Thread: Hello All!

Sunsweet,

Thank you for your opinion on the whole subject of straight razor shaving. I am sorry that things did not work out for you. I plan to send my razor off to be honed the first few times by a professional. I don't feel like I could do it myself without somebody showing me in person. Eventually, I hope to find somebody locally that can show me how to properly hone the razor. I don't have crazy expectations about having a baby smooth face right away. I have recieved hot towel shaves from barbers with straight razors before, and I will tell you that those were the best and closest shaves I have ever had.

Sunsweet,
It is abundently clear that you have not enjoyed your straight razor journey, and I am sorry to hear that, but it's going to take an awfully long time for you to give your warning to every new member. But that is your prerogative. And like you say perhaps one of your kids will want the whole shabang one day. Just don't forget to put some of that camelia oil on the blade before you store it.

Originally Posted by sunsweet

Hello Keen,
I was in your exact situation last year around the same time: new to straight razor shaving, having read a lot of tutorials and watched videos, i might say studied the whole thing then I took the jump and bought a $400 Thier Issard razor, bought a silvertip bagger hair brush for $240, various soaps, a $40 Muhle cup, $30 stainless steel, other skin products, an atoma diamond lapping stone $70, naniwa chocera 2000 for $80, shapton glass 6000 for $70 and naniwa 12000 for $80., $80 paddle strope and diamond paste. Altogether around $1,100 investment into straight razor.
The initial blade came extremely sharp from the factory and I micro-cut myself about 4-5 times on the first shave. I was not painful because of the sharpness and healed in days. I assumed I had a lot to learn yet. month later the blade had gotten less sharp and more comfortable and I was able to shave with only 1 cut every other shave.
** the result of shaving with a straight razor was in no way better than shaving with a disposable supermarket 3 blades only more risks of cutting yourself and having to spend about 3X as much time to do it (including stropping) **
Then came the time when I needed to hone the blade with wetstones. I first tried the 6000 + 12000 and got it back to something ok for a few times. Then it started pulling skin too much and I had to set a new bevel.
Let me only tell you I was never able to get the blade back to the factory level of sharpness.
I watched tens more videos including from key people on this forum. I failed about 3 times then on fourth try got something quite good that passed arm hair test. That lasted about 4 weeks and it was just as bad as before. I changed my technique about 3 times bought 10X and 20X loupes (around $90) to look at what is happening with the the edge while honing and learn from that. You might not believe me but I am a patient, good learner in general. I got really good at feeling the blade on the hone, and all visual indicators showed that I was doing the right thing. Yet the blade would never get real sharp just passably sharp. By this point I had read and watched so many videos ad nauseum I swear I could teach a whole razor honing class that would say the same words and give the same impression as these videos. Yet I am getting mediocre shaves out of the honed blade. i did not gave up and tried a few more months and adjusted my technique several times. Today I spent 1 hour to try again : lapped the stones, 2000, 6000, 12000. Honed the razor. The result is that the blade is worthless for shaving ! I have those old supermarket disposable one and I tried that. Holy cow !!! I forgot how easily, comfortably and effortlessly these shave and much much closer than straight razor. Especially on the chin and close from the nose holes a straight razor is very poor at giving a close shave and dangerous to use. So maybe other people are getting better results but one thing I am certain, even the experts I consider them to be beginners when it comes to teaching that skill because nothing can be learned from any online information/videos. It is just waste of time.

I do not hide my losses and do not care about the $$$$ invested. That is nothing to me. My mistake was to believe straight razors are good, they are not. But I am glad i made the mistake of getting into straight shaving. You learn from your biggest mistakes in other ways even if they are insurmountable. Now some idiot on this forum is going to say I made the mistake of buying an expensive razor to start with. Gosh Durn that comment! I buy what I want, they buy what they can afford, money has NOTHING to do with the difficulty of this skill. That is an off-topic subject that they need to talk about to their financial advisor NOT with me.. I could afford that, money is not why i am pissed. Wasting time in straight razor is why. But that is allright. If they see it as a waste for themselves than that is THEIR problem not mine, so fuck comments like that. Closing that parenthesis.

I am contemplating selling the whole thing. But not for cheap. I'd rather not sell it than discount it.
Most likely it is going to end up in a box maybe for future generations.

And mark my words, I am looking forward to using disposable razors. They are the best. Maybe you can get something close a few times with a straight but 80% of your shaves are going to be worse, slower, and more cleaning, stropping, oiling, honing, and ... on the side.
Not to mention if you travel, straight razor is not good to bring along and will rust if put in a closed suitcase and not perfectly dry. And the brush will rot.

PS: i forgot to mention camellia oil I also bought from Japan to keep the blade from rusting. I probably missed other things I bought..

So there you have it, honest straight experience about straight razor. Welcome and hopefully for you GOOD BYE. Remember you can leave at any time.

Well I guess that was your one lonely, long winded opinion on shaving then. Each to their own I say. Have you tried using an electric razor? It sounds like that is more your style. I edited the quote above to remove the swearing and to at least give you a chance of not looking like a total fool.


Mick

Well sunsweet, you pretty much did what it says here not to do. You could have got a shave ready razor from the classifieds here for very little investment. If you have so much money, why not send your razors out to be pro honed? It is a big learning curve, which takes patience and practice, something you may be lacking.

I understand completely ...... I bought the same bicycle that Lance Armstrong "won" the Tour De France on, and I can't get over 22 miles per hour ........ damn bicycle !!

Originally Posted by Grazor

Well sunsweet, you pretty much did what it says here not to do. You could have got a shave ready razor from the classifieds here for very little investment. If you have so much money, why not send your razors out to be pro honed? It is a big learning curve, which takes patience and practice, something you may be lacking.

Come on grazor, it's better to be a misery and keep stuff you don't want, and won't use than try to find a home for them where they will be appreciated

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I understand completely ...... I bought the same bicycle that Lance Armstrong "won" the Tour De France on, and I can't get over 22 miles per hour ........ damn bicycle !!

Jimmy, I bet you forgot to watch all the videos.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Jimmy, I bet you forgot to watch all the videos.

Oz, watching a few vids is all you need to do to become expert in anything

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...ictures-2.html

In the Immortal words of Paul Harvey "The rest of the story"

Yup, this happens.
But if I wasn’t happy with my decision to master straight shaving I definitely wouldn’t be complaining to this audience,….. unless I was looking for help/guidance.
Actually my first purchase of straight shaving equipment came from somebody who decided it wasn’t for him.
But instead of putting in a drawer as a reminder of failure he offered it to me at a discount so I could experience this ritual at it’s finest.
Included in his inventory,…..
German Dovo straight razor “Sologen Best Quality”, Merkur Progress Adjustable Safety Razor, Gillette travel razor, Plisson Badger brush, 100 Astra DE blades, Walkin' Horse Strop, strop and Linen paste, Belgian Coticule, Belgium Cotigura Slurry Stone and Alum block.

His loss, my gain