Thread: Chick takes the plunge. Help? Advice?

Howdy, all. New here, finally deciding to de-lurk.

I'm a traveler, and I'm thinking of trying out a straight. Disposables just blow, and they cost me money that I just don't have. Disposable stuff just takes of space, and in my experience, typically doesn't work as well pretty much across the board.

I'm a chick, so I'm thinking I might be looking for a smaller straight, handy for curvy bits like underarms and *cough* below the belt. I'm pretty articulate, and pretty small girl, so I figure something small and light will suit me. And yes, I will practice extensively on the easier parts first.

But, as mentioned, I'm also broke despite working like a kid in a sweat shop. I have a xenophobic government to thank for that.

I'm so broke, in fact, that I can't even remember the last time I got a new blade for my piece of crap Venus razor. I get such a crappy shave out of it even brand new that I can just never justify spending precious food money on more crappy blades. I've been known to borrow men's blades when the circumstances arises. They work marginally better.

From reading around, I reckon I can fashion one of my leather belts into a strop for the time being. I have pretty good luck shaving using thick lubricant, and was wondering if this will work well with a straight as well? I don't see why it wouldn't, but I could be wrong.

And then, there's the razor itself. Like I said, small and light would suit, but what are some good brands for me to look at? Preferably on the cheap. I don't reckon I'll get the money together for a while - Christmas has hit me pretty hard and I'm scrambling. But I guess all good things take time.

Anyway, nice to be here, and thanks in advance.

Hi and welcome. Might be worth posting this in the Ladies corner. There's a thread in there that may well be informative, "Project Coochie Razor", if memory serves. Good luck.

Well, I figured since at the moment I'm just trying to get a general feel for what a decent blade might be for me, I might try the general public. I'm sure where I actually dive in and take the thing to my skin I may wander over to Ladie's Corner.

And I did see Project Coochie Razor! God, what an utterly hilarious thread. I was very comforted to see that people have in fact attempted this without cutting anything off. I'm sure I'll manage it.

Welcome to SRP! A belt should work fine for a strop, just so long as there are no metal bits anywhere poking out to catch the blade--just plain leather. Yeah, the PCR thread is bloody hilarious--might be worth a re-read!

Thanks! Good to be here.

Yeah, I reckon my studded belt may not be the best for this purpose, heh. I'm sure I have a plain leather one kickin' around somewhere. I'm good at making due.

But do you know what sort of blade I'd go for? Obviously I'd rather save a little longer and get decent quality than just wind up with a crap blade. I did take a look at the brand-to-avoid thingie.

From surfing around here, I'm thinking probably 5/8 or 6/8 and 2 to 2 1/2 long? I looked at the Feather ones, but having to replace the blade just kinda... I dunno. Defeats the point of why I'd be trying out a straight.

And is lube ok to shave with? Works fine with my disposables, and I imagine it wouldn't do anything but good things for the blade, but maybe I'm wrong.

Welcome.

To answer your question about using lubricant, I assume you mean of the "personal" kind. Yes you can use that - some prefer it on their legs over using soap/cream.

Just be 1000% sure not to get even the tiniest bit on the hand that is wielding the razor, or it will be like trying to hold a fish, and great experiences will NOT be had by all.

Originally Posted by MistressNomad

And is lube ok to shave with? Works fine with my disposables, and I imagine it wouldn't do anything but good things for the blade, but maybe I'm wrong.

I can't think of any reason why lube wouldn't work in a pinch as a shaving cream. But I can't imagine many guys who would be comfortable admitting to smearing lube on their faces.

Some other things you can use in place of shaving cream are shampoo and even plain old soap.

Of course shaving soap, or cream, is way better. And once you buy some it lasts for ever and a day. One tub of my favorite shaving cream has lasted me almost a year.

I Just want to point out that for maneuvering in those smaller regions, you might want to look at 4/8 and 5/8 rather than 6/8. Anything too big will make getting into corners tricky. Another tricky part is that you are looking for a shortened blade, but since I have seen quite a few around in the few months I have been at this, it shouldn't be too difficult to find one or someone to modify a normal blade.

When it doubt, try cruising ebay. As long as beauty isn't an issue, there are tons of great blades to be found on the cheap. Pretty much anything vintage from the three S's should be fine (Solingen, Sheffield, Sweden).

A few misconceptions to clear up. First, don't go down the road about "saving" money by buying a straight razor in lieu of disposable razors. If you go through the threads you will find them replete with "AD's" (i.e., RAD, HAD, SAD, BAD, etc., etc., etc...). The next would be "saving" space when traveling. My twin Merkur takes up a lot less space than all of my straight paraphenalia. Yeah, the twin doesn't give me the same shave as my straight, but I don't want to haul all of my stuff with me when traveling. You might want to ask around in the Ladies Corner forum to get some great ideas from them...

BTW, welcome to SRP!!

Figured I'd throw my hat into the arena... Go with a DE? They aren't as close as a Straight, but, at least for me, they far outlast a Disposable... not to mention 15$ gets you 5 disposable cartriges, but 9.99 can get you 20 DE blades (IIRC?)

And the shave is better from a DE... It's 25% Disposable, 75% straight (that's how I look at it )

good luck!
Jeremy