Thread: Come say hi to the new guy

G'day & welcome JSW.
You forgot to mention the great free entertainment that comes with every membership. Wicked James & Mark, you'll both have to be spanked

Welcome and watch out for the contraction of the RAD virus!

Welcome! You've come to the right place. My first piece of advice... and you'll hear this everywhere you look, but I'll say it again anyway.. make sure that whatever razor you buy, from wherever you buy it is specifically listed as "pre-honed" or "shave ready." Most new razors are not shave ready out of the box, however, many vendors do offer sharpening services for their razors so that it will in fact come to you ready to shave with. If you buy from the classifieds here (great idea!) just make sure that the section titled "Shave Ready" says "Yes"

On the other hand, if you find a razor you really want, but it's not yet shave ready, contact one of the honemeisters found in the classifieds section, and they'll sharpen her up for ya for a small fee.

greetings and a bit of advice warning straight razor shaveing is habbit forming. and will amuse your stmbo

welcome 'new guy'

Hello!!

What they said minus the spankings and such.

Welcome!!

Hi and welcome! You are in for a treat. This is a great site and I never knew shaving could be such fun.
Dannyr

Dear Ya'll,
Really like this sight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have decided to try a traight razor. Have tried everything from electrics to disposables, several use-disposables, double-edged, mug-brush-soap, junk-from-can, ... and nothing works very well. Shave is close enuff, just not particularly comfy. Especially the next several days afterwards. Gets nasty. Especially if I shave more often than every 3 days. Ouch!!!
So, asked a guy I know who uses straights, about straights. He directed me to Straight Razor Designs & The Straight Razor Place. Have been reading, looking, watching, learning. Wrote to SRD, too. Very helpful bunch.
Was hesitant about shelling out the dough to get set up for straight razor shaving, if the results were not going to be any different with all the crap I've already tried. BUT -- keep reading, time after time, that other guys, with the same experience as me, tried straights -for the same reason I plan to, and they all say the same thing: The learning curve is steep, but the results are worth it, so stay with it. Results improve over time.
So, it will be mid-summer before I can implement my plan, but here it is: (Telling you guys, so you can offer suggestions, if you you can see areas for improvement.)

Call SRD & Buy a Dovo 5/8, carbon steel blade, ebony handle(shave ready), & a 3" red latigo strop.

Plan to wait to get hone. (How about a Norton 4000/8000?)

Have a stand & badger hair brush, but there is no maker's mark upon it. Don't know what kind it is. Handle is plastic/acrylic, says only "100% Badger." Plan to start with it. But, how critical to a good lather is the brush?

Want to try the Mitchell's Wool Fat soap, the SRD soaps, & some others. Looks to me like there are lots of soaps that are really good ones, and you just need to try several of 'em, & see what you like.

Need a cup/bowl. Pros/cons of wood vs. ceramic vs. acrylic vs. metal?

Need some sort of rack / stand to prop the razor on to let it dry. After you have shaved with it, & then cleaned it, How do you keep moisture from condensing on it & rusting the blade?

Overlooked anything?
Thanks for all the information & advice.
Shavingmule