Thread: My first straight razor

So, I became inspired to shave with a straight razor by my local sporting goods dealer and I bought a razor, soap, and strop from him. See attached for picture of razor.

Please see attached. I have three questions.

Is this razor total crap? It hurts to shave with and I assume that it needs to be honed, but I'm wondering if I got ripped off, and, if so, I won't even bother. I'll get a new one.

Secondly, is there a honemeister whom I can contact in Boston?

Thirdly (that just doesn't seem like a word, does it?). Ok, fourth, I'm fortunate enough to be going to Paris soon and are there some suggestions for straight razor visits in this wonderful city? I have suspicions that there are.

Thanks

THe razor isn't total crap, a good honemeister should be able to get you some good shaves. Unfortunatly I can't help you with your other questions, as I'm not from Boston and still hoping someday to get across the pond.

What other gear do you have?

dshilo,
Welcome to SRP. Does the gentleman who supplied you with the gear actually shave with straights? If so, ask him about honing. I'm sure that if he is a fellow shaver he would be willing to offer a little more support than just saying, here's some tools, figure it out. I'll let others chime in on Paris and the honing question.

Good luck,

This is the standard Col. Conk razor. It is distributed by lots of outlets, including Premium knives, etc.

The factory says it is shave ready, but it is not. The retail outlet is just reselling without any improvement.

It is an excellent razor, by the way, you didn't waste any money, it's just that you have missed a step.

You need to send it to a honemeister to have it honed. I could do it, or you could send it to lots of other meisters here. Lynn Abrams at Straight Razor Designs is also a popular honmeister. There are ads in the classifieds as well.

After that, you will need to learn how to shave with a straight.

You are starting out pretty much the same way I did, over 15 years ago. Don't give up, there is lots of help here for you. If you get your razor honed, you will be shaving withing a few days of getting it back.

Good luck!!

I have found one or two addresses in Paris that may be of some interest; I have never been in any of them (wasn't that much interested in straight shaving last time I went to Paris... and I was working something like 12 hours a day in library...) so I am not able to give any comments, sorry... maybe somebody else will be able to give more info... but at least you'll have some addresses...

Planète Rasoir
58, rue de Clichy, 75009 Paris.
http://www.planete-rasoir.com/EN/index.html

Coutellerie Chastel
190 bd Haussmann
75008 Paris

L'Atelier Gentleman
17 Rue Caulaincourt
75018 Paris

Alain Maïtre Barbier
8 Rue Saint-Claude
75003 Paris
http://www.maitrebarbier.com/page/acueil.html

Alain Maître Barbier is the one who has to be visited.
He can shave you, teach you a lot about stropping, honing.

Here's his site : http://www.maitrebarbier.com/page/acueil.html

Originally Posted by fabricecar

Alain Maître Barbier is the one who has to be visited.
He can shave you, teach you a lot about stropping, honing.

Here's his site : http://www.maitrebarbier.com/page/acueil.html

Holy Mackeral! You are all rediculously resourceful and helpful. Many thanks. I'll send that razor to be honed today!

As for my other gear... I went for the other stuff at the same friendly knife store. A strop, a brush, and soap in a mug, all Conk (I'm so glad that I wasn't ripped off). The guy at the store does not shave with a straight, I asked... See below for pics.

Basically, I'm going for the minimal gear required, which will gradually and strategically be added to as time goes on. In general, I believe "light is right" more than "be prepared". Next comes a hone, i believe. Any suggestions?

Well I am pretty new, but you do not seem to have gotten anything that is clearly crap, and it seems to all be of good quality.

As for hones, is your minimalist aproach intended to minimize number of items, cost, or complexity?

From what people here have said it does not seem like a single hone is able to keep a razor sharp enitirely.

I can say that the Cronk Hone is not really something I would recomend. It is a peice of surgical arkansus stone on a board.

Originally Posted by PonderingTurtle

Well I am pretty new, but you do not seem to have gotten anything that is clearly crap, and it seems to all be of good quality.

As for hones, is your minimalist aproach intended to minimize number of items, cost, or complexity?

From what people here have said it does not seem like a single hone is able to keep a razor sharp enitirely.

I can say that the Cronk Hone is not really something I would recomend. It is a peice of surgical arkansus stone on a board.

Good question. I think that my goal includes ALL of these minimal approaches. Definitely can't do it all with one hone, eh? Well, what would you recommend for hones for a traveling fellow that likes to pack light?

I disagree with the idea one cannot do it all with one hone; many have done exactly that even in the beginnings of this forum. Closer to reality, I think, is that the addictive nature of this hobby leads one to purchase more and more hones, seeking finer and finer edges.
Much is done after the hone, when one transitions to the strop. How much one does on the strop depends a bit on the hone. If that makes any sense.
Depending on your mindset there are a few that would work nicely for the minimalist approach. Barber hones and small Belgian coticules come to mind, for instance. If you're anything like me however you'll get a ream of hones and constantly look for better and better.
Some of the most expensive hones are also quite small, for instance the Escher hones-aren't typically huge.
Good luck


John P.