Thread: Want to get into straight razor shaving -

Get a good badger hair brush... Silver tip is said to be best. I'm loving my Silver tip from the Art of Shaving.

And the soaps from The Straight Razor Place are fantastic. I particularly like their West Indies Bay, Frankincense, and Opus X soaps. Half of the experience is the soothing essential oil smells while you shave.

I'm a noob who took it up mid-life, 3 months in now and loving it. The whole ritual is like the perfect old-timey Andy Griffith spa experience for my face.

That's exactly what I'm looking for, haha.
Just a few questions if you wouldn't mind answering: how does the soap thing work? and how do you spot a good shaving soap? Reason I ask is I live in Mexico, and I don't really know my way around the shops considering I just made the move, and I'm not confident I'd be able to find anything like it down here. I guess I could always stockpile on shaving materials when I visit the U.S.

Sorry to get inquire so late. Have you tried creams? And if so, why soaps over creams?

You definitely are getting into it for the right reasons and if you do choose to pursue this you can be assured that you will get years of enjoyment out of your new passion and an art that you never cease to learn. Everything looks covered above. Just find a shave ready razor from a reputable dealer and get what looks aesthetically pleasing to you. All of the razors sold on SRD and sites of the like are of great quality so don't get too hung up on brands. Just get what looks good to you and is in your price range. Please do yourself a favor and check out the Wiki here on this site for razors to avoid. No one will ever convince me that a 150 dollar brush will give you a better shave than a 40-50 dollar one. More comfortable yes, better shave, no. I prefer creams to soaps but that is just me, if you can afford it try both. You may also want to consider buying two razors. A new one and a used less expensive one from a place like whipped dog who sells vintage but quality professionally honed razors. You can get them for around 50 bucks or less. Often times as a beginner you may strop incorrectly, bump your blade, drop it, or a host of other things that will damage your blade. It is good to have a back up as you will want to send the damaged one out to be pro honed.