Thread: Journal of discovery, learning to use a straight razor

Hello all,

Like others in this section, I'm new to straight razors. I've enjoyed reading about other's learning experiences and want to document my own as well. Instead of posting a new thread with each insight, I figured I'd just keep a running mini blog of my learning experience in this thread. I hope this can eventually be of help to others looking to learn in the future, but I also want to document my own path of discovery and learning so that years down the road when I'm still using the cut throat I can look back with a smile and re-experience my learning process.

So here we are at the beginning. A bit of personal history to start off. I'm 32 years old, back in college studying to be a RN. I'm tired of spending an arm and a leg on disposable vibrating razors, and I've grown a disdain for disposable plastics. Its asinine to me to use a material that lasts forever in disposable products, but I've never really thought I had a choice in the matter when it came to razors.

That is, until I came across this thread in another forum I frequent. I learned that I don't have to use disposable plastics for shaving, and start looking into DEs. During my research, I come across badger and blade, and discover that people are still using straight razors! Now I start getting excited. Old school DEs are one thing, but straight razors had an instant allure for me.

I'm the kind of guy who likes learning as much as I can, so I start my research. What do I need, where do I get it for a good deal, what is the learning curve like, where do I get the knowledge I need before I put this blade to my face? BadgerandBlade is seemed to have more people using DEs, but from there I found SRP. So I think I have enough knowledge to make some decent purchasing decisions, and lastget the following:

From Lynn, a Dovo Prima and some bay rum.
From elsewhere, a twizzerman badger hair brush, Col Conk's soap, and a Fromm canvas/leather stropp. I decide to hold off on hone for a little while.

Now we come to today. I get my Dovo and Bay Rum in the mail from Lynn (including, thank god, a free honing certificate). A few minute later, my brush arrives! Oh its like Christmas! Unwrapping my new toys! Smelling the fragrant bay rum. Opening and closing the blade, getting the feel for it in my left hand (feels oh so clumsy), holding it up to my face making mock strokes (am I doing it right?!!?)

So now we come to it. I have a razor (sharpened by Lynn) and a brush and some aftershave. Col Conk's hasn't arrived yet, nor has the strop. I trust the razor is shave ready, but I'm not sure if my soap is up to the task. Oh decisions, decisions! I've put off buying a mug till my stuff came in, so I think I'll go down to the thrift store and see what they have mug wise.

Right now, I'm just basking in that feeling of a little kid on Christmas morning. I know this will pass, so I'm just enjoying it while it lasts.