Thread: First real straight

Hello to everyone I have been shaving with a straight with replacement blades for several months and shave very well with it. I plan on buying a divorce bismarck in the next few days. I was wondering if I would have any problem with that choice for my first real straight as far as shaving goes. The maintenance of the blade should not be a problem I have much knowledge and experience with honing and stropping so I shouldn't have a problem with keeping the razor shave ready. I do plan on getting one that is professionally honed just to insure that I am on the mark for when I need to rehone it. Any help is greatly welcomed and thanks in advance

Hello and welcome to SRP!

I've never used the disposable straights, but from what I've heard if you're getting a good shave from them you'll be fine with the real thing. That's because those disposable blades are crazy sharp. Your Bismarck will work as well as anything else. Be aware of the blade size, if it's different from your disposables. That will make navigation around your face a bit different than you're used to.

If your honing and stropping experience is with anything other than razors, do approach the razor humbly. It takes a very gentle hand. If you treat it like a woodworking tool or kitchen knife, you have a very good chance of damaging the edge. There's just not much metal out there.

We begin sharpening razors at 1000 grit, and most people agree that you can't start getting a comfortable shave until about 8000 grit. Many of us finish on a man-made 12,000 grit stone and a good few go beyond that, if they know the steel will sustain it. And many more of us enjoy natural stones, whose grit is harder to determine and whose honing properties depend on more than just the particle size.

There are Bismarcks with slightly different sizes and designs. Which one are you looking at?

Best wishes.

Thanks the bismarck is the 6/8 ebony one it will be little bigger then what I'm using now and I've. Sharpened using up to a 12000 on specialty blades so it will be little different but not much

Originally Posted by Bamasmelley

Hello to everyone I have been shaving with a straight with replacement blades for several months and shave very well with it. I plan on buying a divorce bismarck in the next few days. I was wondering if I would have any problem with that choice for my first real straight as far as shaving goes. The maintenance of the blade should not be a problem I have much knowledge and experience with honing and stropping so I shouldn't have a problem with keeping the razor shave ready. I do plan on getting one that is professionally honed just to insure that I am on the mark for when I need to rehone it. Any help is greatly welcomed and thanks in advance

Lets just hope it doesn't come to that mate. All up, I reckon you'll do alright. Take the time to check out the information on honing even though you have experience. There is every chance you'll learn a new trick to try. Best of luck mate.


Mick

Thanks mickr I didn't even notice that the phone chanced my spelling. I have been reading alot on here and have learned alot already and still have more to go. I went with the dovo silver over the bismarck it will arrive tomorrow. So I will want to I get it before I shave tomorrow. I will write back to let everyone know how it goes.