Thread: Checking in

Hi guys. I've been wet shaving with a DE for some time now and it's time to give the straight razors a try. I have a vintage straight which I bought off ebay (wrong I know after reading the Wiki) but I got a pretty good deal from a guy who sells lots of them and has good feedback. He sells as 'shave ready' and from what little I know the blade shaves pretty well. I will be investing in a strop soon so no doubt I'll be surfing this site for ideas.
The learning curve will be steep but I'm looking forward to having a go.
Cheers
Paul

Originally Posted by baggiez

Hi guys. I've been wet shaving with a DE for some time now and it's time to give the straight razors a try. I have a vintage straight which I bought off ebay (wrong I know after reading the Wiki) but I got a pretty good deal from a guy who sells lots of them and has good feedback. He sells as 'shave ready' and from what little I know the blade shaves pretty well. I will be investing in a strop soon so no doubt I'll be surfing this site for ideas.
The learning curve will be steep but I'm looking forward to having a go.
Cheers
Paul

First off welcome, Usually a razor is stropped before each shave so take care with the shaving or wait to get the strop.

Second, from the "having a go and cheers" can i assume Britian?

In my limited experience with buying "shave ready" razors off of ebay, I have yet to be able to shave with one. Looking at these razors under a stereomicroscope can be very enlightening. The last shave ready razor I bought had a total of 5 bevels. When I tried to tactfully inform the seller that there was a slight problem with his honing skills, he politely invited me to procreate with myself.

Hopefully you have had better luck than I have. You will definitely need a strop as soon as possible and that is a critical learning experience in and of itself. Good luck with your new endeavor. Read the newbie stickies and Wiki info. Don't hesitate to ask qeustions. Welcome to SRP!

Originally Posted by paco

First off welcome, Usually a razor is stropped before each shave so take care with the shaving or wait to get the strop.

Second, from the "having a go and cheers" can i assume Britian?

Australia, but we're all 'separated' by the English language aren't we . I think there are some other Aussies here too from what I've seen so far. Thanks for the tip on stropping - I won't have another shave with the straight until I have one.

Welcome!

What kind of razor did you get (pictures are always nice )? I second that advertised "shave-ready" blades aren't always what they appear. I'm not saying that the one that was sold to you wasn't, only that I've read many reports of newbies buying "shave-ready" blades that were clearly not. If you're doubting the shave-readiness of the razor you could always send it to one of our members for the royal honing treatment. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Ron (Utopian) is still offering free honing for newbies, so I would contact him if you considering going that route.

All that aside, congratulations on making the switch to the straight! Check out the wiki on this site if you have not already done so. It's chuck-full of useful information.

I managed to grab some photos of the razor I got from e bay. It's marked 'ground in germany' and is a 'WUG' brand if that means anything.
I've shaved with it a couple of times and if what I'm reading is accurate it's due to be stropped.
I quite like the razor and I've got past the 'I'm not putting that anywhere near my face' stage at least.
I will be chasing up a strop and i will be sure to read all the tips on your Wiki.
I think there is an Aussie who has offered to hone a razor for newbies so I will chase that option up too.
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Originally Posted by Utopian

...When I tried to tactfully inform the seller that there was a slight problem with his honing skills, he politely invited me to procreate with myself...

Welcome, Be careful with a "Shave ready" razor a professional honing may be in order. Continue with the Wiki ask questions and go slow. You may want to find a strop before you get started. I don't want to put an unready razor to my face at all. Without which yours will be quickly. Be patient there is a learning curve but as you learn you'll be amazed at just how good a shave can be. Good luck.