Thread: Hello

Hi everyone,
I am new to this forum and to straight razors in general. I am looking for advice on buying a straight razor. I am in the army and shaving is the most annoying part of my day. This is because I can grow a man beard in a few hours and therefore I am required to shave twice a day. I could easily get a "shaving profile" that would get me out of shaving daily but I can never take a soldier seriously with scruff. So I shave early in the morning and carry a razor on me so I can dry shave whenever I get the chance during day. Electric razors do nothing for me and I have to by the most expensive cartridges to get a close enough shave. I burn through those so fast! Help me! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Good brands, brands to stay away from, how to maintain a straight razor... anything will help. Thanks!!!

First of all, thanks for your service and welcome to SRP! The very first thing that you should do is click on "library" at the top of this page and do some reading, especially the beginners section. There is a lot of information concerning what you need and what to look for when purchasing a straight razor. For sure you will need a razor (preferably two), a strop, a brush, and shaving soap or cream; you can find a starter brush and soap at walmart or a drug store- Van der Hagen makes a brush/soap/bowl set. You'll probably want to upgrade later, but this is a good start; I usually recommend getting this set and using it with your current shaving method to practice lathering while you're waiting for your razor and strop to come in.

Of utmost importance is buying a razor that is truly shave ready. I recommend buying a used/vintage razor from the classifieds here; most of them are sold by experienced users and are shave ready. The library will tell you what this really means, and you'll find a list of brands to stay away from (you probably won't find any of those for sale here). Another good option is to check out www.whippeddog.com; he sells a "poor man's strop kit" that is great for beginners and also has a selection of new and used razors (in particular, his "sight un-seen" razors are a good deal). Of course, I have no connection with this site, just positive experiences.

Be aware that straight razor shaving has a long and steep learning curve, and that this is a skill which takes most people a while to learn. You may also consider safety razors (double edge or single edge); while I am a fan of str8s, a DE would still be better than expensive cartridges. Just be sure to do some reading in the library, and watch plenty of videos. Good Luck!

Welcome to the forum!
I don't recommend dry shaving with a straight or double edge razor:0

Thanks for the advice! I will have to check it out.

Welcome to SRP

The one thing that can shorten your learning curve the most is to get some 1 on 1 help from a local experienced person.

Use this search screen to find someone in your area, just fill in the "Location" field.......

http://straightrazorpalace.com/memberlist.php?do=search

BTW, don't try to dry shave with a Straight Razor or DE. Your face won't like you anymore.

Welcome. where are you stationed?

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am currently in San Antonio at Fort Sam Houston but leaving for TAMC in Hawaii in October. Couldn't be more excited about it!

Welcome to SRP. Good to have you with us.

Originally Posted by vt68k

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am currently in San Antonio at Fort Sam Houston but leaving for TAMC in Hawaii in October. Couldn't be more excited about it!

Hawaii sounds like more fun than when I was in. Stationed at Ft. Riley Kansas.

I have heard mixed reviews about Ft. Riley. And Hawaii actually. I have heard people get island fever. But I am excited. I had the choice to go to Hawaii or Ft. Belvoir in VA. I couldn't make up my mind so I flipped a coin and it landed on Hawaii.

So I went into an Art of Shaving in San Antonio today. There was a Dovo grandaville straight razor for 250 in there (plus a military discount). Any feedback on this? I saw a Dovo on the classified ads on here for 80 bucks. Is this a good razor?