Thread: Introduction and a Question

Welcome!

So... the evil barber of fleet street did the trick? Good... probably the only good thing about the movie... other than making up with your girlfriend after having an argument on "who's prettier? me or Johnny Dep? Remember... I have the "real" straight razor in the closet...". Making up is good!

So... since I have no experience that I can share with confidence (I leave that to the experienced gurus... ) I might tell you my story:
I decided to "convert" to straight razor shaving some months ago. I went to the supermarket to buy disposable razors and got insulted by the prices. That, I must assume, was the "click". I started, much like you, to investigate a lot on the subject, making calculations, downloading document after document and reading all I could find on stright razor shaving. Of course, the first thing I did was join this comunity (best thing I did... this is, in fact, an enormous information pool and you can get vitualy every question answered. One thing you can't do though... and that is experience things by yourself and find out - sometimes the hard way - what is a "do" and a "don't". But it's part of the learning curve.).

I found my razor, strop and a hone for sale on the classified section of this site. The guy who sold it to me was very nice and also sent me Lynn's DVD. I highly recomend this DVD... I learned a lot from it.

Concerning the brush and the cream or soap... I guess it's a personal choice. I've always used my Dad's old brush and I don't care if it's badger, boar or whatever... It works fine for me. And I use plain shaving cream like Palmolive or even Gilette. Obviously I look forward to having both a pure badger brush and lush fragrant Taylor of Bond Street creams... but for now, what I have works great.

The 2 most important things are the razor and the strop. These have to be good. I bought a Dovo 5/8 "best quality" razor and a Dovo stop. I find the razor to be quite confortable and forgiving. I like it a lot. The strop.. well... one word of advide, if I may: don't ever, ever, ever apply anything to the strop before you ask to any of the more experienced guys what to do, how to do it and even if you need to do it. Believe me... it makes a diference. I didn't do as I am telling you and had a hard time for a while (I applied some black paste to my strop and, when I found out I shouldn't strop daily on it... I was stropless! Solution: made my own strop!)

However, the important thing is to feel confortable and to find out what works for you. Shaving is a personal thing... there is no need to "uniformize"; but we should do as we are told until we know better!

Once again... welcome!

Thanks guys!

I think that was pretty much everything I needed to here. I'll be picking up a DVD too, and stopping by the local barber shop for advice. I'm really amazed at how friendly everyone here is, very considerate to the noobs.

Joining in the welcome!

Originally Posted by TheDoctor

I'm really amazed at how friendly everyone here is, very considerate to the noobs.

Very true. (I speak from experience, being a noob myself.) This is a great site.

Originally Posted by TheDoctor

Thanks guys!

I think that was pretty much everything I needed to here. I'll be picking up a DVD too, and stopping by the local barber shop for advice. I'm really amazed at how friendly everyone here is, very considerate to the noobs.

Speaking of which, if you ever need any help your always welcome to stop by. Its a trek for you but some people have come far and wide for a honing lesson (and lunch ).

I think your near Tony Miller too.

Originally Posted by TheDoctor

Also, I know I need soap, a brush, a strop and a hone, but that seems to be about it. I'm looking to get as much as I can from The Well-Shaved Gentleman and Classic Shaving, and the secondhand razor from the forum. Potentially a stand, too. I've already got a shaving mirror, and it shouldn't be terrible to sacrifice a house-mug for the shaving cause, right? Besides that, are there any cheaper alternatives to the fifty-dollar-plus brushes I see everywhere?

yes, when I got started I picked up a little set from walmart, boar brush, bowl, and very decent soap... I believe the whole kit was eight bucks. great way to get going, and it's very cheap. I actually still have the brush and bowl and use them for travelling.

I shaved one day last week by rubbing bath soap up in my hands, scrubbing it up on my whiskers, stropping on my hand, and shaving away. Fast and cheap!

I only wish it hadn't been such a nice shave.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Speaking of which, if you ever need any help your always welcome to stop by. Its a trek for you but some people have come far and wide for a honing lesson (and lunch ).

I think your near Tony Miller too.

Yeehaw, thanks for the offer! I damn well might take you up on it. I saw you're in VA, anywhere near Fairfax? My girlfriend's folks live in Reston and I make semi-regular trips down thataway during her breaks from school.

And I'm a little nervous about asking for help from The Well Shaved Gentleman guys. They sound like they've got a lot on their plates without newbies banging on the door too. Maybe, though. I -do- still need a non-borrowed strop, and I can't find any reviews on the cheaper alternatives, so an order from monsieur Miller might be the way to go regardless.

But! I've got a mug, a boar hair CVS brush, a disc of Williams Mug and a razor. Excepting a strop, that's damn near all I need, right?
(I even got a stytic pencil. I'm known to be on the heavier side of clumsiness.)