Thread: Hi everybody!

Hi guys!

My name is Martin and I'm from Sweden. Have been reading the forums, wiki and classifieds for a while and now it's time to get an account and get acquainted

A while ago I got into the idea of straight shaving. I don't really know why, I kind of got obsessed with them, shaving, honing, the whole deal .I started to search the Internets finding a bunch of videos on YouTube and finally ending up here.

Since it's a little too expensive to just buy a kit and start out I bought two old straights on the Swedish equivalent to EBay just to see what they actually felt/looked like (...and for honing/stropping training and maybe some restoration) .

Here they are:






Since my Phillips electric shaver broke recently I figured buying a straight razor wouldn't be that much more expensive than a new machine(..and in the long run I would even save money!). I looked in the classifieds and found a beautiful 7/8 Wade & Butcher that looked really awesome!(not a beginner shaver but damn what a good looking blade) I am now waiting for it to arrive!
In the mean time I decided to get a Dovo Shavette, just to get the hang of how sharp a straight "should be" and feel against the skin.
I really looked forward to having the Shavette at the end of this week (to be able to heal cuts and snags until the following week..). Due to a screw up at that particular web shop, the razor wouldn't arrive until mid next week .
I got my hands on some no-name shaving soap and badger brush so I am now training my lathering skills

I've had large side-burns connected with my mustache for a long time and basically only shaved the chin and neck. I am now shooting for shorter sides and also keeping the mustache.
I was prepared to straight shave this weekend but due to the incident with the shavette I had to settle with a yellow Bic razor... It wasn't all that bad compared to multiblades and machines I've used but then again I haven't shaved the rest of my face for a long time....

Now I am ready to meet a real blade and see how it goes!

Thanks for listening and thanks for a really nice place!


./Martin

Welcome!

It sounds like you're off to a running start, but I'll give one piece of advice.

Relax, and take your time. A lot of people (myself included) jumped in a little too fast and had a few really terrible shaves.

At first, whether with a shavette or a real straight, go for comfort rather than closeness. The closeness will come with practice, and turning your face into hamburger to get a smooth shave takes all the fun out of it.

In any case, have fun.


Oh, and I love that frame-back. That's a nice looking razor.

I'll try to be careful and let it take time
Thanks!

Hello Martin,
Those look like they'll make decent shavers. I've got a Heljestrand & it takes an amazing edge. The bottom one looks like it'll need the blade wear straightening out a little.
The shavette thing will give you a basic idea, but the shaves will probably be a little harsher & you'll have to watch out that the sharp corners don't bite you! The W&B will be far smoother i believe.
As VeeDubb said, do as we say & not as we do, & take it steady at first! Your skin will probably be irritated at first as it becomes accustomed to the new regime, but after a couple of weeks you should be getting far more comfortable shaves.
I get a great shave but decided to go for optimum closeness last week & ended up with about 100 ingrowns! Find what works for you & just enjoy it!

You may want to check with the American Mustache Institute, the global authority on mustache issues which you can easily find by typing "mustache" into a Google search engine.

Welcome to SRP Martin. Here is a post by SRP founder Lynn Abrams that helped me ease into straight razor shaving. Read my sig below to help avoid nicks and cuts. It has worked for me and at least one other forum member that I know of.

Originally Posted by drabefroman

You may want to check with the American Mustache Institute, the global authority on mustache issues which you can easily find by typing "mustache" into a Google search engine.

Welcome to SRP. Thanks for the post. I hadn't heard of the American Mustache Institute. I had a mustache for decades but getting into shaving to that extent that I did I finally shaved it off just to have more to shave. For anyone else who is interested here is the website. I may even grow mine back.

Originally Posted by drabefroman

You may want to check with the American Mustache Institute, the global authority on mustache issues which you can easily find by typing "mustache" into a Google search engine.

Thanks a bunch!!

G'day & Welcome Martin
The Frameback may be a bit of a honing challenge but nice razors to start with.