Thread: Well, this changes everything.

I believe this is the first forum I have ever posted to.

A few weeks ago, I was looking through a magazine and saw an ad for the Art of Shaving. Always wanting to look my best, I checked it out. Through looking into some other options, I discovered this extremely unique world. To top things off, I was looking for a new hobby. Brewing your own beer is wonderful, but you cannot do it everyday when you are in law school.

So, I started purchasing everything I felt I needed. Merkur HD DE, lots of creams and soaps, C+E Best Badger brush. Lots of washcloths. Well, for the first time in my life, I actually look forward to shaving. Law school is a real bear, and to have those few minutes where I only think about one thing, other than the law, is a real blessing.

Fast forward. When I finally told my wife about my new hobby (we do not live together during the week) she was extremely surprised I did not go the straight razor route. I had to admit my absolute fear.

Well, she encouraged me to try it anyway. So that is what I have decided to do. I have been reading posts for a while and now I have a few questions. Some of these have been answered elsewhere, but there are so many contradictions, it is hard for me to narrow things down.

First off, I have taken the abundance of advice that suggested Lynn Abrams' DVD. That should be arriving any day now. (Wish I could have downloaded, paid for it and watched it the same day, but I digress.)

Second, the one thing I have seen repeatedly recommended, without fail, is a strop from Tony Miller. I emailed him, and he seems to recommend the strap as opposed to the paddle, especially when starting. Question here though, what level should I begin with? More on this later.

Third, honing has never been something I was any good at. I look forward to learning some things from the DVD, but the Norton 4k/8k seems pretty universally recommended. I will probably wait a little bit on this, simply because I am on a student's budget.

Fourth, I have plenty of creams, soaps and a brush (as stated above). I am very happy with the C+E best badger as I found recommended on Badgerandblade.com.

So, I think that brings me to the last thing, and the one that I really am spinning my wheels over. I have no good idea about where to begin with in choosing a blade. Unlike the Merkur HD I learned about on badgerandblade, I just cannot find a good consensus on what I should choose when it comes to my first straight razor.

Here are my criteria. I have no problem spending extra money when the value (defined quality to price) is high. I do not want to spend a tremendous amount of money on something that I am not going to enjoy, but at the same time, I do not necessarily want to go as low as I can if quality suffers. I understand that I cannot get the best razor for the lowest price, but I am really looking for that best value out there. Remember, student's budget, but I can find some money if I need it, just not too much.

I understand that DOVO seems to be a good brand, as well as TI, but should I really consider one over the other as my first razor. In other words, am I going to be so disappointed in a few months with one, that it would have been a much better idea to spend the extra money at the beginning for the better razor, even if marginally better at the beginning. The same thing goes for the strop. I will definitely go to Tony Miller. But is the lowest quality (I know it is still great) going to be good for a year, or is it something I am going to have to replace with another hanging strop in a few months. I know the paddle will come sooner than later, but that is not so much a problem now.

Finally, when it comes to the blade, what size is recommended for getting started. It seems that 5/8 blades are quite common , almost standard, but should I consider something else in the beginning? I am a pretty large guy, so my face is nice and big and round. I have a goatee that I plan on keeping for some time, it makes the double chin look better. I am not sure if that will help with the advice but I thought I would put it out there.

If it does not come shave ready (either from Tony or through Classic Shaving), I will have it done professionally before starting.

I think that is about it. If there are other things I should be thinking about, please let me know.

Alright, I've got the bug. I love this stuff already. Thanks in advance for any information. I greatly appreciate it.

Best regards,
Jonathan

Why not buy Tony's "Basics" Heirloom Hanging Strop & Razor Set ?
I think the razor is a honed Dovo and a nice strop is included ----all you need to get started and maybe all you need period.

Justin

Welcome Jonathan, A hanging strop will last many years. Just hold it taught and go slow. A Dovo 5/8 or 6/8 rp will do fine. It is only shaving sharp if it is sharp for your beard. Send it to Lynn to be sure it is honed correctly. Norton 4K/8K is the standard. You may need a Belgian coticule to finish off the edge. A narrow one that is 1 1/2" to 2" is as good and cheaper than a wide one.

