Thread: Should I make the jump

I'll have to look into the Arko shaving stick. What is it exactly? I'll have one of the Turks who works for me look for it downtown. Its hard to find stuff with my limited Turkish. Do I need the Norton honing stones right away or will the 4-sided pasted strop be enough? I noticed the set comes with a boar hair brush, everything I have been reading says to use Badger hair. Should I buy one awhile or is there not that big of a difference between it and boar hair? I can see that this could get expensive fast. Before I spend too much I want to make sure that SR shaving is for me.

A boar bristle brush will do the job, especially with hard soaps. However, a badger bristle brush will feel a lot better and retain much more water/heat. Even if you decide that going straight isn't for you, it will still improve your shave quality by leaps and bounds. The paddle will be good for maintaining the edge for a while. Norton would be good in case you bang the edge on the faucet or buy razors that aren't shave ready.

I have matching ones like x's one on each side. Mainly because children and wives don't think to knock before barging into the bathroom. Not a big deal though. You will get small nicks but it's not a big deal trust me.

Originally Posted by blhoward2

I'll have to look into the Arko shaving stick. What is it exactly? I'll have one of the Turks who works for me look for it downtown. Its hard to find stuff with my limited Turkish. Do I need the Norton honing stones right away or will the 4-sided pasted strop be enough? I noticed the set comes with a boar hair brush, everything I have been reading says to use Badger hair. Should I buy one awhile or is there not that big of a difference between it and boar hair? I can see that this could get expensive fast. Before I spend too much I want to make sure that SR shaving is for me.

Long before I discovered straight shaving and indeed the culture of wet shaving in general, I acquired a boar brush just like the one in Tony's kit and the kit soap as well. Not because they were better than the stuff I had been using but because the brush and a soap together were the same price as a can of the gel I had been using before it. Wonder of wonders this old fashioned cheaper system took my shaves to a much more pleasurable place than the new fangled gunk I had been using. I do dream of trying a badger hair brush and costly creams but no (sigh) I don't need them. Even if you find the straight razor isn't for you, keep the brush it will make a marked improvement even with a disposable, and investing in a badger brush is a luxury look forward to while using a brush period is the most important step in getting a good shave at all.

Do most people have a second brush that they rotate with or a travel brush? I am in the Air Force so I travel a decent bit. Thankfully, as I am single with no kids, I can afford to buy the little luxuries in life.

I am about to get my second brush as soon as Matt lets me know that it's ready. The one I'm using atm is the Edwin Jagger Best Badger. A good brush but I thought I needed one that would be MY design. The EJ will become the traveller.

Yep, the boar brush is a compromise. I wanted something easy to use with had cake soaps as they are easy and inexpensive too. The point of the extras in the kit was to get a guy started at minimal cost and the $$ go into razor and strop. I wanted to include a Tweezerman Badger instead but that is well over twice the cost of the Burma shave and it does better with cremes, so add a few more $$ over the cake soap. Nest thing you know it's a beginners set at not beginner prices <g>.

My personal brush collection is a high end Badger, a C&E Badger, a Burma Shave, a Fancy Omega Profesional badger and an old C&E boar/badger combination. That 20 year old brush is my most used one.

The set brush is to get you started, but unlikely what you will stick with way down the road.

Tony

Makes sense on the compromise. It is nice to have a beginners set already set up. I placed an order from your site today. I had it shipped to my parents house in PA as I will be home on leave starting the 13th and mail to an APO address takes forever. At least I can learn while I am on leave so I don't have to go to work with a bunch of nicks...

Just a little bit of free advice from a relative novice (for what it's worth). Cut yourself plenty of slack, be patient and go slowly. There are two steep learning curves: 1. how to keep the razor sharp (which is critical) and 2. learning how to shave with a straight razor. I thought I knew the topography of my face until I started using a straight. You will eventually become intimately familiar with the growth patterns of your whiskers while using a straight. But it will be well worth it. Your face will feel better than using any other razor. And it's fun. Be careful...there is an endless array of shaving accessories, soaps, creams, preshaves, aftershaves, colognes, strops, hones, etc., etc. to gobble up your money. Above all...enjoy.
By the way, thanks for your service.

Tom

Blowhard2...

I am a novice when it comes to straight razor shaving (I have had mine for less than 2 months) but have learned quite a bit about what NOT to do. First off, do yourself a favor and get your razor honed BEFORE using it. I got a TI and thought that it came "shave ready". BOY, was I wrong!!! I got a nice cut (not quite as bad as the example we just saw, but fairly close. I felt like I was shaving with broken glass. I tried to hone it myself (a little better, but still VERY uncomfortable), then finally sent it off to Lynn. When I got it back...MAN, now I know what a shave ready feel like on my face. That knowledge is invaluable. I have since bought an eBay special to learn honing, and have been able to bring it up to a nice edge (not to the level of Lynn's, but shaveable).

I bought Lynn's video and it is WELL worth the money!!! So much information packed into one DVD!!! Not only will you learn about how to hone and shave, but he gives tips on what to look for on eBay.

As far as brushes, I have been using one for most of my shaving life. For the longest time I have a williams and used williams soap. I learned about this from my Grandpa when I was about 16 so I have generally enjoyed wet shaves (except for that BRIEF insane period when I actually put a mini-lawnmower to my face!!!). The boar bristle brush will be mush better than the williams which is just "bristle", and that worked nicely for me for many years.

When the folks talk about SRAD, they are SERIOUS!!! Since my initial investment of the TI and nice strop I have purchased norton combo stones, 3 eBay razors (and looking for more!!!), a lapping stone, a silvertip badger brush, various soaps/preshaves/aftershaves and polishing creams. It is thoroughly addicting. As far as the total cost, I figure that I used to spent at least $250 on mock3 blades a year (I can't STAND them dull and wnet through at least 2 per week). That being said, I still haven't spend that much on all the stuff that I have bought thus far.

Another thing I might suggest is to watch the National Geographic Channel special about shaving. It gives you a great deal of insight into the science behind what makes for a great shave. It is under either the "Shaving" forum I believe (someone please correct me if I am mistaken).

Have fun and take your time.

- Mike

p.s. - as a red-blooded American, I would like to thank you for ensuring and protecting our freedoms.