i hated shaving... until.

hi all, i am new here. here is a little back ground info. my brother tought me to shave, i hated it i know it was not his fault. i learned to shave with a bic and shave cream and i would devlop a rash, i now know it was razor burn. it was a little better with an electric razor and only used it when i had to, like for a job or when my boss would tell i was i bit scruffy. i hated to shave for over 10 years and only did it when i was forced to do so. at one point i was told i had to shave or i would lose my job. i was to embarresed to say i did not know how to shave well.

A year ago it all changed, i was visiting a friend in idaho and he needed a hair cut, i went with him. the barber shop there offered to shave my face. i took took the barber up on his offer. i loved every minitue of the experience. i have not had my face that smooth ever. i then decided to ask why all the preperation just for one shave. he explained everything about shaving to me. for the first time after a shave i did not get razor burn. on the barbers advice i bought a cheap safety razor from china, brush, mug and shave soap.

for the first time in my life i enjoyed to shave with no razor burn. i love the way the brush transforms the solid soap into a rich lather. hoe the brush feels in my face. how you can hear trhe razor cut the beard. the best thing of all is no razor burn and how i feel after i shave.

a year later my safety

A year later my safety razor is showing signs of rust and I need to replace it. I lost my job and had to move back in with my mom. I know a lot more about shaving and I need to buy a new razor why not go with a straight razor. My problem is that I have a limited funds, I have looked at whipped dog is he good? I have looked on eBay and gold dollar seems like a winner given my budget but I have heard bad things about them. I want that baby butt smooth face the barber gave me. Any advice and help will be welcome.

Thanks

Yes, Larry over at WhippedDog has the goods and is a reputable guy. I've bought from him before.

I haven't looked lately, but he has "Sight Unseen" razors for cheap. IIRC, there were two categories. One was $28 and the other $41. They may not be beauty queens, but they will be sharp and the blade will be shaveable.

Any question, don't hesitate to call or email him. He's very responsive and helpful.

Welcome to SRP!

Willow the learning curve is a bit steep with straights. I myself am still learning to get the BBS smooth shave with the few I have. With a safety razor no problem. Just know it takes a bit of getting used to. There are some good razors out there for cheap if looks aren't important. Whipped Dog seems to be a good deal if you aren't hung up on beauty queens. I myself like a nice shiny razor. To each his own. Get a good shave ready straight an get started. Trust me there is always more to buy later if you want shiny razors..:gl:

When you buy a straight, make sure it is hand-honed and shave ready. eBay sellers often claim something is shave ready to draw buyers, so be careful there. In the Classifieds you'll find many good razors, in addition to Whipped Dog.

As for Gold Dollars, they are terribly made of good steel, blunt and with bits sticking out and awful scales. I like working on them because they're so cheap, but I would not buy them as a first razor, as it's bound to give you problems no other brand has.

Enjoy!

Welcome aboard-Shaving with either a safety razor or straights turns a chore into a fun hobby. My first two western straights were a Gold Dollar 208 and a Whipped Dog razor. I would advise against the Gold Dollar unless it's honed by a honemeister. Otherwise a Whipped Dog straight or one bought from a member from the SRP Classifieds is the safest way to go.

The Whipped Dog vintage razors are well honed and shave ready at the expense of not being shiny pretty. My Whipped Dog 5/8 half hollow razor came well honed and ready to shave. I still have it in my rotation. I now have prettier more shiny razors but I still enjoy using my early Whipped Dog razor. Mine holds a good edge, is easy to refresh and easy to strop. It still gives smooth clean shaves plus I also use it to practice improving my stropping. I also still use my 6/8 Gold Dollar, it has good steel but it was honed by a local honemeister.

My advice would be to ease into your new hobby, let it be a fun journey. Keep using your safety razor and start slow with your first straight. Watch lots of shaving, stropping videos.
Get some low price equipment: brush ( badger or a good boar), soap, strop and start practicing. Lynn has some good videos for beginners. Start with the cheeks and later include the harder more curvy areas like the under the nose, lower lip, chin and neck. Straight shaving will give you a whole new appreciation for all the complex contours of the face.

Above all, have fun and make this your own personal quest. Once you go straight, you'll never go back - haha

Hi and welcome. If you haven't picked up already don't get a gold dollar. As you are on a budget whipped dog and the classifieds are your safe bet for a good quality shave ready razor that will give you a lifetime of use. Good luck and if you get stuck on anything just ask and we will help out.

All of the above post are right on so I will just say. Hi, and welcome to the SRP family !!

Thanks for all the advice. I have used a boar hair shaving brush and mug and soap for about a year now, with my DE razor. No cans of evil goop will enter my bathroom again. When my brother came to visit mom over Christmas, he forgot his shave cream. I showed him how to use the brush and soap so he could shave for church. This was the brother who taught me to shave.

Let me condence the advice given on here. Do not buy a gold dollar razor, look in the classifieds or go with whipped dog. For a decent straight razor??? Is this correct???

Next question.

When I do get a SR, what kind of strop will be good?

How do you refresh a razor? What does refresh mean?

Thanks for all your help and input.

Thanks, willow29.

Refreshing or touching up a razor is using a honing medium either a high grit stone or paste to renew the edge to truly shave ready when a razor starts to pull or tug. There are many good strops but starting with a cheaper one is a good idea as you will nick up your first one. Whipped dog, Illinois razor Co, ruprazor filly are a few suppliers. Srd do strops with replacement strop and linen so you can get a decent one and replace damaged parts once your technique gets better. Good luck and Hth