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I've been getting tired of my current razor, and have decided to switch over to a much more durable and environmentally friendly straight razor. Can anyone give me some advice on where to find everything I'll need to get started, and what I need to know when switching from conventional razors?
Welcome.
My best advice is look in the classifieds section here for a shave ready razor. You should not have to pay much for one and some of our members even sell kits with a shave ready razor, strop, brush, etc. Look up member Kenrup in the member's list and PM him if he does not have anything in the classifieds.
The only other thing I can say is read a ton of the posts on this site about any topic you're looking for. Your first few shaves will most likely not seem stellar to you and at wost will be uncomfortable until you gain technique and confidence.
Enjoy!
Chris L
welcome to the forum, 1st off i would say is to purchase a copy of lynn abrams dvd on straight razor shaving it had so much information about shaving and maintaining a straight razor that you will find nessecary in order to start the correct way, not how i did, lol seriously it is fantastic for new and old timers alike thats what i would recommend your 1st purchase to be, razors you can easily find in the classified section here also, i would do a lot of reading before i made a purchase of any hardware though, this site and the dvd i mentioned is a pleathura of information on the subject, check out the vendors here also tony miller makes very good strops as well as our other members here that are into stropmaking, id start with the dvd and if you decide it is not for you you can easily resell it here at the classified section, no minimum post requirement like some other sites ive been on, glad to have another straight shaver onboard
I would highly recommend that you purchase Lynn's CD and digest that information before you do anything else.
If you want to start accumulating the necessary equipment, then I too would recommend Kenrup for a first razor. He also has some reasonable starter strops. Tony at The Well Shaved Gentleman, Heirloom Razor Strop Company, Straight Razor Shaving Supplier has some of the best strops going; he also has a very reasonable apprentice strop. Crabtree & Evelyn has a very nice badger brush for under $50.00. For soaps, there are many choices but one of my favorite sources is Momma Bear, one of the vendor's that advertises on our site.
No matter where you get your razor, make sure it is in shave-ready condition. Do not take any manufacturer's word that a razor is shave ready. It just does not happen. Get a honemeister to hone it for you.
To maintain your razor once it is in shave-ready condition, you can use a strop with CrO on it to keep the polish on the edge. If I were to buy one hone to maintain my edge, it would be a yellow coticule. Keep in mind that this is not a hone to repair an edge, just to touch up the polish on the edge. Until you get the hang of shaving, you may want send out your razor every 3-6 months to get it rehoned. This costs about $20.00.
Well, that is a starter for you. Bottom line: get Lynn Abrams CD; there is a lot to learn and this CD is packed full of information.
Check out the classifieds here too. The members are often selling great stuff.
X
welcome to srp
there are many places to find good gear, more important is that you found this place, as you can get a lot of advise and support from people who had been at this for a while.
check the stiky posts in this section - they are a good place to start.
don't hesitate to ask any specific questions, here or in the irc chat.