Hi, new to the forums

Hey there!

I've recently developed an interest in wanting to shave with a straight razor. I know it will take a lot of practice, and patience to get it right, but it's something that I want to at least try. So, I've read a few topics in these forums and thought I'd post what I want to buy to start out. I would appreciate some some feedback on my choices for starting equipment. Thank you.

http://www.classicshaving.com/catalo...940/190308.htm
http://www.classicshaving.com/catalo...944/817101.htm
http://www.classicshaving.com/catalo...944/196094.htm


I'm still not sure on what blade size I should get though.

First, welcome to SRP!

Second, IMHO, you can't go wrong starting with a Dovo. Just make sure you pay the extra $20 to get it delivered honed and ready to go.

I don't know much about the Illinois strops, but if you visit thewellshavedgentlemen.com you can get one from Tony. His are all made by hand and I think pretty much everyone here will agree that they are the best on the face of the planet. Hands down.

The Norton 4k/8k is a good stone, but you could hold off for a little bit on that if you want. The shave-ready Dovo should last you for a while and the honing learning curve is quite steep. Many people like to pick up cheapies off Ebay to practice honing on so they don't damage a good blade. There are several guys around here who could tune up the Dovo in the meantime if you need it.....

Good luck!

Its all good my friend!!!! Welcome to the forum, by the way!! The only recommendation I can really make to you is in regards to razor size, the one you had listed was a 4/8, unless you have very fine hair I would recommend a 5/8 at least, maybe even 6/8. Let a few more members make posts and see what they say. It does look as if you been watching the forums and doing your homework, Congrats. Anyway, lets see what some of the others think and get you started down the road to a great shave. Stick around I think you'll like us!!!:tu

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Originally Posted by crichton

First, welcome to SRP!

I don't know much about the Illinois strops, but if you visit thewellshavedgentlemen.com you can get one from Tony. His are all made by hand and I think pretty much everyone here will agree that they are the best on the face of the planet. Hands down.

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I did consider looking for another strap, but money is an issue for me, so I'd rather buy everything from one place to limit shipping costs.

Can't say much that Eric hasn't already said.

I'd also start with a 5/8, its the most common size for a reason.

If you hold off for a while on the hone, or start out with diamond paste from classic on a $3 piece of balsa from the hobby store you can keep your razor going for a good long time without needing to buy a stone. That would free up some cash to get the strop of your dreams.

Welcome to the forum!!!

Don't forget to check out Lyn's video. I'm not sure how much we have up on here for free yet but whatever is there will help you out tremendously. I bought mine on DVD and haven't regretted it one bit.

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Originally Posted by nitram

I did consider looking for another strap, but money is an issue for me, so I'd rather buy everything from one place to limit shipping costs.

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That makes sense....I haven't heard anything bad about the Illinois strops, so don't take it that way. Classicshaving sells quality stuff and I'm sure these are no exception!

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Originally Posted by crichton

That makes sense....I haven't heard anything bad about the Illinois strops, so don't take it that way. Classicshaving sells quality stuff and I'm sure these are no exception!

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lol, I didn't take your comment negatively, don't worry about it!

I actually wanted to buy one from russia, but they seem to be out of stock with those, that's why I went with the Illinois one.

Too bad, the Russian ones are nice....thats what I started with. Now you just need to get some soap and a brush and you'll be good to go!

While trying out straight shaving, you definitely need a razor and a strop. Starting out, you might be better off without the hone. That is, the razor you buy will need to be honed but since you don't know how to shave or how to hone, it would be better for you to learn how to shave with a honed shave ready razor. That is, let someone else hone the razor the first time so that you can learn how to shave with a sharp razor. Then if it turns out straight shaving is not for you, then you have one less thing to unload.

Put it this way, what if you were trying to learn how to drive a car with a manual transmission while rebuilding the clutch? Learning how to shave and how to hone is like that. If you have trouble, you won't know if it's a problem with your having or your honing.

Regarding size, 5/8 is probably the most common starter size but 4/8 is fine. Basically get what you think you will be happy with. You can always buy another!

Sorry, when I started my response I would have been the first to respond but then I got distracted for a while. When I got back to the computer, I just finished up the message, hit reply, and saw that what I wrote was already redundant.

I have to learn to type faster.

Check out Vintage Blades too. they have a starter kit you might like wit a Russian leather strop. They carry some of Tony's strops too if you want the deluxe models. That would give you the one source option with some options Classic doesn't have.

Hi, I'm back, as for the Illinois strop goes, I have an old Illinois strop of Red Russian leather thats probably older than I am(48). Nothing wrong with that.

Does the vintage blades strop in this set have a leather and linen side?

http://vintagebladesllc.com/vshop/xc...cat=142&page=1

I you look at this page it seems like the strop in the basic set (a Russian leather 1-3/4" wide) has a cotton canvas side.

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Originally Posted by nitram

Does the vintage blades strop in this set have a leather and linen side?

http://vintagebladesllc.com/vshop/xc...cat=142&page=1

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Does cotton do the job alright? Because most of them seem to be linen.

Welcome! Seems like everyone has you covered so there's not much I can add.

I DO have a lot of faith in our B/S/T section, and I'll bet you could get a good shave-ready razor, strop and brush for less than what you'd pay on any of those sites. The guys on here LOVE to get newbies started, and I see some very generous offers from them.

I have heard very nice things about the Illinois strops, and I would also recommend 5/8 as a good starting size.

You really can't go wrong with Classic, Vintage Blades, or SRP. Go forth and buy with confidence!

~Chris

Sweet, thanks a lot for all the great info guys. I'll probably place an order later today.

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Originally Posted by nitram

Does cotton do the job alright? Because most of them seem to be linen.

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The strop I'm using is cotton, and it works alright for me, but I've never tried a linen strop. TM delivers both so I suspect it really boils down to personal preferences.