• Beginners' Tips: March 2014


    I thought I should do a little something for our March installment of our beginner’s tips.


    All things needed to get started on straight razor shaving is already present on this site, but it sure can be hard to find the bare essentials in between all the other stuff that is filling all the various sub-forums.


    The thing about SRP is that we are a very diverse crowd from all parts of the world.


    We have those looking for how to shave on a bare minimum.
    And we have collectors, hobbyists and those geeky characters chasing the rainbow so to speak
    (present company included)
    Some love the honing aspects of this sport, others are into scales and not the razors themselves.
    Yet others have interests in razors from certain areas or time-periods, others have favorite makes of straights based on a whole number of criterias.


    What all those above provide on the forums are what keeps this community vibrant and moving forward, but at the same time it can be daunting for a newcomer looking to start out straight razor shaving.


    So, as a beginner it is just as much about sifting thru all the stuff that is not essential for a close, comfortable shave as it is about finding the needed info.


    As have been stated countless time on SRP, what you need for a comfortable and close shave is simply this:
    A shave-ready straight razor of decent condition, a good soap or cream, a decent brush, be it synthetic or some kind of natural hair, and a strop.
    That is it.
    Seriously, that is it!


    Sure, a barber hone or a Norton 4000/8000 grit stone would make you even more independent of outside help.
    But in the beginning, send it out to someone who knows how to hone a razor.
    Learning to use the razor, and stropping it to keep the edge keen, is enough when starting out.
    There’s always help to find when the time comes to get the edge back to shave-ready.


    When starting out, focus on learning the basics.
    Try to find a local mentor, an hour or two with a seasoned straight razor shaver/honer can and will shave off weeks of the learning curve.
    If you cannot, fine, then just peruse the beginners section on this site, and ask away.
    We are all here to help each other out.
    It is what makes SRP the #1 resource on straight razor shaving online.
    I’ll say that one more time, ask away, there are no stupid questions, we have all been there!


    Good luck with your endeavor.
    This article was originally published in forum thread: Beginners Tips: March 2014 started by Birnando View original post