ofter as with a DE. I have a tough and wirey beard, too, and str8s are great for me, though I prefer 1/4 hollow wedge style blades instead of full hollows YMMV. Enjoy -

Another vote for Lynn's DVD! It is a must have.


Tony

I think you have the right idea here. Get all your info from nay members around here that will supply it and they will talk your ear off.

Just be patient and enjoy this expierence! Wish you luck in the endaevor.

I shall sign off with this line from Trading Places the movie
"Look at that S Car Go" good name man.

Welcome to SRP!

It's been my experience that people selling on this board deliver exactly what they say. If they say it's shave ready, they mean it's shave ready. I've also sent my razor out to be honed by a member here, and he did a fantastic job.

The Well Shaved Gentleman is a great store to buy from too. I recently got one of Tony's paddle strops (the smaller one), and I couldn't be happier with it.