Thread: Angry Noob!

Welcome Bud
+1 from me on all of the above, unfortunately Str8 shaving calls for a little outlay to start, check out the wiki and the classifieds
Shaving with a Straight is a gracious art, and takes a little time to master, stick with it, the rewards are more than worth it

I will post some pictures tonight of my two flea-market blades. One is a German brand and the other is a Duble Duck. I don't know if the blade with the curve at the end is chipped or if it is supposed to be like that. Also...I really like the Kriegar handle. Can I swap the old blades into the new handle? The other two are plastic and this one is a nice metal. Pics to be posted this evening...

You could also try one of those "Gold Dolar" straight razors people sell on ebay (at about US$ 9.00). Lots of SRP members love how sharp they get.

Originally Posted by Igglepud

I will post some pictures tonight of my two flea-market blades. One is a German brand and the other is a Duble Duck. I don't know if the blade with the curve at the end is chipped or if it is supposed to be like that. Also...I really like the Kriegar handle. Can I swap the old blades into the new handle? The other two are plastic and this one is a nice metal. Pics to be posted this evening...

Sounds you didn't score bad at flea market (I wish _I_ would find a DD somewhere), but lets see the blades since the condition is a factor too. Don't start swapping out scales just yet - depinning might break the scales and too heavy scales (=handle) can off the balance of the razor.

Good luck, as others have said, you do need to spend a little money to begin with. I now only use a straight and the combined cost of my favourite razor (which gets about 99% usage!) and my brush was a little under £100. I would imagine I've saved about £300 so far on cartrides though!

Have a look on ebay - there are definitely a few good deals to be found but do make sure the pictures are good enough to check the condition of the blade.

p.s. In case you're wondering, my favourite razor is a Dovo Black Star and it was worth every penny!

Welcome! There are many options from getting the vintage razors you have honed, to getting a Dovo Shavette (looks like a straight, but uses disposable blades). The advantage of the Shavette is that you don't need a strop or hones to sharpen it. Not a recommendation, just an option. Here is another option if you want an inexpensive new straight:
RupRazor - Gold Dollar

You will need a strop and others have already made recommendations. The Keen Kutter hone you have is a barber hone and it will fine for touching up a blade that has already been honed and shave ready (assuming the hone is in good shape and has been lapped flat).

Although it seems like a bunch of cash to get into straight shaving, once you have a couple of straights and the trappings to keep them shave ready, you're done. So, even if you spend $300., that's pretty much it for the rest of your life (and your children and grand children - straights last a really long time) as opposed to whatever you've been spending on cartridges. In the long run it's much, much less expensive.

One caveat... RAD (razor acquisition disorder). If you suffer from that, then any consideration for cost savings goes right out the window!

Oh... and buy a styptic pencil. You'll need it.