Monte

Get a basic strop to start. Chances are you'll put a few scars in it till you perfect your technique.

Both the Dovo and TI are outstanding razors, but my preference is to for the TI. The only reason I don't have on in my regular rotation is that I am very partial to spike tips.

X

Welcome!

...and I thought I was the only one using the goatee-to-hide-the-extra-chin scheme....foiled again!


All the recommendations given so far are right on the money. As for razor size, you may want to go with a 6/8 or even a 7/8...if you are like me, there's a lot of real estate to cover! I have also become partial to thicker grinds, esp. if I need to plow through several days' growth.

Watch Lynn DVD and when you think you have the techniques down - watch it again.

You may find that your first razor is good, but that there may be other styles you want to try. The nice thing is that if you don't like the blade, as long as it is in good condition, you can sell it here!

Strop with patience to concentrate on technique - you will soon have muscle memory and will be able to tell if there is too much pressure, not enough, etc.

Read all you can about honing. I have a hone arsenal at the moment, but no blade has touched them...I'm not done reading yet...and even then I have an "El Cheapo" blade from eBay to practice on.

Again, Welcome!



Greg

Personally speaking, your best bang for the buck on a razor will come from the sales pages right here. You will get a good razor that shaves well and an honest appraisal of its condition for less than you would pay for the same razor elsewhere. Used is always cheaper than new and with razors often better quality too.

Welcome to the forum, of course you must realize you are now doomed. Don't worry it is a good kind of doom. There is simply no place anywhere to get better advice about straight razor shaving. Just keep in mind that the art of straight razor shaving is very personal, and everyone will develop thier own preference in blade, brush, strop, hone, cream, and soap.


My advice to you is what I would do if I knew then what I know now. Buy a brand new strop of your choice from Tony Miller, and get a practice strop with it. If you just get one of his beginner strops you WILL want one of his higher end strops later. It is only like $5 extra to get a practice strop with any of his high end strops so you will not mess up the good one. Personally his Red Latigo 3" strop is just awesome.

Any razor you buy on this forum from a member is great for starting out. It will be shave ready, and as your blade tastes mature you can sell it back on this forum if you want. You can also buy a brand new razor if you like just make sure you have it professionaly honed.

I would not worry about getting a hone or paddle strop just yet. Get comfortable with shaving and stropping. It should only take you a few months. If your razor starts to get dull on you then start looking at a hone or a paddle or bench strop. Once you do get to that point I would reccomend a pasted paddle strop first as they are much easier to use than a hone.

Jonathan,

Welcome from a fellow newbie!!! You've already received lots of great advice, but just in case it might help to here a few comments from a fellow newbie's perspective, allow me to ramble a bit.

Originally Posted by Big Justice

A few weeks ago, I was looking through a magazine and saw an ad for the Art of Shaving. Always wanting to look my best, I checked it out. Through looking into some other options, I discovered this extremely unique world.

I find it interesting to hear about the various paths that lead people to straight razor shaving. I discovered the world of straight razor shaving thanks to a horror movie, 13 Gantry Row. In the movie a couple bought an old house and while restoring it they found a straight razor inside a wall. The guy became fascinated with it. So, he went out and found a barber to hone it, teach him how to use it, and even found a strop somewhere. After watching the movie I thought, "Yea, right. Could someone really go out and find everything needed to shave with a straight razor that easily?" I honestly thought no one used straight razors in this day and age. Thankfully, a little Googling proved me wrong.

Originally Posted by Big Justice

Fast forward. When I finally told my wife about my new hobby (we do not live together during the week) she was extremely surprised I did not go the straight razor route.

First of all, run out and buy your wife a present she will really like. I'm single myself but from what I hear most wives are not quite so understanding about this hobby. You're very lucky.

Originally Posted by Big Justice

I had to admit my absolute fear.

Been there, done that. Is there a t-shirt I can get from somewhere? After discovering the world of straight razor shaving I ended up starting with a DE instead of a straight partially due to the fear factor and partially due to the costs. I'm glad I finally got over it and tried a straight. I've only shaved with a straight four times so far but it is definitely more enjoyable than shaving with a DE for me.

