Thread: Yet another newbie

Hey there guys, its cool to see places for straight razors that are still fairly active. I'll keep this short. I'm turning 20 soon and perhaps for my 20th birthday I have been pondering the notion of finally getting a straight razor. Its greener than typical disposable razors, and more affordable considering the outrageous cost of the disposables.

So I have snooped around, checked out various online stores, reading up on how to hone, etc. I even went to a local barber and he seemed less than enthused at the idea of a 'kid' inquiring about straight razors. He insisted that I would cut myself and that he would be responsible if he showed me how or sold me a straight razor. His partner though felt less put off at the idea and instead handed me a catalog which they supposibly order from and it features maybe about 5 or 6 different razors priced from $20 to just under one hundred... I am not so sure about these.

Now I think I am at the point where I need to start experimenting and getting the feel for things for myself rather than just watch videos or read tutorials...

Thing is, I don't know where is a good start at actually acquiring straight razors and the rest of the ensemble. Any thoughts? I'm not looking to dump my life savings into a straight razor but I don't mind putting in more funding into this if it is worth it.

As far as I know with my limited knowledge, this blade here seems like a decent pick. Made in Germany, fair price, and is not made of stainless steel... Thoughts?
DOVO Straight Razors

--LC.

Thing is, I just feel a little put off from scrounging about for a previously owned razor. I know some people talk of getting one for cheap at swap meets and such but that just does not appeal to me and this being my first razor, I want to ensure that there is not guess work involved with it. I saw in Lynn's video or what was posted on Youtube about how to check for a good razor, rejecting any that have loose or cracked handle, turn away anything with rust on it, or any nicks in the blade, but something still doesn't appeal to me.

Also just getting the razor is the first step, but afterwards I need to try and find the right strop, soap, brush, and other goodies that come with it for maintenance and preparation of my razor.

Right, it's your choice, really.
I personally like previously used razors, especially the ones that come from people who shave with them. I think right now I have only one razor that I broke the seal of the box, and it's likely not going to stay with me for too long either.
Even my custom made ones were honed and shave tested before they came to me (my choice, of course).

You should get your razor honed by somebody else though. Won't have the 'brand new' thing in it anymore, but at least it'll shave.

well, even though honing is fairly straightforward it usually takes some practice before you can put a decent edge on a razor. by all means give it a try if you insist. get a blade for double edge (safety) razor too, that's pretty much the sharpness you're aiming for.

brushes tend to be highly personal preference - check your local drugstores, they may have synthetic and boar brushes.

for a hone, the best option is the norton 4000/8000, possibly with a lapping plate.

from another new guy the same age as you (for now, at least) I would take the advice of all the guys on here RE the razors and strops you should be going for.

Kenrups starting kit for example is $78 (iirc) and includes a starter strop (which, by all accounts you WILL damage) and a wapi razor which have a good reputation for being noob friendly, but also, perhaps, for being a better razor than the money would suggest.

These are a good group of guys on here who seem to take their reputations seriously, so buying a shave ready vintage, or new, razor from a recommended user might be a better bet than buying a popular branded razor from a 'faceless' company.

Just my two cents, enjoy the experience either way!

Originally Posted by LuckyCynic

As far as I know with my limited knowledge, this blade here seems like a decent pick. Made in Germany, fair price, and is not made of stainless steel... Thoughts?
DOVO Straight Razors

--LC.

It is a very good razor. ClassicShaving has outstanding reputation.
It's good that you go for the "presharpened" option. Such razors receive additional honing attention at ClassicShaving. The factory edge on new razors often does not provide the best shave.

Make sure you read the Wiki information on stropping. The quickest way for a newbie to loose the edge on his razor, is stropping malpractice. Unlike all other methods of shaving, you can't just toss the blade when dull and simply reach for a new one. That's obvious, but not everyone realizes how frustrating the learning curve can become if the sharpness of the blade has to be second guessed.
On the same note: once the razor arrives at your home, don't test the sharpness on anything but human hair. (no paper slicing, etc...)
You could also pick up a strop at ClassicShaving. I would like to make a special recommendation for the hanging strops that are made with the "Russian" process. (the Dovo Russians and the Illinois #829.

