Thread: Newbie needing alot of HELP!

I' m a NEWBIE to the world of Straight Razors. I just got tired of buying those expensive cartridges every couple of weeks and am a knife collector. I had collected a few straight razors, but none of them ready to use. I read your post and it said that all I need is a Shave ready Razor and a Strop.

I have a ZEEPK straight Razor and Strop coming along with a Beauty & Barber Titanium Straight Razor and a Venus Straight Razor on the way. All three Razors are "Shave" ready, or at least that is what the people I'm getting them from say. The first two are E-Bay specials, But the Venus isn't. Do I just use the Strop, or should I have the Razors sharpenned somewhere first? I don't want to have a bad experience with these Razors and get discouraged with using them.

I don't have a wet stone yet, but am planning on getting one soon. Do you know where I can get my razors sharpenned or will I be good? I've been watching some video's on You Tube about using Strops and Shaving and just want to make sure I'm starting out right. Thanks for your time! Ray

if i were you i would just do what old schol just told you. throw them away and buy from here because youre gonna get a already honed/sharpened (thats a 25 bucks saving if you send away to get honed) and for like a average of 50 bucks you can get a top of the line razor.you wont be ripped off from here but always be careful anyway and do your homework beffore buying

Originally Posted by rrp1501

I' m a NEWBIE to the world of Straight Razors. I just got tired of buying those expensive cartridges every couple of weeks and am a knife collector. I had collected a few straight razors, but none of them ready to use. I read your post and it said that all I need is a Shave ready Razor and a Strop.

I have a ZEEPK straight Razor and Strop coming along with a Beauty & Barber Titanium Straight Razor and a Venus Straight Razor on the way. All three Razors are "Shave" ready, or at least that is what the people I'm getting them from say. The first two are E-Bay specials, But the Venus isn't. Do I just use the Strop, or should I have the Razors sharpenned somewhere first? I don't want to have a bad experience with these Razors and get discouraged with using them.

I don't have a wet stone yet, but am planning on getting one soon. Do you know where I can get my razors sharpenned or will I be good? I've been watching some video's on You Tube about using Strops and Shaving and just want to make sure I'm starting out right. Thanks for your time! Ray

Sorry, but youve been had by the junk masters. Check the classified section here and feel safe, everybody here has a reputation to protect. Ask a lot of questions, check the tutorials and the wiki and you come out ahead in spite of the bad start.

Welcome to SRP. Sorry to hear about your Zeepk experience. At least you were stopped before you abused your face. My first str8 was a nice razor, but it wasn't shave ready. I didn't know any better (this was long before I found SRP), so I shaved with it -- repeatedly. I'd have gotten a better shave from my wife's serrated tomato knife. Think of all the blood you've saved.

There is a wealth of info here on SRP (see the Wikis). I highly recommend Lynn Abram's DVD, "World of Straight Razor Shaving", available at Classic Shaving, Straight Razor Designs, et al. It's over 3 hrs, with many demos, including a shave demo. The SRP Classifieds offer some great shave ready razors for $50 and less. Check it out.

I send my str8s out to be honed (see classifieds for members who offer this service), as I wanted to concentrate on my shaving skills. It's a lot to learn but very rewarding. I hope to begin honing this year, on a $10 str8 I bought in an antique shop. I don't want to booger up one of my expensive str8s!

You've come to the right place. Everyone is friendly and willing to help. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Enjoy!

Dave

Hello Ray and welcome to SRP. There is a lot of good advise above. Read as much as you can here to learn about the wonderful experience of Straight Razor Shaving.

bj

Thanks guys! So the razors are junk. So are all the razors in the classified section here good? Now the strop I'm getting, is that okay? It is a double leather strop. It has a tan strap for keeping the edge on a razor and a black strap for finishing? I really appreciate all the help! I feel pretty stupid, but I'm glad I found you all to help me with the info I need. Can't find that most places any more! TRhanks again guys! Ray

Gosh, I feel sort of depressed for you, the way this thread is going. Yes, it’s all true and you are not the first or the last, but still….

My first straight was a Steel Warrior. You would not believe the hours I spent attempting to get a shaving edge on that piece of (fill in your own obscenity). I had just enough hardware/stones and just enough knowledge to really make a fool out of myself. Due to the junky steel, the edge was just crumbling off whenever it got thin enough to approach a shave worthy edge. The next razor I bought was a vintage Marshall Wells and the difference was night and day. It came to me so inexpensively that the first one just did not matter. And I’ve had fun since, you will too.

If only we could formulate a Cyber Lynch Mob to take care of the butt heads who keep selling rubbish to unsuspecting shavers.