Just saying hello to everybody here.

Hi everybody!
At the beggining I would like to ask you to forgive me my English mistakes as I am not a native English speaker and still learning it.

My name is Krzysztof (Chris in English) and I live in Cracow, Poland. It would be impolite to start using the forum without saying hello to other forum users, so that's why I made this thread. I was having a thought about using a straight razor on my brain about years or so and now, with some cash supplies, I decided to give it a try. I have already bought:
- Omega badger brush ( OMEGA, shaving brushes, badger shaving brush )
- Omega shaving soap ( http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...JL._SS400_.jpg ) <- any comments on that soap? I found nothing on forum about it.

I'm still looking for a razor, which is not easy task, because we do not have many straight razor sellers here in Poland. :mad: I'm looking for some kind of new, cheap Dovo razor and I have few questions: I have read about "shave ready" razors in the Wiki, however, do 12k grit chinese stone and a strop would be enought to make razor shave-sharp, if the razor is brand new from factory? I was thinking about buying the Norton 4k/8k combo, but I will have to import it from UK, so I would like to leave it for later, when the blade will get more dull. Do you know any good, low-price online shops in UK? It would be logical that shipping costs in UE should be lower than from US to UE, but it's not always true (e.g. in one shop I found that shipping costs from Germany to Poland was 10E and shipping from classingshaving.com is $11, note that Poland is neightbour country of Germany).

My idea was to buy a razor and make hanging hair and thumbpad tests, so I would know where I'm standing.
My post got quite long, so it's time to finish it. Once again, greeting to everybody!

Welcome to the Board. I am pretty new here myself but found everybody here to be polite and helpful. There is a huge knowledge base on this board so it is a great resource to get advice. I have been using a straight for over 20 years but have learned there was a lot I didn't know.

As to which razor you should get. Show some national pride and get a wapiencia. Yes, they are from Poland and are good blades. They are very reasonably priced also. One place that sells them new is the Invisible Edge but you may be able to find a used one if you ask around in the classified section or do some research.

Good luck and happy shaving.

Hello Kynio...
I see that you are from Poland...
Why don't you try Poland's own Wapienica razors? I hear that Waipienica II is quite nice razor, but I know nothing about the shops... You can read a review here...
For your first razor I would recommend taking a look in the classifieds section here rather than buying a new one from factory...
All you need for start is shave ready razor and a strop...
Chinese 12k will come in handy for touch up, once your edge starts to dull...
:gl:

I have a Wapi and consider it a fine shaver at a great price.

X

Hello Kyneo. Your english is very good but don't use the straight razor on your brain, just where hair grows on your skin, like your face. :D:D Just joking. I believe you will have a difficult time using a 12k to make a straight shave ready. It should be used to finish the edge and make the shave smoother. A coticule for the Ardens may be your best bet if the razor is not shave ready when you receive it and you want to hone it yourself. Better yet get a shave ready straight razor and other than stropping yo should not need to be concerned about the edge for a couple of months. :gl:

Welcome to SRP, Krzysztof. Your English is a whole lot better than my Polish and better than some of the native English speakers here.

I don't have a Wapi, but I've read nothing but good things about them here.

There is much to learn with straight razor shaving. I suggest getting a shave ready razor and strop, then concentrate on making lather and shaving. You can learn honing later. I like to hone knives, but straight razors are different. I am concetrating on the shave now and plan to get some hones in the next couple of months.

Enjoy your shaves.

Dave

I want to thank all of you guys for good advice and kind welcome. I was considering getting a Wapi, but I've read about some Wapis of bad quality that are on market. Well, the razor choice is decided, because I bidded today 5/8" Dovo Imitation Mother of Pearl. Could resist to buy this beauty ;) I will check it about when it comes and ask some more questions. I paid about $90. I hope it will be shave-ready, so I won't be worring about honing it.

I was thinking about getting a truly "shave-ready" razor from Lynn or classicshaving.com, but with shipping it would cost too much, I was looking for something cheaper.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joed

Hello Kyneo. Your english is very good but don't use the straight razor on your brain, just where hair grows on your skin, like your face. :D:D

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Well, I should work more on English idioms. :o

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tonsor

Welcome to SRP, Krzysztof. Your English is a whole lot better than my Polish and better than some of the native English speakers here.

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Thank you. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tonsor

There is much to learn with straight razor shaving. I suggest getting a shave ready razor and strop, then concentrate on making lather and shaving.

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I've got my brush and soap before Christmas and use it couple of times since then. Good lathering is not as easy as I thought!

Hi Kynio
Welcome to the site. I hope your shaving goes well. Making lather is a skill buT I'm sure you will learn it as you look at the information on this site.
have fun.
Dannyr

G'day & welcome Kynio.

Hope this helps
Preparation - Straight Razor Place Wiki