Have you ever done someting stupid!

LOL, I have! So, I before I found this site I decided that I wanted to start shaving with a straight razor, but didn't want to spend the money, not me mister cheapo.

So as my story goes I go down to the local beauty supply store where I pick up my handy dandy $5 straight razor that uses SE blades that can be replaced. Then I get some cheap williams soap at the grocery store and a $5 brush. I mean, with this great equipment I'm set to go (actually the soap wasn't too bad as I'm used to the can stuff).

After I buy all this, I find this fantastic site, watch some videos, and read some wiki. Needless to say I have a long way to go and a lot to learn.

1st lesson: BUY GOOD EQUIPMENT. Ok, so amazingly enough I'm actually getting the hang of it and am getting a better shave with my cheapo than I did with my gillette. Who knew! But, lesson was learned and I'm excited to announce that I have a used blade on the way that I bought from the classifieds here. I also ordered a sample pack of soaps from Colleen at the gentlemen's quarter, I here on the forum that they are great.

Anyway, I'm new here and look forward to getting to know everyone and learning more lessons as we go.

welcome to srp :D sounds like you learned your lesson fast :rofl2: you can get a good shave without spending a lot of money but your equipment has to be half way decent. great move buying from the classifides at least you did not buy a zeepk. did you order a strop as well? if not check out tony millers beginner strop at the well shaved gentleman srp is a great community and everyone is willing to help keep us posted and :gl:

Welcome, Kaz. Looks like you are on the right track!

Welcome to SRP! I hope you enjoy your new (to you) straight.

yes, many a time...

Stupid? I once mixed beer, red wine, white wine, run, champagne and cake. I still feel really sorry for the fellow walking that roadside when I had to put my head out of the window.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kaz

... I also ordered a sample pack of soaps from Colleen at the gentlemen's quarter, I here on the forum that they are great. ...

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Good to know your ears are working. :D

X

Welcome..

to be honest it doesn't sound that stupid to me...

I started out with a Shavette as well.. just to see if I liked shaving with a straight in the first place..

Now you have two advantages..
1- you learned how to shave with a straight the hard way.. with the real straight will be easier and more comfortable..
2- you have a great always shaveready straight razor if you need to get your real straight rehoned or if you are going to travel.. or dont want to strop for any reason.


Maarten

Hello Kaz. Welcome to SRP. A big part of Straight Razor Shaving is the Zen type of feeling when you are shaving. You get a part of that with the DE when learning the shave prep with badger brushes, hot lather from real shave soap and the extra time spent by yourself. The other part is learning the straight with blade angle, stretching the skin and where the point of your blade is. After a few shaves the shave is more relaxing and you feel more comfortable putting the blade to your face. All of us want to be frugal but we need a few basic high quality tools to make this new Zenship apply to us.

1. Sharp smooth Razor
2. Quality leather Strop
3. Badger Brush
4. Good Shave Soap

What you start with has 100 different answers and what you get after your basic set including what you use for maintaining your blade has 100 different answers also. That is the fun of the trip. Good Luck.

bj

Minimal investment to try something new? Not always stupid. I was on the other end of the spectrum. When I first started into straights I bought a new Dovo, strop, soap and all the other necessary items. Could have been stupid, several hundred dollar investment without ever trying a straight before. I’m glad that one worked out for me.

LOL! Another expensive lesson well learned! I'm with ya brother. Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the great comments. I can't wait to get my new straights in the mail.

I did get my new soaps from TGQ and they smell great, I'm going to try the Leatherneck tomorrow morning! Hope my wife likes it :w

Have I ever done anything stupid? Well, I'm assuming you mean other than women and alcohol. As far as shaving goes, I went nearly twenty years using nothing but Williams shaving soap because that was the only soap I ever saw in the grocery store. I also only used cheap boar brushes that only lasted about 2 years each because that was the only kind of brushes I ever found in low end department stores, where, by the way, they also only sold Williams soap. I discovered better shaving soap while looking for fru-fru girly soap stuff for my wife. I didn't learn about badger brushes until finding this site. Both the soap and badger brush made a huge difference for me.
Until I found this site, I thought I could get by with just a dozen straight razors, three Norton hones, and a Swaty. Now I know better.

Have fun correcting your mistakes!