Greatgoo's Straight Razor Adventure

I have been DE shaving for a while now but thought it would be nice to try something new. Straight shaving has always been appealing to me. There is something about straight shaving that is very elegant.

Well I ordered a razor from whippeddog and it should come tomorrow. I missed the darn mailman to sign for the package. I mistakenly didn't order a strop which I later learned was probably not the best decision, but thought I would wait until my first shave to determine if I want to go further down the rabbit hole in purchases.

I have read a ton of information about straight shaving and watched numerous videos. I think I'm well prepared to begin the process. I would start this thread to chronicle my progression into straight shaving and ask questions along the way.

I'm very excited to begin!!!

Thanks in advance for your support and feedback along the way!

Ryan

You'll probably need a strop but should read and watch plenty on stropping before you give it a go. It is both a way to finish/sharpen the blade and a way to make it duller, depending upon your technique. Good luck and good shaving!

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Originally Posted by Greatgoo

I have been DE shaving for a while now but thought it would be nice to try something new. Straight shaving has always been appealing to me. There is something about straight shaving that is very elegant.

Well I ordered a razor from whippeddog and it should come tomorrow. I missed the darn mailman to sign for the package. I mistakenly didn't order a strop which I later learned was probably not the best decision, but thought I would wait until my first shave to determine if I want to go further down the rabbit hole in purchases.

I have read a ton of information about straight shaving and watched numerous videos. I think I'm well prepared to begin the process. I would start this thread to chronicle my progression into straight shaving and ask questions along the way.

I'm very excited to begin!!!

Thanks in advance for your support and feedback along the way!

Ryan

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No strop... not a problem at first.

When you get it just shave with it once or twice.

It is a common recommendation for beginners
to not strop a shave ready razor at first. The
risk of 'dulling' an edge by a novice is real enough
that most folk do better just shaving a couple
times.

You will need a strop! Get a decent one because
it will touch the razor each day. It need not
be an expensive one but a simple quality strop....
Canvas and leather... Paddle strops also work
very well so include them as you shop.

You have a couple of shaves before needing a strop provided the razor is shave ready. I would suggest a 3" wide strop to start with. It will make your life much easier . I wish I had one when I first started. I would do as others have suggested and read up on stropping. There are some good videos about stropping also. One thing to remember about stropping is to keep the spine flat and not lift it. Doing so will dull the edge. I would also say use very light pressure on the strop. I hope this info helps. Good luck and welcome to SRP.

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Originally Posted by razorman

You have a couple of shaves before needing a strop provided the razor is shave ready. I would suggest a 3" wide strop to start with. It will make your life much easier . I wish I had one when I first started. I would do as others have suggested and read up on stropping. There are some good videos about stropping also. One thing to remember about stropping is to keep the spine flat and not lift it. Doing so will dull the edge. I would also say use very light pressure on the strop. I hope this info helps. Good luck and welcome to SRP.

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Any recommendations on where I would get a 3" beginner strop? Thanks!

This strop might work fine, without breaking the bank (a new comment was recently posted, which is how I stumbled on it)(and of course, it should be "Big Daddy"):

Bid Daddy 3" Leather/Felt Strop - Straight Razor Place Forums

Larry (at Whipped Dog) sells a decent "Poor Man's Strop Kit", but the leather strop is 2" wide -- you'll need an "X-stroke" to get the whole edge stropped.

Charles

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

This strop might work fine, without breaking the bank (a new comment was recently posted, which is how I stumbled on it)(and of course, it should be "Big Daddy"):

Bid Daddy 3" Leather/Felt Strop - Straight Razor Place Forums

Larry (at Whipped Dog) sells a decent "Poor Man's Strop Kit", but the leather strop is 2" wide -- you'll need an "X-stroke" to get the whole edge stropped.

Charles

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Thanks! Purchased from Star Shaving.

Well today I got my first razor from Larry at WhippedDog. I can't wait to get started tomorrow morning. I played a little with the razor to get myself familiar with it. I think it is going to be difficult maintaining a 30 degree angle. It is much easier to lose sight of the angle than with a DE razor. I also think that the 11/16 blade is going to be too big for me. I have smaller hands (insert joke) and think I would do better with a smaller 5/8.

I was reading the wiki section and came across something that seemed odd to me. Does everyone change angles depending on if it is WTG, XTG, & ATG? I just assumed with was 30 degrees all the time like DE shaving.

Shaving passes - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Thanks!

Completed my first shave this morning doing just WTG. Wow this is going to be a tough challenge! I read that first time shavers experience a dragging or pulling when using the straight razor. I experience the same thing. Why is this? Poor angle? I also struggled with blade pressure and hand positioning. I was pretty much all over the place. I need to regroup and try again tomorrow.

Any advice?

Keep the face wet and well lathered. Take it nice and slow. No pressure and the 30 degree angle is just a recommendation, if a smaller angle works better for you go for it.
Get your hands on a strop. In the mean time practice with a butter knife on you leather belt. I have even used my belt for stropping until mine came in the mail.
What are you doing for a pre-shave to Soften up those bristles?

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Originally Posted by TrilliumLT

Keep the face wet and well lathered. Take it nice and slow. No pressure and the 30 degree angle is just a recommendation, if a smaller angle works better for you go for it.
Get your hands on a strop. In the mean time practice with a butter knife on you leather belt. I have even used my belt for stropping until mine came in the mail.
What are you doing for a pre-shave to Soften up those bristles?

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Thanks for the feedback. I have been wet shaving for over 3 years. I'm not real worried about my prep, lather, or post shave. Just struggling with technique, angle, and pressure.

I am glad you found the Big Daddy strop. I was going to send you the link but had other issues to tend to. I think that strop from starshaving will make stropping much easier for you.

Congrats on your first try! Try not to get discouraged at first. The learning curve is somewhat steep in the early stages. If a different angle (less than 30 degrees) seems to work better, I would give it a try. The 30 degree angle is only a rough guide. In terms of pulling, it sounds like the razor may not be shave ready.As soon as the strop comes, I would strop it according to the instructions that will come with it. It may need more strokes on the leather, but try 40 on the felt side, then 50 on the leather. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by razorman

Congrats on your first try! Try not to get discouraged at first. The learning curve is somewhat steep in the early stages. If a different angle (less than 30 degrees) seems to work better, I would give it a try. The 30 degree angle is only a rough guide. In terms of pulling, it sounds like the razor may not be shave ready.As soon as the strop comes, I would strop it according to the instructions that will come with it. It may need more strokes on the leather, but try 40 on the felt side, then 50 on the leather. Good luck.

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Nah it is me, not the razor. I know that because I got the razor from Larry at whippeddog. I have to admit the first shave was very discouraging. The learning curve is much steeper than I imagined. I need to stay focused on the prize and not give up so soon.