Thread: Short Read on choosing your first straight

I am looking for help finding another razor. I knew nothing when I dove in and now I know a little more than nothing. I do have some knowledge. Read and maybe this will help a newbie step into the hobby and art of straight razor shaving. Choosing Your First Straight Razor - Well Groomed Fellow

Gonzo

Interesting. Not a lot of substance, but there are more than enough "substantial" sources, if that's what a guy wants. I came away with two important pieces of information (bold highlighting, mine):

• Don’t spend too much on your first razor though. Let’s be honest, no matter you how much you learn theoretically about straight razors, you still don’t know what you’re doing, plus you’re not even sure yet if this kind of shaving is for you.
• Make sure that the razor is professionally honed and ‘shaving ready’ before buying it. Later you may learn honing your razor if you happen to stick with straight shaving.

I'm "down" with the first statement; in fact, I'd amend it to contain something along the lines of "don't buy that first razor -- borrow it."

In the second statement, I'd change "before buying it" to "after buying it" -- although anyone can claim a razor is "shave ready" (and that's true, insofar as the balance between sharpness and technique are concerned), it's good to have a generally-accepted baseline sharpness, before starting to shave with a straight razor.

Originally Posted by JBHoren

Interesting. Not a lot of substance, but there are more than enough "substantial" sources, if that's what a guy wants. I came away with two important pieces of information (bold highlighting, mine):

• Don’t spend too much on your first razor though. Let’s be honest, no matter you how much you learn theoretically about straight razors, you still don’t know what you’re doing, plus you’re not even sure yet if this kind of shaving is for you.
• Make sure that the razor is professionally honed and ‘shaving ready’ before buying it. Later you may learn honing your razor if you happen to stick with straight shaving.

I'm "down" with the first statement; in fact, I'd amend it to contain something along the lines of "don't buy that first razor -- borrow it."

In the second statement, I'd change "before buying it" to "after buying it" -- although anyone can claim a razor is "shave ready" (and that's true, insofar as the balance between sharpness and technique are concerned), it's good to have a generally-accepted baseline sharpness, before starting to shave with a straight razor.

I'm with you most blades come serviceable would be a better word than shave ready. Happy shaves to the world and have a blessed holiday season.