StraightRazorDesigns, the unofficially "resident" shop of SRP, also sells Dovo razors, among others. All are honed to excellence. They carry every imaginable shaving item you might need. I'm including this so you could look at alternative options, which is always a good thing to do.

Welcome to SRP,
Bart.

Originally Posted by LuckyCynic

As for brushes, I haven't seen any drugstore or anything nearby that carries such items. I've asked and its just not part of the mainstream anymore. What is the difference between the different types of brushes? AFAIK, Badger is softer and produces more fluff where as synthetic is cheaper but not as 'luxurious' as badger or boar brushes.

And for a hone... I won't lie, I have no idea what you are talking about there. Why would I grab up a safety razor's blade also? Just to compare my straight razors edge to it?

I wouldn't bother with buying sharpening stones (hones) just yet. It's best learning to shave first. Learning how to keep your razor sharp is something that comes later.

Same thing for the brush. You need a brush, but almost any brush will do (in pinch even a paint brush). I wouldn't spend all my money all at once. Buy an entry level brush from a specialized shaving gear store, learn to know what you like and dislike in that brush and reward yourself with a nicer one, at your first anniversary as "straight shaver" or another cheerful occasion.

Bart.

there's just got to be a store carrying brushes in chicago. it's not mainstream, but it's there. even the small convenience office supply store nearby has williams soap, styptic pencil and shaving brushes 70% of the time.

just call a couple of places, wallgreens, walmarts, cvs, rite-aid... one of them would have it.

or what about that catalogue?

the difference between brushes is pretty much how they retain water, how flexible the knot is and how it interacts with your skin. the first qualities determine the creating of lather out of water and soap/cream, the last is how that lather is transfered onto your face. there's no way any of us can tell you what to get - you have to go through trying yourself. i think i've tried 30-ish or so brushes and have currently settled on 2. Both are badger, and rather expensive, but that's my choice all factors considered.

You'd want a safety razor blade for comparison, indeed. How would you otherwise know how sharp your razor needs to be? I mean you do have kitchen knives - my guess is that you haven't tried shaving with say a small pairing one, but if you do you'll find that it's really dull. If that's the sharpest edge you've ever created, you'd need to go quite a bit further.

This can be avoided by having somebody else hone that razor for you, either at the vendor, or after you get it. The experience of those of us who've tried brand new razors is that they rarely come with sharp enough edge from the factory.

I suppose where I can start first off is just with grabbing the mug and soap and finding like you guys have said, an entry level brush and just sticking with what disposables I have for just a bit further while getting used to the brush and using that as a square one.

As far as hones go, it seems they have more depth than I thought. From what I saw from Lynn's youtube video, honing seemed like a fairly simple enough process. Maybe its just because he makes it look so easy and come to think of it, the local barber who advised against straight razors did mention that he does hone them for people. Btw, how often would a razor need to be honed? It probably goes hand in hand with how much the razor is used...

Good start though. One step at a time I suppose.

this sounds like a good plan, switching to lather should make a difference as your face gets better treatment. you should probably get a razor before you run out of disposables too, in case you find a fairly steep learning curve and need to have a fallback option while learning (I didn't and gave away my leftover cartridges and handles).

your local barber is probably a good choice to sharpen your razor. i'd imagine he has the experience do do it. of course this would be pretty much the same as buying it prehoned at the vendor, and we know that the guys who hone for classicshaving, straightrazordesigns, and vintageblades will put the best possible edge on that razor.

honing isn't all that hard, but go to the basic honing section and read the threads from guys who're learning. that'll probably give you a good idea of what to expect.

as far as how often a razor needs honing, the numbers vary a lot based on the razor, the beard and the skill of the person shaving. 2 weeks should be the minimum, and it can probably go up to few years.