To: Teens Wanting to Start Out Straight Razor Shaving

**parkerskouson** · 07-31-2012, 03:23 AM

To start, hello all teens that are lurking this thread Forum!!! This is the best forum ever for any information on straight razors!!

But, this is not the purpose of this thread. The purpose is to educate you on the best way to start out straight razor shaving. I know some of you may be thinking, I would love to do this!! But, my parents would never let me! They would think it is way to dangerous to put a 3 inch unguided razor sharp blade against my face. Trust me, I know this personally. My dad though I was crazy for even wanting to start! But, once you put things into perspective, they may agree!

First, I'm going to explain what you will need to start out.

A Shave Ready Razor
Leather Strop, And optional linen side recommended, but not necessarily needed
Shave Brush
Shave Soap
Coffee Mug

For all of these items, I will provide links to give you the best deal possible. So you don't have to break your bank, or your parents.

Razor- This doesn't need to be anything special. It can easily be had for under 50 dollars on SRP's classifieds. Make sure it is shave ready, or else you will have to spend even more money trying to make it capable of shaving.
Strop- Once again, nothing spectacular is needed. Just a plain 2 inch latigo strop will work. This is the one I have, it does the job.
2" Wide #1 Black Latigo Leather Strop

Brush Bowl and Soap. Get the Van Der Hagen shave set at Walmart for 10 dollars. It works and works well, and all you really need to start out.

Next is the why you should start, and how to convince your parents to let you start!!!!

Why:

1. Your friends and peers will envy you!!! They will think you are the coolest thing for having the guts to put a razor sharp unguided blade against your face!
2. In the long run, you will spend a lot less on shaving. This may not be a big deal to you now, but trust me. When you are 25 and have one kid you will not want to spend 30 dollars 4 cartridges for you Gillette Fusion razor.
3. I know how hectic it can be in the shoes of a teen. Trust me! I'm 14 right now! If you decide to take up this art, it will force you to be calm to start the day and will really set your mood for the rest of the day!
4. It is the perfect time to start! If you are just starting to grow peach fuzz on your face, it will be SOOOO much easier to learn. There will be a lot less hair you will need to take off, and it is not as thick as a wire so it will be much easier to learn!
5. Something you can do with your dad. At first, your dad will think your are totally crazy for wanting to shave like your great grandfather! But, after he first watches you shave, he will want to try it. Also, if you dad is already a member here, or shaves with a straight razor already. Your journey has become SOOOO much easier! He can and will set you up with a great razor and really good one on one advice that is hard to come by! If you are in that place and your dad ever offers to teach you, don't pass up that opportunity!
6. You will feel a taste of the past because you are shaving like the did in the '30's!
7. It is just plain cool.

How to convince your parents!

This is probably the most important step! If you don't succeed at this, say goodbye to straight razor shaving!

One of the worst ways to go about doing this........ Asking and Asking and Asking until your parents are so done with you that they just let you do what you want. It worked, but, depending on how irritable your parents are, you may get a couple of "love taps."

How I would do it.....

Show them all of those 7 tips that I explained above. Use your best cute puppy face and ask as nicely as you can if they will let you do this. If you do a good job of convincing them, they will say yes! If they are concerned about you slicing your face open, show them this video!
First Straight Razor Shave - YouTube

**MuskieMan33** · 07-31-2012, 06:07 AM

haha, the whole family in the bathroom watching! Mom and Dad knew I got one, but I won't let them watch me. After the first one, I realized that I like that I'm alone for the process, it's nice and peaceful. Props to a nick free shave on the first attempt! As I recall, I had a couple minor nicks the first time I did it. The first time working with my non-dominant hand was a little weird too. It gets better don't worry! And I've only been at it for a short while myself.

**wildhog** · 07-31-2012, 04:10 PM

It is wonderful to see this thread!! All you teens out there wanting to straight shave, getting past your parents probally will be a tough climb. ( I am talking about those who don't have parents already using a straight.)
I started straight shaving in 1969 under the instruction of an old barber. ( Yea, I'm old ) He taught me well and I never
looked back.
The best advice I can give you at this stage of the game, is to get Lynn's DVD. It has the best advice I have ever seen for the beginner. Patience and taking it slow are of upmost importance. Also, watch the video with your parents, as Lynn has a way of expressing his knowledge so that your parents might be more positive about the use of a straight.
Last, but not least, If I can be of help, PM me.
Very Best and Good Luck, John

**mapleleafalumnus** · 07-31-2012, 04:14 PM

Young gentlemen --
One sure-fire way to aid in convincing your parents is to remind them that for centuries there was only one option for a "clean-cut" look void of facial hair: the straight razor. If it was good enough for your parents' great-great grandparents, it's good enough for you.

**Double0757** · 07-31-2012, 04:40 PM

Good post, enjoyed it. Double O

**rodb** · 07-31-2012, 04:58 PM

Nice post!!
Talk to an administrator and see about starting a teen sub-forum, there might be a lot of that age group out there wanting some help starting out.

**parkerskouson** · 07-31-2012, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by rodb

Nice post!!
Talk to an administrator and see about starting a teen sub-forum, there might be a lot of that age group out there wanting some help starting out.

I may just do that! That would be awesome!!!

**nalbonen4** · 07-31-2012, 05:03 PM

I circumvented my parents completely

It has been almost a year since I picked up a straight razor, and I started with a kit from vintage blades. The only thing I would upgrade is the soap, get something nice!

I'm not sure why I really wanted to do this, since I could get a shave in many other ways and I wasn't too concerned with the cost of it. In fact the biggest thing that held me up was the initial investment. I think it was the simple fact that it is a very challenging thing to do, and apart from this forum, you will probably be the only person you meet that uses a straight. Anyone you know that uses one will probably have caught the bug from you. I know a few of my friends have asked about trying it out and I always direct them here.

I would just like to say, the road is NOT easy by any means. You will cut yourself, I just did a few days ago, and it looks like a doozy of a scar coming. My senior prom pictures feature a prominent slice on my cheek even! Take it slow, be patient, and most importantly while you are shaving....just...shave. Leave the computer, the phone, the music the texting everything but the razor and the mirror, out of the bathroom. Take a break from your life that I know is constantly fluctuating and buzzing and beeping and relax, focus on one task at a time.

**rodb** · 07-31-2012, 05:06 PM

My shave instructions at age 13 was my dad handing me a DE and a can of goop and saying "here you go, now shave" lol!!
And I didn't learn properly until my late 40's. There's got to be a better way to learn, maybe a forum would be a lot better.

**roughkype** · 07-31-2012, 05:12 PM

Nalbonen, excellent advice about leaving all the gizmos at the bathroom door. That's one of the things many of us older guys enjoy about this so much--that we get to be away from all that stuff for one half hour of the day. That half hour only gets more precious as your life acquires more responsibilities.

Not to be a buzzkill. Learn it now, while your beards are easy. Later, when they turn all bristly and challenging, you'll have a decade or more of experience and won't even recognize how much more difficult it is to clear that stuff from your face.

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