Originally Posted by Big Justice

First off, I have taken the abundance of advice that suggested Lynn Abrams' DVD. That should be arriving any day now. (Wish I could have downloaded, paid for it and watched it the same day, but I digress.)

Good choice. When my DVD came in I lost track of the time watching it, got very little sleep that night, and was barely functional the next day at work. I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined I'd ever find anything shaving related so enjoyable. Before I discovered the straight and DE shaving worlds I absolutely hated shaving. I even wore a beard for almost a decade to avoid shaving.

Originally Posted by Big Justice

Third, honing has never been something I was any good at. I look forward to learning some things from the DVD, but the Norton 4k/8k seems pretty universally recommended. I will probably wait a little bit on this, simply because I am on a student's budget.

I'm with you on that one. Somewhere down the road I plan to get a hone and an "el cheapo" razor to torture, um, I mean practice honing on. I would truely love to learn to hone well enough to keep my razors in shape but suspect I might have to depend on the honing services of others for quite a time. I'm more of a computer geek than a handyman.

Originally Posted by Big Justice

Here are my criteria. I have no problem spending extra money when the value (defined quality to price) is high. I do not want to spend a tremendous amount of money on something that I am not going to enjoy, but at the same time, I do not necessarily want to go as low as I can if quality suffers.

As others have, I'd recommend checking out the Buy/Sell/Trade forum here. If you buy a razor from someone in that forum and they say it's shave ready, it's shave ready. There's a wide range of razors offered there from fairly plain inexpensive razors that will give a great shave to fancier more expensive razors that will also give a great shave. If you're not sure you will like straight razor shaving you might want to start out with a more inexpensive razor to get you started and see how you like it.

Originally Posted by Big Justice

I understand that DOVO seems to be a good brand, as well as TI, but should I really consider one over the other as my first razor. In other words, am I going to be so disappointed in a few months with one, that it would have been a much better idea to spend the extra money at the beginning for the better razor, even if marginally better at the beginning.

From what I've heard about both brands I don't think you'd be disappointed with either anywhere down the road. But, it's very much a personal preference kind of thing. Some brands of razors that some people love, others hate. I purchased a Geneva razor from JoshEarl via the Buy/Sell/Trade as my starter razor and have been very happy with it. I had never heard of the brand before I saw his posting. Keep an eye on the postings in the Buy/Sell/Trade forum. If you see a razor you like the looks and price of, ask some questions. The seller, and others, will be more than happy to offer guidance/advice to help you decide if the razor would be a good one to start with.

Originally Posted by Big Justice

The same thing goes for the strop. I will definitely go to Tony Miller. But is the lowest quality (I know it is still great) going to be good for a year, or is it something I am going to have to replace with another hanging strop in a few months. I know the paddle will come sooner than later, but that is not so much a problem now.

That depends. When learning to strop it's easy to misfire and cut into the strop with the razor. So far, I haven't done it yet, but I'm only four shaves into the learning process. I'm sure I might eventually. If well cared for, a strop should last for years. I went with Tony's "#4 Starter Strop" to start with. But I do find myself eyeing fancier strops from time to time. Have you heard about AD yet? That stands for Acquisition Disorder and describes the tendency for those involved in this hobby to keep acquiring more and more shaving stuff.

Originally Posted by Big Justice

Finally, when it comes to the blade, what size is recommended for getting started. It seems that 5/8 blades are quite common , almost standard, but should I consider something else in the beginning? I am a pretty large guy, so my face is nice and big and round.

Again, size is very much a personal preference kinda thing. My starter razor is a 6/8, and I'm happy with it. I'm also a big guy and I don't think I'd like any of the really narrow razors. I'd probably like a 5/8, and would also probably like razors that are larger than my 6/8.

Originally Posted by Big Justice

Alright, I've got the bug. I love this stuff already. Thanks in advance for any information. I greatly appreciate it.

I know what you mean. I never thought I'd be this excited about shaving.

Kevin