Thread: Starting with a Artamis Straight Razor

Hi, I've been stalking SRP forums for a week or so gathering information, information that I'm sure most of the beginners here wish they had known when starting out with the straight. I recieved a straight razor (and a few other items) for Christmas as a gift. It had been something I had wanted to try for years.

Ok so here is what I actually recieved: A straight razor marked with the name Artamis (told that it was shave ready), A strop marked Dovo (I was unaware of the name at the time I recieved the gift), a can of shaving cream (yes the aerosol kind) and finally a pack of balloons (yes, BALLOONS). I was instructed that before the razor even touches my skin that I must shave all the balloons in the pack. I actually tried what was instructed and decided to draw faces on the balloons. :P After shaving 10 balloons without popping a single one I attempted to shave myself (I used shaving soap on my face applied with a brush, not a cheap can of shaving foam). Oh it certainly was an experience that the balloons didn't prepare me for. When I had finished, my face was sore and patchy. I finished the shave with a mach 3 razor. I didn't shave with the straight for a long time after that, this was mainly due to there being nothing to hook the strop onto rather than the shave. When I did start shaving again with the straight (had hook fitted in the bathroom) it was anything but easy, but I was improving and hadn't had any serious nicks only a few minor problems caused by the razor losing sharpness midway through a shave. My father told me that his father had a saying "You only cut yourself on a blunt razor". I was certainly finding this to be true. I began to do a lot of stropping before a shave and after almost 6 months of shaving I realised no matter how much I strop now the razor really does need to be honed. And whilst browsing for a honing stone I stumbled across SRP.

Here is what I have learned: 1- There is a learning curve to shaving with the straight. 2- Stropping really is worth it's weight in gold and is seriously underrated at how effective it can be. 3- Don't buy an expensive razor and try to learn everything at once. If you want to learn the straight then buy a shavette. (I haven't tried one myself though but they are cheap and you don't need to worry about anything but shaving) 4- as you are learning to shave from the shavette hit the SRP forum and also watch as many vids as you can on youtube to learn about the straight. 5- When you decide you are ready to move to the straight, buy good quality.

However the one thing that I haven't learned though is places were I can buy a good quality straight from in the UK. The only place that I know that sells shaving equipment in the UK is the shop in Southport that my razor and strop were bought from.

I noticed that not many people know about the Artamis, so I thought I would be the ideal person to talk about it due to owning one. I belive it is only available in the UK, however I don't believe that it is actually produced in the UK. There is a ticket on the side of the box that says Sarome UK. According to their website this is a company that imports gentlemans gifts. Also the spine of the razor isn't exactly even on both sides so I know that this is built without very high standards in quality control. Although it isn't completely terrible (I would rather shave with this than go back to using a mach 3) and after roughly 6 month of shaving from a complete noob with only a strop to keep it sharp it has done very well. It currently has no blunting but it does have 2 very minor nicks through use which I believe is to be expected.

Here are some photos: