I wanted to try my hand at straight razor shaving and didn't want to fork out on a razor if I didn't like it so I purchased a 'Focus' blade holder from The Gentleman's Shop and it arrived yesterday and couldn't wait to try it out, I know, I know, a shavette is not on a par with a genuine straight but I managed to do three passes WTG XTG ATG and suffered only one tiny nick on my chin, the blade I put in was an Israeli personna I had remaining that I bought in Morrisons. I have the angle off to a tee immediately. I put this down to always imagining I was shaving as a child when I played with my dad's DE (no blade in it of course) and practising the angle throughout my teens using my comb and other non life threatening instruments :)
Although the shave wasn't fantastic for a first go, my upper lip has never been so smooth for as long a period while I have been wet shaving.
So 2 questions to ask of you gents:
1. Which lather works better with a straight razor, shaving cream or shaving soap?
2, When I do get a stright, and it is inevitable now that I will, which should I choose - a carbon steel blade or a stainless steel one? Which is best? For obvious reasons, the SS will not rust of course but which steel performs better?
Thanks for any input.