Thread: Please help a noob pick out everything he needs

Brushes can last a lifetime if taken care of properly mantics videos I linked you to have the steps to maintaining a brush also our wiki . Expensive brushes are usually softer and have ornate handles however a $10 tweezerman or omega brush will get the job done just fine and last just as long.

If money is a factor we can readjust your orders and help you build a very inexpensive starter kit till you know if str8t shaving is for you just have to ask

Yes that swaty is what I was referring to, However you will have to lapped (flatten) that hone before you use it. You can buy barber hones in the classified section here already lapped for you other wise here is a link on the process. You wont need one of these however until at least a month or more into shaving and by then you should know whether you like str8t shaving and will continue it or not so you may want to hold off for a little while.

A newbie razor consists of a roundpoint because when starting it takes some getting use to the length of a razor and is common to nick an ear lobe if using a spike point razor. Half hollow are recommended because it is right in the middle of grinds a full hollow is very light and thin so the blades flexes too easy and cause alot of irritation for a newbie who doesn't know proper angles yet. A wedge (opposite of full hallow) is very thick and heavy so won't flex but has very little feedback (noise) so is easy for a newbie to mis-strop of use improper technique and not know it. That is why a half hallow which is right in the middle is recommended.

A 6/8 is recommended bacause again it is right in the middle of the sizes of razors (4/8-8/8) getting a 5/8 will have no ill effect on your shave and 5/8 are more easily found than 6/8.

just FYI razors do come bigger than 8/8 and smaller than 4/8 but the bigger ones are expensive and too heavy for a newbie to learn on, like wise the smaller razors are poor shavers because they are so light but make great detail razors for mustaches and goatees or for ladies shaving underarms .

Originally Posted by Steak

Thank you. And thanks for all your recommendations. It will save me money. Money is somewhat of a factor. It's just that this is my first time getting in, so I have to buy a lot of things. The only thing I'm really splurging on is the brush, because that will last pretty much forever correct? And I can't really mess that up? Or can I, lol?

And thanks for explaing the hone thing. I looked up the swaty, but for some reason neither of the websites I'm going to be ordering from has one. So I went to ebay. Is this what you are recommending?

vintage franz swaty wahring beiwien austria hone - eBay (item 110450123677 end time Nov-01-09 16:35:05 PST)

Also, in the article above that explains what makes a good razor, it says to get a 6/8. Would it make much a difference if I got a 5/8? I found a cheap $50 razor that seems to be in good condition, but it's only 5/8.

FS: Morley 5/8 full hollow - Straight Razor Place Classifieds