Thread: Brand new to straight blades...should i purchase this?

Hey everyone, first off let me just say how helpful this site has been to me so far. Im 24 and i shave every other day, try to keep it as clean as possible and im sick and tired of buying mach 3 blades. Ive been considering getting a straightblade for sometime now. I know that if i enjoy this i will end up getting another one in the future, but im just curious if this one is a good starting point. What do you guys think?
WM .ELLIOT&CO MADE IN GERMANY 21 - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

Also, could you guys point me in the direction of some "must have" accesories? I just want the bare essentials to get me started...i dont wanna drop a massive amount of money in the slim chance i cant get the hang of this.

Thanks in advance

I'm sure it is a nice razor. You'll need a strop, a brush, and some shaving soap and something to put it in (large coffee mug works).

I bought my starter set (with a razor) at

www.vintagebladesllc.com

There are other good on-line vendors as well. Welcome aboard! Warning... can be addictive...

-Chief

Welcome, That's a good starter blade. Not to expensive, German made, so it's good steel. Hi bud is a member in good standing. You'll need a strop at the very least for everyday. Check the classifieds and see if there are any out there. I know there's a member here that has some at very reasonable prices, I'm not sure what his name is right off the top of my head, but someone will chime in with that. Most of us use Shave Soaps/Creams with a brush, but hold off on that because a good brush is expensive, wait and see if you like this first before you invest in that. I'd probably use regular shave cream just until your sure....

that razor should be ok, hi_bud is a good member.
youll need a strop, shaving soap, a shaving brush, and a coffee mug to get started. youll be able to stay under 100 no problem.
*quick replies, when istarted to type there werre no replies

Most folks say don't start with a square point, but that is a good deal and the seller has a great reputation. Go ahead and get it. Just be careful and mind the point.
Good Luck!

It would be a good starter blade IMO. It's only slightly larger than the 5/8 I started with. Bare minimum you will need is a descent strop. If you want a better experience I'd say to get a shaving soap and brush as well. Hope this helps.

Welcome, I'm still learning but I'm pretty sure that will be a good razor. Yes, you will need the necessities Strop, brush, shave soap and something to work it in. Check out the WIKI it will give you a ton of information for beginners. Do not get disappointed when you struggle with your first shaves. Remember straight shaving is so much more than scraping the whiskers off your face it's an art and as I saw today with practice it will become the smoothest shave you can have. Enjoy your shaves take the time for yourself.

Welcome. I hope you grabbed that blade, a good deal for whomever bought it. You'll need a strop for sure. But practice on it with a butter knife first. So you don't wreck your new purchaces (Razor and Strop). Do your home work, look up the wiki stuff, and what helped me alot was watching Jockey's video posts. He's a cool cat with alot of knowledge. I once found a cheap brush, puck and bowl/scuttle for about 8$ at Wal mart. Good starting stuff. Let any of us know if you need anything. All the Best- Johnny

Thank you for the warm welcome everyone, lots of good info so far. Johnny, yes i did purchase the blade. Now ive been reading quite a bit about the different things i need. The stop doesnt seem to be too expensive, and i think i could upgrade to a better brush down the line. The thing that i see as being the most expensive is the honing stone (block, or whatever its called...im still figuring out the terms). So if i just have a strop starting off am i going to be ok for a while...and not have to go through the honing procedure for a bit? Im hoping the person who is selling me this blade is honestly selling me a "shave ready" product.

Thanks again for all the help, and keep giving me suggestions if you dont mind. Im trying to absorb as much as possible

Originally Posted by shorynot

Thank you for the warm welcome everyone, lots of good info so far. Johnny, yes i did purchase the blade. Now ive been reading quite a bit about the different things i need. The stop doesnt seem to be too expensive, and i think i could upgrade to a better brush down the line. The thing that i see as being the most expensive is the honing stone (block, or whatever its called...im still figuring out the terms). So if i just have a strop starting off am i going to be ok for a while...and not have to go through the honing procedure for a bit? Im hoping the person who is selling me this blade is honestly selling me a "shave ready" product.

Thanks again for all the help, and keep giving me suggestions if you dont mind. Im trying to absorb as much as possible

The good news is you DO NOT need a hone for a long time, so you'll have lots of time to research that topic. If you need your razor sharpened, there are a bunch of "honemeisters" here that will do an excellent job on your razor for a nominal fee. Once honed, if you have correct stropping technique, you should not need it touched up for months.

Once you have decided to move on to the dark art of honing, there are a bazillion options... check out the wiki "Maintaining Straight Razors". There is also a honing forum you can troll for information. Below is a useful sticky in the basic honing forum:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/basic...es-honing.html

I'm pretty new to straights (since March), and I have honed 3 razors pretty well on my own. I did manage to ding one of my expensive razors on the side of my hone with a resulting chip, so decided to send it to one of the pros... it is nice to know there is always somebody here to bail you out.

-Chief