Thread: Happy to have found SRP!

Hello all!

I am new here to these forums and likewise just as new to the world of straight razor shaving.

I got this wild hair idea the other day at my barber why not try using a straight razor instead of my expensive throw away cartridge razors. So I asked my barber as he trimmed my sideburns and back of the neck is that something hard to pick up, especially on one's self? He said no not really, just a little practice is all and its much more affordable.

He steered me over at some of his safety and straight razor selections which seemed very pricy in his shop and said this would be the sort of thing you might want to try starting with, focusing in on a all stainless steel Parker with replaceable razor blade. He quoted me several prices and sure enough after the initial cost the blades would be much more affordable. Plus I had always been under the impression that this is the means to the closest shave. So I got home played around on the internet, watched some Youtube, etc and pulled the trigger on a purchase.

Now I wish I had found SRP prior to my purchase and hope I haven't wasted some money on inferior products but not having much in the way of resources on the subject, I still don't regret my initial spontaneity. What I have on order is a Dovo Shavette with an assortment of blades to sample on each of the three insert holders - red/black/green with the intent being to try them in that order. I also picked up some Musgo Pre Shave Oil, Proraso Shaving Soap and a Parker Best Badger shaving brush. How does that sound for a shot in the dark semi budget friendly starter setup?

In the short time I've looked around on these forums, I realize there is an wealth of information and I can't wait to start reading the ins and outs on the "art". Hopefully all goes well with my intial experiences taking into account research from here while I await my orders shipment. And who knows maybe I will fall in love and graduate to a real blade with strope and honing getting even further away from the idea of disposables blades!

Sounds like you are off to a pretty good start. Watch LOTS of videos on the shaving process and take it slow. And Welcome to the forum!

Hi and welcome. Not a bad place to start. No need for stropping, honing and you know that the razor is sharp. Gives you a chance to work on lathering and shave technique. Good luck and any questions feel free to ask

I used a Dovo shavette for my first year. It will help you learn a lot of the basics. Just don't be to surprised when you get an actual straight, the angle is different and there will be a slight relearning curve. Welcome aboard!

Hello, and welcome to SRP !!

Hello and welcome.
I started with a shavette on a whim, then found this site, and then switched to a straight about 4 months later. Thanks to the razor burn and nicks of learning a shavette, I had very few problems switching to the straight. Take it slow, check out the library, and definitely get some witch hazel and a styptic pencil before your first shave. The pre shave oil is a good until you learn how to build lather, Poraso is a good soap that works well, the brush is a good starter as well.

Obviously, feel free to post any questions you have. Everyone on this forum is nice, helpful, and knowledgeable.

I think there is also an Atlanta wet shavers group so you might be able to find someone to walk you through a shave. A little bit of time with someone is worth hours of online reading and watching.

Welcome! I'm new here myself and I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one with spontaneous impulse urges to start straight shaving haha! I've only been on here a few days and have learned a ton from browsing the forums. Sounds like a pretty good starter set up to me too. Good luck!

Welcome and don't be surprised if you start buying a lot of stuff. If you don't, we will all be surprised.

Thanks for all the warm welcomes! I've started putzin' around the library and wow there is alot of well written informative information there. I've checked out the "beginners guide to straight razor shaving", "buying a beginners set on a budget" and "First Straight Razor Shave". From the other areas I've glanced at I've started to pickup on theres alot that goes into a straight blade which makes them different, I had no idea and probably more to come. At any rate I'm going to start looking into the whole new lathering concept info over the can experience I know :P. I've seen some videos and such and noticed some differing techniques. One that I've seen on several videos is where the person puts a smudge of soap/cream on the brush and lathers it directly on the face. So that got me thinking what does the bowl bring to the table? I see several references to it being optional but if anyone would give me some highlights that would be much appreciated.Thanks in advance!

Well, it looks like I still have almost a week before all my gear starts to show up in the mail :P. Just enough to help me with not rushing into to realize I should read more

Oh yea almost forgot, Styptic Pencil and Witch Hazel - Check

A bowl can be less messy, and ylou can get the lather you want before you put it on your face, a bowl can literally be a plastic takeaway container, the round ones about 4-5" across work, why not try it like that and see how you go, then there are scuttles, a bowl with a water reservoir surrounding it that will keep your lather warm or cold depending on what you like.
You also need a bowl to make uber lathers, whee you mix soap, cream and usually glycerin together to make the lather.