Thinking about getting a straight razor

Hello to those who use the art of the straight razor. I have been thinking about switching from the fuzion electric razor(5 blades) to the straight razor. Understand that I think its cool to use a straight razor. There is a timeless class to it. Anyway, I don't want to spend the time and effort needed to learn this art unless I believe a straight razor will be helpful. I have very sensitive skin and tricky facial hair on my neck and around my adams apple. I only get redness or irritiation or ingrow hairs on those areas. Will or should a single blade razor(if used properly) help with the irritation, etc? A close shave is equally important but i'm confident a razor sharp straight edge can get as close as any other razor. Please send your thoughts and comments(especially if your were in a similar situaton).

Welcome aboard. The straight is better for your skin and shaves closer than anything else out there other than a feather. Read through the help files. That will be a good primer before you start asking specific questions here. Good luck.

Yes, a straight could possibly help you.
The most important thing when it comes
to a straight is a shave ready razor. A
razor that is not shave ready would only
discourage you. Second is proper prep
before the shave. A link on proper prep
can be found on www.classicshaving.com
simply click on the HOW to and WHY button.

For someone just starting out and trying to
determine whether this is for them, I would
suggest that you go to Wal Mart and buy a
Burma Shave brush for $6.00 and a cake of
Williams shaving soap. You can always upgrade
in the future. Some pharmacys also carry Palmolive
lather cream in a tube. Be sure to get the red tube.
The other is brushless and is a blue tube I believe.

For a razor visit one of the folowing sites.

www.billysblades.com

This is the site of forum member Bill Ellis known as urleebird.
Currently he only has 3 or 4 but will be adding some more
shortly. You can always email and ask him when.

http://shop.writerferret.com/
This is the site of Joe Chandler another forum member. He uses
his name on the forum.

or email [email protected] and inquire if he has any
for sale. This is Mr. Lynn Abrams who is the founder of this
forum.

For a strop www.thewellshavedgentleman.com This is forum
member Tony Miller.

Hope this answers some of your questions in advance.
You have came to a good place if you are interested in
learning to shave with a straight razor.

Good luck....:)

Terry

Hi Masamune

I'm probably still the novicest novice here at this forum (including you), but one of the few things I've had burned into my brain in the last few weeks is to be anally-retentive about the definition of the term "shave ready". It varies very widely.

FireStart and wvbias (and any person here with more than 2 dozen posts next to their name) use it in an extremely exacting and specific way. Everyone else (including people who sell lots of razors on eBay etc) use it to mean that it looks as though the metal on both sides might actually meet in some places.

I can only talk in hypothetical terms since I know my only straight is NOT shave ready. Sure it's really sharp, but nowhere near sharp enough to trust for shaving a heavy beard.

The people FireStart and wvbias have recommended (and there are others here as well) have a reputation for honesty, integrity and great value.

Be warned! And all the best.

Cheers

I bought my first razor from Joe Chandler and I love it. I still use it and likely will use it for a long time to come.

If you make a purchase from any of the guys listed above you will not be dissapointed. If you are curious if you would like it, go the used route on a razor. It will save you alot of money if you for some reason decide that this is not for you. Tony Miller has some great starter kits with everything you need to shave and at a nice price.

I guarentee you that once you learn the razor and how to work it on your beard it will be the closest shave you can get. I used a schick quatro for a long time and thought that was super close and smooth, but with my straight I can go 2 days on a shave before having to do it again if I wanted. With the schick I would have some noticable growth by then.

I have also learned that prep is also very important and relaxing.

I can only give you my opinions based on what happens for me and I am still very new.

Good Luck

The Fusion is what sent me running from multiblade cartridges back to the DE and then to the straight.

I've found the straight to be easier on my skin than anything else, including the DE. It also seems to be less sensitive to beard direction than other razors -- I've got three cowlicks in my beard and two passes at right angles seems to get just about everything, while the DE takes nearly four passes.

I can highly recommend Joe Chandler's razors. Browse his site, get a razor that looks promising, and you'll have a good example of what "shaving sharp" really means -- I got one last week (a 7/8 Wade & Butcher) and promptly re-evaluated my own honing regime.

Shaving with a straight razor isn't really that difficult. You can't be careless, but it isn't technically difficult -- as long as you are using a shave-ready razor. The difficulty with straights is getting a razor shave-ready in the first place (this can be outsourced) and keeping it sharp (proper stropping and a pasted strop or barbers hone).

I may have a give away razor for you. Shoot me an email with you address and I'll send you one ready to shave with.

Lynn

Masamune,

You can't beat an offer like that. I predict that
this whole process of shaving with a straight
will be way easier than you ever anticipated.
Within a week of your first shave you'll be
looking for a second razor to keep the first
one company.


Terry

That is a great offer worth taking.

Dude if you don't shoot Lynn that email, I will. :D Starting with a blade honed by him is starting in style. Also get a good hone and one or two junk e-bay razors and use this one as a template of sharpness.

If it weren't for that offer from Lynn, I might have suggested trying a DE razor first. I think SE can give you a better shave but the learning curve is much sharper and there is a lot of time you have to set aside to properly care for this hobby (as I'm discovering). It is well worth the effort if you want to set aside that time, it is actually a very enjoyable hobby. However, if you just want better shaves with as little hassle as possible and as fast as possible a DE razor can give you that.

Be warned that once you switch to a DE, some people say making the switch up to SE is hard. You'll be getting super close shaves after a month with the DE and you'll be starting nearly from scratch (except you'll probably have some aquisition disorders and own some really nice stuff!). As someone making the switch to SE from DE I've had to force myself not to touch my DE so I could learn to use both hands with my SE and to master the tough parts of my face. It is often very tempting to reach over to the DE and do a quick fix up pass after the SE is giving you a hell of a time during your first few shaves. This needs to be avoided in my opinion if you want to end up getting really good with the straight.

If you think you want to go to the DE route, I wrote a post somewhere else on what a new wetshaver needs to get started and I'd be happy to repost it here if you are interested in reading it.

You need to take Lynn up on that offer and look to www.thewellshavedgentleman.com for a strop. Although a Boar Hair Brush will do you, I suggest going for the Badger. I'd say that's it for now except to say go to the Help Files and read all the Permanent Archives ... yes ALL of them. Do it like that and your inches away from the best shaves of your life.

Incidentally, I have very sensitive skin too and just want to say on that note that with good beard prep, a very sharp razor and post shave pampering, I'm doing fine. I used to get the occassional ingrown hair or irritated whisker when I used a Track II. After a year of straight shaving I'm happy to announce there has been NONE of that anymore.

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