Thread: Newbie is asking for help.

Hello my name is Valdi. I’m living in Canada(Toronto). I have joined SRP last week end have been straight razor shaving for ….two weeks now. So far my face looks like hamburger but I really enjoy it. Ystarday I purchases vintage razor(7^th so far)and I need help with finding the origin of the razor. Can somebody help me? Thank you.

Hi, Valdi, and welcome to SRP! I found this in the Wiki:
Krusius Brothers "KB Extra 98" 5/8 - Straight Razor Place Wiki
Sorry it doesn't help you at all. I'm sure some of our more knowledgeable members will stop by with more info. If all else fails, PM SRP member Manah and politely ask him. He really is the "go-to guy" for razor identification around here.
See you in the trenches, buddy!
mapleleafalumnus

Okay. Now that you know the history of your razor, maybe start working on the whole "hamburger face" situation?

Is your razor sharp? Are you stropping correctly? Just shaving one small part of your face, then finishing with something else?

Michael

Originally Posted by mjsorkin

Okay. Now that you know the history of your razor, maybe start working on the whole "hamburger face" situation?

Is your razor sharp? Are you stropping correctly? Just shaving one small part of your face, then finishing with something else?

Michael

I started out with a self-honed vintage razor -- a Wade & Butcher. I _thought_ it was sharp -- I had nothing to compare it with.

When I received a Dovo from Straight Razor Designs, I learned what "sharp" really meant.

So the question (for a beginner) needs to be something like:

. . . Is your razor sharp?
. . . . Who sharpened it?
. . . . What tests have you done on it?
. . . . Will it cut your beard hairs without any pressure against the skin, just "squeegeeing" off the lather?

A dull razor requires pressure, and pressure leads to cuts and razor burn.

A sharp razor doesn't require pressure. And if you use pressure on it, you'll get cuts and razor burn.

So the blade, and the technique, both need to be right for a comfortable, bloodless shave.

Charles

PS -- forgive my wordiness, it's time for bed.

A few years ago I wandered past a camera shop with a pocket full of money and spied a Rolleicord III Vintage German Medium Format camera with a Schneider-Kreuznach lens. I had no idea really what it was, other than a camera. I likes the fact that the name of the lens in part was the same as my last name; so I bought it. I researched how to use it, joined forums, and posted posts like all excited newbies. I bought German Vintage Medium Format camera after German Medium Format camera until I had a veritable plethora of them. They all worked differently, I loaded them with film and proceeded to confuse myself.

A little after that I 'came across' Vintage German Fountain Pens. I joined forums, researched and posed posts like and other excited newbie. I bought German Vintage Fountain Pens after German Vintage Fountain Pen. They all worked differently. I broke some. I don't use some.

Before the German Vintage Fountain pens it was Vintage Cufflinks; mainly featuring pictures of dogs; hand painted, etc. I 'won' many sets of cufflinks, some that were thrown in a drawer never to be worn on arrival, as my definition of a mineral differed from the sellers.

Point being, at seven razors and a face resembling a beefy sandwich, I'd choose what you consider the smoothest razor and go with just that razor for a while. It's possible you're confusing yourself just like I did with the cameras if you're using all those razors:-)

Nice razor though :-)

Carl

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

I started out with a self-honed vintage razor -- a Wade & Butcher. I _thought_ it was sharp -- I had nothing to compare it with.

When I received a Dovo from Straight Razor Designs, I learned what "sharp" really meant.

So the question (for a beginner) needs to be something like:

. . . Is your razor sharp?
. . . . Who sharpened it?
. . . . What tests have you done on it?
. . . . Will it cut your beard hairs without any pressure against the skin, just "squeegeeing" off the lather?

A dull razor requires pressure, and pressure leads to cuts and razor burn.

A sharp razor doesn't require pressure. And if you use pressure on it, you'll get cuts and razor burn.

So the blade, and the technique, both need to be right for a comfortable, bloodless shave.

Charles

PS -- forgive my wordiness, it's time for bed.

Thanks for responding to my tread. You are asking if my vintage razors are sharp. It seems to me that they are sharp, but with two weeks of experience with SR shaving I can be wrong.LOL.

All seven razors I sharpened myself. I used 4000/8000 Norton wet stone then I honed them on 12000 Chinese wet stone after that I stropped them on leather with green polishing compound and then stropped on nylon canvas and leather strops. All seven razors are cutting very thin hair in the air in any directions.

Originally Posted by Valdi

Thanks for responding to my tread. You are asking if my vintage razors are sharp. It seems to me that they are sharp, but with two weeks of experience with SR shaving I can be wrong.LOL.

All seven razors I sharpened myself. I used 4000/8000 Norton wet stone then I honed them on 12000 Chinese wet stone after that I stropped them on leather with green polishing compound and then stropped on nylon canvas and leather strops. All seven razors are cutting very thin hair in the air in any directions.

If they cut hair, in the air, they're sharp enough to shave with.

If you are cutting yourself, _use less pressure on the blade_. And use this technique to get the blade angle:

. . . Start a stroke with the blade flat against your face.

. . . As you move the razor, raise the spine until the razor just barely cuts your beard. That's the correct angle.

With a light razor (hollow-ground), the sound is like spreading butter over toast.

Think "I am just going to remove the lather, not the beard!". If the razor is sharp, and the angle of the blade is right, the beard will come off with the lather.

Charles