Thread: Hello from DE land!

Hello everyone!

I am about to stick my toe into the straight razor shaving world so I thought I'd join up and say hi.

I have been collecting and using vintage shaving gear for years but, and I'll be honest, I have always been too chicken to try straight razor shaving. I have collected and used every hair brained and oddball safety razor that crossed my path but I have never been man enough to "go straight."

Time to grow a pair....

So. I bought a restored shave ready razor some time ago, a WR Case Red Imp. I mainly chose that one because I like Case pocket knives so I may be way off base. It has been sitting in the draw taunting me.
I just ordered a Velvet brand barbers hone.
I am looking for a good starters strop (anyone who can point me in the right direction to get one in Australia would be appreciated).
And I have all the soaps, creams, brushes, etc. in the world.

I don't want to kick off until I have at least the basic starters rig so any advice from you "old hands" would be a big help. I am currently reading through all the great tutorials here and on B&B and my head is spinning. I'm sure I am over complicating it, but there is so much to learn!

Well, if nothing else it is a new challenge, and a new acquisition disorder. SWMBO will not be impressed but, idle hands... and all that.

Welcome to SRP,

It's probably mostly a mental block, a straight razor isn't all that dangerous, of course it depends on your dextrecity.
The red imps are excellent, is it 132, or 133?
It's best to have the razor honed and tested by somebody who is good at it, a barber's hone may or may not do the job at this point and you should refrain from using it for several months. Spend the time to learn to strop and shave properly and the better job you do the less often you'll have to visit the hone.

No idea where you can get strops in australia, but I'd suggest not shopping by the bottom dollar. A good strop is just as essential as a good razor. If someday Jimbo ventures into making more of his kangaroo strops those are nice (I have one myself).

Take a look at the sticky posts in this section, there is a lot of good advise. The wiki has a beginner's guide that covers pretty systematically everything you need to get started and purposefully avoids creating hypes of all sort.

Welcome to the other side of wetshaving friend. You are not off base on the razor. Many great knife makers make/made great razors as well. I have a red imp I'll be shaving with in about 30 minutes. I wish I could help with the strop, but I'm not down there and I'm more of a DIY guy.

Welcome to the other side of wetshaving friend. You are not off base on the razor. Many great knife makers make/made great razors as well. I have a red imp I'll be shaving with in about 30 minutes. I wish I could help with the strop, but I'm not down there and I'm more of a DIY guy.

Originally Posted by gugi

Welcome to SRP,

The red imps are excellent, is it 132, or 133?

It's a 133 and the restorer made some nice new acrylic scales for it.

It is pretty sharp and was bought shave ready, but it has sat in a draw for a couple of years and might have lost a little of its edge, although I oiled it before I put it away and it shows no real oxidisation or rust.

I just can't get it to do the "hanging hair test". It has not been stropped yet, though. I just thought it might need a slight touch up on a fine hone first. I might wait until I get a proper strop and do that first to see.

Having never used a straight I'm comparing the edge to a new SE blade. I assume that is fair?

frist of all wellcome. you have come to the right place . there is much information to glean.your razor is a good one and ill asume it is indeed shave ready.as to getting a strop i can understand not wanting to spend too much for someting you may not master. that being said if i were to do it all over again i would get a tony miller right from the get go. hones are good things to have but are rarely needed the strop on the other hand is used every day. and good stroping will either make or break your shave.
you sound like a straight razor kind of guy to me and i must warn you there is no turning back . you could with your razor and barber hone and a good strop shave for the rest of your life. but if iam reading you right it wont stop there . " I have all the soaps, creams, brushes, etc. in the world" this time next year you will have maybe a few more razors too. enjoy the journey its realy all we have

Originally Posted by cutalot

frist of all wellcome. you have come to the right place . there is much information to glean.your razor is a good one and ill asume it is indeed shave ready.as to getting a strop i can understand not wanting to spend too much for someting you may not master. that being said if i were to do it all over again i would get a tony miller right from the get go. hones are good things to have but are rarely needed the strop on the other hand is used every day. and good stroping will either make or break your shave.
you sound like a straight razor kind of guy to me and i must warn you there is no turning back . you could with your razor and barber hone and a good strop shave for the rest of your life. but if iam reading you right it wont stop there . " I have all the soaps, creams, brushes, etc. in the world" this time next year you will have maybe a few more razors too. enjoy the journey its realy all we have

Thanks for the advice.

I had a look at Tony Millers site and it seems he it taking a break from strop making for a while... so I might be out of luck there. I'll keep looking, I guess. I might even have a crack at making my own. It may be easier to source the leather than a finished strop.