Thread: DE User Going to a Straight Razor

Hello all,
I am new to the forum and just wanted to say hello to everyone. I started shaving about a month ago with my grandfather's old Gillette SS, and am fascinated at the quality of shaves I have been getting. I joined another shaving forum recently, and my collection of razors, SS & SC, AS....has grown and continues to multiply, so I was hoping to find a straight razor and begin trying with that. Thanks for all the information and I look forward to knowing you guys.

Mike

Mike,

Welcome! You'll find a ton of great information here as well as a bunch of incredibly generous people. Come on in the water is fine.

Enjoy!

Welcome Mike.
Honestly, getting a straight won't help you cure your new addiction disorder. Now you will have to add straights to the mix. Straights are much more personal than a DE (IMHO) and you develop a strange attraction for certain ones, based on name, look, all sorts of things. You will also develop odd preferences that no doubt are similar to the way the ancients had a personal attachment to a certain sword.
Odd sounding, but just wait.

I will also throw in that it is unlikely you will pick up the straight quite as quickly as the DE, there are a lot of angles and techniques to learn, not to mention seemingly simple things like stropping take a little while to do "right". Many will recommend you get your first razor honed by a "honemeister" (a term coined on this forum to denote someone who excels at getting a shave ready edge on a straight). I did not take that route, and by the time I did buy a razor from one of these individuals I'd discovered the "trick"(painfully) on my own from reading here and watching and listening to some of those same individuals.
What I *would* recommend, (others will no doubt disagree with me) is to decide on what sort of hone you wish to use with your razor, a Norton 4k/8k is a pretty standard recommendation around here for around 70 USD, and there is much information for the proper use of one on the forum (do a search for Lynn's "pyramid" method).
Get two razors, both preferably used, one "shave ready" from someone well known here, and another of a name you've seen positively recommended on the forum, from a flea market or ebay. Make sure it has good pictures and is in decent shape. Your mission, is to then make the ebay razor as sharp as the one from the pro. Feel free to use one of the 10USD RadioShack microscopes to see what is happening at the edge-I did, and it helped....
Watch any videos on here you can. Watch Lynn's videos, Watch the series by David(heavydutysg135) and go to town.

What fun is using a razor that is "shave ready" when you have to send it off all the time, after all? Might as well buy a Shavette or Feather if only shaving is the goal.

The satisfaction is well, well worth it, even if the girlfriend/wife/dog/whoever looks at you strange the first couple times you start stropping a straight in the morning...


Welcome to the forum

John P.

Welcome Mike,

I'm a newbie myself and have only been straight shaving for about 2 weeks. Previously I used DE for nearly two years. There is a definite learning curve with the straight, but given my experiences and the number of members here, it is readily achievable. After 7 shaves I can get about 85% of the way towards the BBS shaves I got from my DE.

The type of razor, hones, strops etc.. you get will be down to available funds. I bought a Wapienica which was shave ready and like John P said, it gives you a bench mark to relate. Buying a shave ready razor is, in my humble opinion, the easiest and most sensible route to take

This forum has masses of information on it and really friendly, helpful members. Take the time to read the posts, use the search function and ask when you need answers. Hope you enjoy the straight experience as much as I do.

Nick

Welcome!

Welcome! You are in the right place to find out everything you need to know about straight razor shaving.

Thanks for the welcome guys. I have to admit, I was really nervous the first time I used a DE, so you can imagine how I will be with the first shave from a straight razor. I certainly plan on doing as much reading from this board as possible before taking the plunge. Thanks again for all the welcomes and great information.

Mike

Mike:

Welcome to SRP.
Step one: Add a line item to your montly budget for RAD
Step two: Make room in your Shave Den for new additions
Step 3: Do a lot of reading on this forum regarding technique and don't forget the videos.

Good luck

Wellcome and just do it!

Welcome to the SRP.I think your really gong to like the straight experience!