Just ordered my first straight razor and have some questions
I've hated shaving ever since I started doing it, and I hate paying for cartridge razors that clog up or dull halfway through a shave and nick me like it's their job. The electric razor I tried left my face feeling like it was run over by a lawnmower and now sits in a box somewhere where it can't hurt anybody else. When my last razor cartridge was used up I didn't want to ever buy another one, so I haven't shaved for a month. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of beards so I had to do something. I decided to try out a straight razor and found this place.
I ended up ordering the Gold Dollar Razor and Filly Strop kit from RupRazor because I saw them recommended a few times. After I ordered it, I realized I missed the Sticky thread about the GD's and probably should have gone with something else. I'm still optimistic though, quite a few people here said they haven't had much trouble with them, and they've got a 3 month sharpness guarantee. I was mostly just looking for something cheap but serviceable to see if this is for me before I invest in some better gear, so I'm hoping this'll do.
It should be arriving real soon, and I've got a few questions I need answers to before I can start. As mentioned above, I've got a pretty good beard going right now, should I shave that off with cartridge razor first and then start learning with the straight razor on stubble the next day or does it not matter how long the hair is when you're learning? I've got an old vintage shaving mug and badger brush sitting on a shelf in the bathroom as decoration, would this stuff be usable or should I invest in something new? Lastly, what sort of soap or cream should I be looking at to start with? Does the canned stuff work for straight razors too, if not what's the difference?
Thanks everybody for the help I've already gotten from the site, and hopefully for the answers to my questions.