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Right so I'm jus putting together a list of things I need to get started first a razor I'm looking in the £50-70 price range second hand preferably. Need a strop but can't really find one in the uk that is good value? Got a cheap £10 synthetic brush which is fine and some lush coconut Taylor of old bond street shave cream and some nice sandalwood post shave balm but iv had these from using a DE/shavette. Any other things I need to get started and keep my razor sharp?
Thanks
hiya there,
It depends on what you consider good value for a strop. As you've probably noticed there is quite a wide range of products when it comes to straight razor shaving from dirt cheap to astronomically expensive. It would help if you had a figure you'd want to spend on the stop. anyhow, have a look at 2 English Beech Wood Buffalo Hard Wool Felt Paddle Strop and Strops, brushes & soaps or you could look at cheap strops on eBay. All you need really is a smooth piece of leather to strop on, I've read somewhere that some people have actually used their belts to strop.
Other than that, I think that's pretty much all you you need for starters. You might also consider an alum block as astringent or to stop your fingers slipping when you're stretching the skin.
Cheers,
Ash
Thanks fr te reply been looking at the invsiable edge site but never came across the other site you linked seems there not many places in uk where you can pick up a used straoght razor unless I'm just not looking in the right place.
Does make any dofference to choose a paddle over a hanging to start?
Hanging or paddle is a matter of opinion...doesn't really matter as long as quality leather is used. I have and use both.
Check out Neil Miller, he offers a lot of quality shaving products from your neck of the woods.
Many sellers from SRP do not have a problem shipping razors international, check out the classified's and you may see that they require a small additional postage fee...but that's just to offset costs.
Having a styptic pencil is advisable when you're starting with a straight - larger branches of Boots do them for under £2, and one will last you a long time. (If you haven't already got one.)
I'd consider getting a vintage strop from ebay. I paid around £15 for mine, and it had a few stains and nicks, but is made of the right materials and works well. Bear in mind that you're likely to slice up your first strop until you get the hang of stropping, so even if you eventually want to spend a lot on a top-of-the-range one, it isn't a good idea for your first strop.
Razor, strop, brush, soap, styptic. I'd say that is the minimum starting kit.
Am I right in thinking that once A strop is sliced it can't be used again?
No, small nicks (if they're so small you can't feel the razor bump as it goes over them) don't really matter, I believe. Larger ones need to be fixed, and apparently you can do this with a dab of glue and sandpaper - I haven't tried it myself though. Of course, if you hack halfway through a strop it'll never be the same again, but that's not very likely.
Nicks tend to occur at the top and bottom of the stroke, when you don't synchronise turning the razor and changing direction correctly. When I was learning I used a longer stroke than I do now, so now when I use my first strop I just use the un-nicked bit in the middle.
Hey Benj,
To answer your questions:
1. You are right, there are not as many places that cater for straight razor shaving in the UK as there are in the states. The 2 links I provided above are two very reputable vendors and you can't go wrong with either one.
2. As for used razors, as mentioned above you should have a look at Straight Razors - Straight Razor Place Classifieds although I have to warn you, anything from outside the EU might be subject to tax and it isn't cheap!! I think the cutoff for VAT on non-EU merchandise is anything above £20 but I stand corrected. Those 2 websites do have second hand razors for sale and most importantly they will come shave-ready. It might be worth contacting the owners for advice, both Steve Dempster at Invisible Edge and Neil Miller at Strop Shop are good guys and will point you to a decent razor for your price range. Moreover, Neil is a member here on SRP.
3. Hanging or paddle is up to personal preference really. The cheapest paddle strop is usually more expensive than the cheapest hanging strop though due to more raw materials needed. My personal view is to go with a paddle strop as a novice - less variables to control.
4. Slicing a strop is almost inevitable when you're starting off. If you do nick the strop, that does not mean you can't use it anymore. It all depends how deep or where you sliced it. If it's only superficial, you can still strop over it with no ill effects, you can also sand the nicks down. You can also super glue larger nicks and then sand it down. The only extreme where you've totally ruined a strop is if you actually slice it in half, but even then some people find uses for the 2 pieces!!
Hope that helps,
Ash
Thanks again iv sent an email to Tony at invisable edge don't know if this is the right person but I'm sure they will respond. That's good to hear that you can't totally ruin a strop on your first stroke I'm going to practice with a belt and shavette just to get the turn right maybe this will help prevent any nicks.