Thread: what razor for this particular application?

Hey guys, I have never really cared about having a close shave...

However, I have been living in Puerto Rico for the last 7 months and I have been going to a barber shop that uses a straight razor to trim my beard. The guy takes literary more than an hour cutting/trimming my hair, fixing my goatee and only charges $10 ( the level of detail/care that he puts in is like no other place that I have been)

Unfortunately, last week was my last time going there because I'm moving back to US , so I told him to fix my goatee like Tony Stark (from Iron Man)



(Not an exact match, but without references pics, I think he did pretty good)


This is what I used to rock before going to PR:


I have tried to maintain it using this:



but, I feel like I'm using the wrong tool

I guess what I want, is something that give me accurate precision in tight spots. Getting a straight razor seems more complicated than what I need (getting it sharpening/honing, not knowing if the honing job was any good ).
So, I'm a little more incline on buying a Shavette (Feather?), but I'm open to other suggestions..

thanks!

Welcome to the site. You picked In my opinion the best place on earth to get advice on this topic. If you don't want to get into honing you could go with the Feather or shavette or even I nice DE safety razor. Or What I think would be a very good option is looking for 2-3 razors on the classifieds here and getting them shave ready you would only need a strop then. and If you rotate them then you could send them out to get honed by one of the members here that offers that service. 1-2 at a time and always have one still at home. the price is quite reasonable for the honing service and you can get pretty good deals on razors in the classifieds. I don't have experience with the disposable blade straights but have heard that some can be a bit harsh so if you go with one I'd seek some advice from someone more knowledgable with them.

Welcome to SRP!

Just because you don't want to learn how to hone, doesn't force you into getting a disposable. Your first razor would need to be purchased shave ready regardless of your future plans. Lynn - the founder of SRP - is the cream of the crop and doesn't charge much for sharpening, so this isn't something that'll break the bank. Barring any unforeseen mistakes, the edge should last a few months with careful maintenance.

As for your goatee, a lot of guys recommend a spike, square or Spanish point for detail work. In all honesty, the learning curve of shaving with a straight might leave you using your old razor for the tricky spots like inside the goatee. But once you get the hang of it you'll be able to use just about any razor to do that. Some might just be a little easier than others.

If you haven't done so yet, check out the wiki and read through the Beginner's Guide. You can also look through the classifieds for inexpensive vintage razors, not a bad place to start.

-Razor
-Strop
-Brush
-Soap
-Styptic Stick

That ought to get you rolling.

When I lived in NYC and Jersey City, some of the best barbers I went to were Puerto Ricans. They would be working out of some hole in the wall and it took some gamble walking into a place like that. Puerto Rican music blaring, and I am white. However, for 10 dollars, they spent a very long time with you. Straight razor on the neck, perfect lines with sideburns and any facial hair you had. They really treated my haircut like a piece of museum artwork.

I have since moved to Atl and let my hair grow out. I went to a Sport Clips to get a trim to even things up for a funeral and what a joke. I was upgraded to the MVP since it was my first time which included a hot towel, face massage, and shoulder massage. What a joke!

I am not trying to dissuade you from the use of straights, but if I were you I would stay in PR just for the barber!

for what you wanna do I'd grab a Parker replaceable blade Straight , it uses DE blades snapped in half , I like the feather artist club razors but the price is a killer for me plus I dont see any benifits in pay'n out all the extra $$ when ya can use feather blades in a $12 Parker straight plus nice short blade to get into tight area's of ya goatee ..I took the advice of SRP member on buying a Parker and Im glad I did it does exactly what its touted to do check it out
Parker SS Replacement Blade Straight razor SRW | Razors & Blades
also available on ebay from , howard1616

goodluck with ya choice

You could try it and see how you like it. There are plenty of cheap shavette-type of razors, so for $10-$30 you can get some idea. I find them way too flimsy, but yes the feather is significantly more expensive if you want a really well made razor.
I don't have much experience with DE razors, but with a straight razor you get the precision of the sharp tip and you can cut very precisely. Somehow a DE razor seems more like a cartridge razor in that respect, it's hard to cut precisely with the edges of the blade, although perhaps slightly less so.

Square point regular straight razor is what you want, but perhaps something else will be close enough. At the end of the day the only way is to give it a try and find out if it works for you or not.

if youre getting a cheap shavette type IMHO Parker does have a better blade holder then a lot of the others
idealy i would think it be better if the edge went all the way to the tip of the blade,
but i dont know any shavette type that feature this

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

I am not trying to dissuade you from the use of straights, but if I were you I would stay in PR just for the barber!

believe me, if could stay any longer in PR I would... I'm living in a gated community in a house on top of a hill overlooking a private beach. The place was described to me a Disneyland and that is exactly what it feels like.

What I think would be a very good option is looking for 2-3 razors on the classifieds here and getting them shave ready you would only need a strop then

I think the idea of buying 2 razors is a pretty good one.

I took the advice of SRP member on buying a Parker and Im glad I did it does exactly what its touted to do check it out Parker SS Replacement Blade Straight razor SRW | Razors & Blades

The investment so small, that I might as well get one of those too.
what kind of blades can I use with it? this:
Feather Hi-Stainless Platinum DE razor blades | Razors & Blades

I was also looking at an oil for pre-shave ( Pacific Shave Oil, ½oz | Pre-shaves ) I figured it would be easier to see what I'm doing?!

Last but not least, I'm more of a visual kind of person... are there any good how-to videos on youtube?

thanks!

There are several excellent illustrated guides and videos right here on this site; just check the Wiki: Straight Razor Place Wiki

Roll all the way down to "Additional Resources" at the bottom right for video links. Good luck!