Thread: Just starting

I decided to take the plunge and purchased a razor today on the bay. It sounded like a good deal from what little research I've done but may have been a mistake. The seller says it will be honed and stropped and shave ready before it leaves. It looks to be in pretty good shape but any more experienced opinions would be really appreciated.

You've come to the right place sir. That razor looks and sounds good to me, go for a shave. Check the wiki and and the video section of this forum to get going. Ask questions, the members here are Gentlemen. Welcome to the fold.-John

Thanks. Happy to be here I only need a strop now. But I'll be up and running soon.....I hope.

That razor looks fine, a little hone wear but that's no biggie. You'll know if its shave ready on your first stroke. Do your homework first on shaving with a straight, and you'll see you only learn through some trial and error. Good luck, and use a belt or newspaper until you get a strop.

One last thing. My first shave with a straight took forever! Now I can get an excellent shave with a straight in no time.

Good to know. I plan on doing the first couple at night so I'm not even remotely pressed for time. I still have a few days before the razor gets here but I'm thinking about getting a strop from amazon I'm doing research now about what strop to get but any recommendations would be appreciated.

All the advice so far is good. For a strop, be sure to get a 3" wide one. I'm currently using a 2 1/2" one and I'd much rather prefer not having to do the x-strokes, so my next razor related purchase will be a new strop. Take your time, and you will get better with practice. Use a face towel to wipe the lather from the blade instead of rinsing, as it will save a lot of time I found out. Plus less chance of you getting water in your scales which will lead to problems, etc. A good pre-shave cream, soap, and aftershave treatment goes a long way as well. Currently I'm using Proraso pre-shave cream and soap, and Clubman Bay Rum for aftershave. Witch Hazel rinse directly after shaving helps if you have sensitive skin, like me. I also found I really like the alum block, but be sure to have a styptic pencil on standby in case you get any battle wounds. That's all I can think of for now. Best of luck man!

Thanks. I've got the shave oil, cream, and balm from the art of shaving as well as a brush and I've been using it with my fusion now once the razor gets here do I need to use a strop if the seller does before he ships it? Should I wait to use it until I have the strop? Sorry for all of the questions I'm burning up this bar too.

If your seller strops before hand you wont need to strop again, however subsequent shaves wil require you to have a strop. A newspaper or other improvised strop can be used in a pinch. And please ask questions the guys here are always happy to help.

Hello, and welcome! About strops, you can indeed use newspaper; you can even fold it and hang it from a bulldog clip--there was a post about that a week or so ago. Search the site for Newspaper Strop.

Just as there are lots of RSOs (Razor-Shaped Objects) in the marketplace, there are also SSOs. Not all leather makes good stropping leather. Amazon doesn't have a reputation to maintain in our very niche market, so I'd recommend strop-shopping at a dedicated straight-razor vendor--Straight Razor Designs, The Superior Shave, Vintage Blades, etc. But in the meantime, you can use newsprint.

I think newsprint is good for practice anyway, since you'll be shy about putting too much pressure on it. That's fine, since stropping doesn't take any more pressure than that anyway, and you can damage a blade with sloppy stropping.

Best wishes and happy shaving!

Thanks for the advice. The only reason I was checking amazon is because I have $50 gift card to blow on amazon and wanted to put it to good use. I think I will try the newspaper method for a little bit to get used to it. This by far the most easy going forum for newbies I've ever belonged to. Thanks again for all the help and support.