Thread: Am I to young to start using Straight Razors?

All I can say is, I wish I had started when I was fifteen, and not when I was over Forty. Nearly thirty years of missed straightshaving, I try not to think about it.
Amund

Originally Posted by ursus

If the straight razor is a no-go, there's always double-edge razors, which are still a vast improvement to cartridges. Many people here has one in their stables for a quick shave.

+1
Even if you don't jump into straights, do yourself a favor and get a DE.

Once you turn 18, you can buy yourself a straight razor and proceed to nick and cut yourself just like your dad said you would.

I've been shaving with a straight for about 3 months now. There is a lot you can learn before actually putting the razor to your face. Like others have said, I wish that I had started with a straight. I'd have this thing down by now.

I am still young enough to remember when I first started shaving and I cut myself, had razor burn, ingrown hairs and all that. My dad was a trucker and he didn't show me how to shave. I just grabbed a razor and some barbasol and went to work. It sucked.

Originally Posted by Proraso Man

I've cut myself less than 5 times in 1.5 years of straight razor shaving. Sometimes with DE razors, I would have 5 cuts in one shave if I wasn't paying attention.

Just do it- learn now. While it's easy!

After my first two or three DE shaves, I never got nicks. Same with my straight shaves.
Like Otto mentioned, there was a time when everybody your age started with a straight.
Also, you gotta remember that the way the guys here shave with straights is not likely to be like how your dad or even men back in the day went into it. This forum is around 24 hours of the day dedicated to improving the straight razor shave. If guys who just picked it up randomly on their own, or even learned from their dads, didn't get great shaves, that'd make sense to me. They weren't scrutinizing details as often as we can here and didn't have access to so many expert opinions.
There's a lot to this straight shaving that's not always intuitive. For example, a lot of guys who start on their own think they have to shave with the blade edge at a 90 degree angle to their face. Another example, one might never know what a true shave ready edge is unless someone really experienced demonstrates how to hone a razor properly, so one could go on shaving with a crappy edge for 40 years and think that that's just the way things are. And the reality is, they don't have to be that way.

Convincing your Dad is where I would start the journey into straight shaving. I tried about 20 years ago and gave up because I didn't have anyplace to learn the skills. Today there is SRP to help guide the newbie straight shaver. About two yrs ago my son started shaving. When he asked to use my razor I introduced him to his grandfather's Gillette super speed. I was surprised to see him take an interest in using the ss. Then I realized I had several straight razors purchased from an auction years earlier. Now that the world wide web was around I decided to research straight razors and found SRP, as you did. I learned straight shaving and then my son, who was 13 at the time decided to give it a try. He started shaving only his cheeks and side burns and finished the shave with the super speed. Today he is 15 and enjoys a complete shave with our straight razors. He and I also hone razors together for our own use and also do razor restorations. It's a great way for Jr and I to spend time together and he will always have these memories and razors to remember our time together.

The pic linked here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...tml#post579727 is of Jr and I honing some razors.

Maybe start with a shaving brush, some good shave soap and a DE razor. Learn how to make great lather and share that with your Dad. Have your Dad browse through the WIKI and see all the information SRP has collected to assist in straight razor shaving. Once he sees how good the shave cream/soap is compared to the canned goop and the info in the WIKI he might just join you in the straight razor world. When he reads through the WIKI he may find things that would have helped him when he first tried straight razors and like me, give it another try.

Good luck

Ill be honest with you im 14 and i use a stright razor once a week to keep the stubble off ,its entily up to you if your willing to put the extra care into your shave or not i recomend it highly but thats just me, if your willing to put the extra time and car into it im sure eventually you will be able to get a better shave than your dads, if u decide to do it let us guys know we will help u with desisions on equipment and other things like stropping and soforth

Best of luck to you. I wish I had started straight razor shaving at 15. Think of the potential savings(or a life-long RAD)!

Hi Soccerkeep,
I'm sorry but i think 15 (just) is too young.If your dad was using a str8 then it would be different - but i sense that your dad is not keen on str8s for obvious reasons.Unless he takes up the skill then leave it.
It's a mans business to shave with a str8 and you are really just a boy-if you are really that interested in shaving what little hair you have then use a D/E until you can legally purchase your own razor.What's the hurry?
At 15 you have far more important things to learn than shaving.
All of us (or most) here at SRP have been shaving for years and we are NUTS about shaving!!
I don't have a son but if i had a 15 year old then i know i would be against it.I have been shaving with str8s for 4 months but before that shaved for 45 years with an electric shaver.
Go buy yourself a guitar and learn to play it.When the girls find you you 'll forget about str8s!!
Kind regards
Noggs

I would stick with what you are interested in. Don't ever let People discourage you from doing something at any age (as long as it's legal of corse ). I regret letting people discourage me from trying allot of things.
That being said you do at 15 at least need to have permission from your parents. It's definitely not worth an argument.
And like others hear have said if your parents disapprove of a straight then you can at least start using allot of the techniques with what ever you shave with.
I know it made a difference for me right away. ( with my disposable )
And now I have restored an old Straight and shaved with it.
If the parents do approve on letting you try. I would check out the classifieds with them and pick up a good used blade shave ready. You can get a better quality blade for your money that way most of the time.
Good luck And welcome to S.R.P. by the way.

When I was 13, I did a lot of things that my dad didn't like.
When I was 15, I did a lot of things that my dad didn't like.
When I was 20, 25, and 30, I was, and still am, doing things my dad doesn't like. No matter what, he respected my individuality, and supported me in my endeavours.

If you want to shave with a straight.....do it. Read about it, learn about it, understand the critical aspects, and be safe.

Tell him it's important to you.

I've learned that dad's have the maturity to wade through their son's natural opposition, mostly unscathed. They did things when they were young too.

Good luck,
Maxi