Hello! I Have a Few Questions.

I am a new straight razor shaver. Following the advice given to space the different sections of the face out over several days was helpful and yet hard to do. It did allow me to build my level of comfort with handling the razor and it is advised. Today was my second full shave. I still have things to work out, but it went well.

I am having trouble with making lather. I bought a kit from your website and chose the Straight Razor Place West Indies Bay soap. I have the B4 Badger brush and a Conk mug. Any advise of how to make lather. I can not get past suds. I have looked at the info this forum has and tried a few of the different methods. Is this type of soap typically a difficult one to make thick lather with? Is there something I should use along with the soap?

I closed my razor yesterday and it had a little water left in the hinge so it now has rust lines. I was able to wipe some off by buffing with a towel but the rest is going to need a little bit more and it is right over the brand lettering. Any advise on what I should use?

I am probably going to get a Merkur Double edge razor for days that I don't have the time to use a straight razor. I noticed the Merkur blades were priced significantly more than any others brands. What is the difference and are they worth the price? Also, how long does a blade typically last and do they require any maintenance?

Thanks for your help.

I cant answer your DE question as I do not shave my legs.;) As for your lather it sounds like you may have far too much water in the brush when trying to build your lather, after getting the brush wet or soaking it , give a good flick or two with the wrist to get the excess water out and then try building the lather. As for the rust it should be minimal surface rust, a little oil and an old toothbrush should do the trick, if you have a brass/bronze toothbrush available, all the better. As for maintaing your straight edge blade, keep it clean, dry and away from the faucet, when it starts to pull and tug and stropping doesnt remedy the situation its time for a barbers hone. Welcome to SRP and feel free to roam around or ask questions, we love to help!

foobear,

Great job...Keep it up!

As for your questions...First, with respect to lather, refer to the SRP wiki. It has a section on making shave lather with soaps. You may also be dealing with hard water. My own experience with hard water is that it makes lathering of soaps somewhat more difficult, but it can be done.

Second, with regards to the rusting of your razor...Apply a little mineral oil from the drugstore to the brand lettering of your razor, then rub it lightly with a tea towel (ie. dish towel) from your kitchen. That will probaly remove most of the rust. It is also a good idea to aply a little mineral oil to the entire blade occassionally--every couple of days--to reduce the possibility of rust.

Finally, with respect to the Merkur DE blades. Merkur blades are high-end quality blades, similar in price to Feather or Wilkinson DE blades. You can go to a website such as DE Razorblades and shop around for quality blades at a cheaper price or purchase a sampler pack to find out which blade fits your needs and pocketbook. I've heard that Derby DE blades are pretty good everyday blades, yet cost a lot less than Merkur blades, especially when they are purchased in bulk. As for wear...I'd have to say that depends on the coarseness or density of your beard/hair. I use the DE blade in my Merkur razor for approx. 7-10 days then replace it. If you have a heavy or coarse beard/hair, you may find that you have to replace blades more often. Even if you do, though, the cost will be significantly less than replacing a multi-blade cartridge.

Just my 2 cents.

Take care...

If using a tissue won't remove the rust spots, you can use a metal polish like Maas. But beware that metal polish will remove any gold leaf, so be careful if you care about that stuff...

On the lather, I use a col conk puck. It took me a long time to finally figure out I was using waaaayyy too much water.

-I soak my brush in hot water for a few minutes, and also dribble just a tiny bit on top of the puck (which is sitting inside a mug) to soften the top up a little.

-Then, I squeeze out 95% of the water from the brush. When in doubt, squeeze out more water-- you can always add more back.

-Then load the brush with soap, really squish it down onto the puck. You'll feel it get "thick" as the brush loads up.

-At this point you have many options. You can drizzle a little bit of water into the base of the brush and whip up lather on top of the puck, or move it to a bowl, or just lather up on your face (which is what I do).

I like to face lather as I get a nice massage, and it works the lather into my wiskers really well. Add a drizzle of water to the base of the brush if it too thick. When you get the water/soap ratio correct, it will explode into a nice thick creamy lather, the consistancy of mayonaise.

When I go for a second or third pass, I just drizzle a little bit of hot water into the base of the brush and I get a nice warm re-lather (when face-lathering). Sometimes I reload the brush a little if it gets too runny.

Happy lathering
-Chief

Here's a vid you may find helpful YouTube - How To Build And Apply Traditional Shaving Lather#

Welcome to SRP. +1 to what BHChieftain said on the metal polish if you want to get rid of the rust lines. Dental floss (unwaxed) is good to get into the area between the tang and the scales. As for merkur DE blades. They are expensive and they are not worth it compared to Feathers, Gillette Swedes, or even Israeli Personnas. If you go to West Coast Blades here you can pick up a sampler pack with a variety and figure out what works for you. It is a very individual thing. Once you get used to the straight the DE will be in the medicine cabinet anyway. :)