Hi from Brecon, Wales.

I've been shaving with a straight razor now for a couple of months. Love it! Always hated shaving, but now I actually look forward to my daily shave. I initially bought a piece of crap off ebay because it looked nice and was cheap. Big mistake! I then bought honing stones and worked on that razor. What a waste of time. While trying to get an edge on that, I bought a blue beards revenge shavette. Cut myself to shreds!!! Bathroom looked like an abattoir floor!! After much research on different sites, especially youtube, I eventually got the hang of it. No amount of honing got a decent edge on that cheap razor. I then bought a Boker off ebay which I now shave with every day. Beautiful shave. There's substitute for quality! I'm looking forward to getting good advice and tips off this forum to make my shaving experience even better.

Welcome wayne394. You started off in a way many new to the straight razor users do. I need a little more information before I would suggest any tips or areas to look into. Are you honing your razor? What stones do you have? Were/are you a knife honer? Using soap or cream?Problems building a lather? Problem areas on face when shaving? What specific questions do you have? What kind of strop do you have? Previous experience using a strop?

Help me so I can aid you.

Hi and welcome. Also started with a crap ebay razor that has never shaved. Start by checking out the library especially the beginner's section. The search will also help answer a lot of questions. Any thing specific feel free to ask

Hi Wayne,

Welcome to SRP. I'm not too far from Brecon, about 40 miles, and often pass through there with work.

I found this forum a great help when I first started.

Good luck.

Peter

Hi all. In answer to Razorfeld, I'll give a few details of my equipment...

I have a 3000/6000 whetstone and a purple slatestone with slurry stone, which is about 10,000 grit.

I have a leather and canvas strop from The Invisible Edge. I've dressed the canvas with chromium oxide. I also have the 3" wide paddle strop from The Invisible edge which came with both sides napped leather. I took one of those sides off and glued on a piece of veg tanned leather. I've also treated the napped side with chromium oxide.

The cream I use is from The Body Shop. I've used this for years. Lathers really well and smells good. I tried using the Bluebeards revenge cream, but find it dries out quickly on the face and starts to flake off before I've finished shaving.

I'm gonna put up a picture of my razor soon, because I'd like some help dating it.

I did used to have a problem stropping, but I think I've sorted it out. Used to out too much pressure on the razor and held the strop too slack. Now I hold the strop nice and tight and use very little pressure/weight on the razor. Seems to work for me. I think the more I use it, the better the strop will get.

Thanks for the answers, very helpful. I really would like to see you have an untreated linen side. Using crox too often is really wearing on the razor's edge. Many, many months of excellent shaving can be achieved with only untreated linen and leather before a little crox or refreshing of the edge is needed. You have a handle on soaps/creams. If from the The Body Shop I take it it is Maca Root, one of my favorites. A basic in my uberlather. And very nice to read that you have found a good stropping regime. That's one of the hardest areas for straight shavers to master.

I'm still curious to know about your use of the stones and if you have been a knife honer. The difference between honing a knife and honing a razor is equivalent to the distance from Earth to Alpha Centari. Apples and Oranges doesn't even come close.

Yes, The Body Shop cream is the Macca Root. Used to use the Hemp one they made, but they stopped and came up with the Macca Root. Lathers really well with just a little on the brush. Not too pricey either!

The razor I have really was 'shave ready' when it arrived, so I haven't had to hone it yet.

I've never used stones for knives. I only used the stones to try to get an edge on the cheapy I bought. If the edge on my Boker starts to dull, a session on the 10k stone should, I hope, bring it back.

Again, thanks for the info. You were fortunate to get a razor that was truly shave ready. Most come duller than melted butter.

You would do yourself a disservice if you tried to put an edge on your razor when it needs it. I want to strongly suggest that you make contact with celticcrusader (Jamie), he is in Merthyr Tydfil South Wales UK. He has been a member for several years and I've found his posts to be informative and concise. I'm sure, when you PM him, that he would be willing to meet with you and show you the basics of razor honing. That you couldn't get an edge on the cheapy is indicative more of technique than the razor. I say that because a knowledgeable honer can get a workable edge on even a crappy steel razor from Pakistan, even if it only give two shaves at the most before failing.

Thanks for the advice Razorfeld. I will PM celticcrusader. Merthyr is just 30 mins away. Thanks again.

Hi Wayne,

Sorry I missed your introduction as I'm pretty busy but I should have picked up a fellow countryman and made an adequate reponse.

I would publicly like to pass on my utmost thanks to Jamie, celticcrusader! Popped to see him and had a fantastic lesson on honing and stropping. Picked up so many tips, dos and don'ts, in such a short space of time. A true gent! Can't thank you enough Jamie. I am a wiser man than I was yesterday! Diolch.

Also, thanks to Razorfeld for pointing me in his direction.

Thanks Wayne it was my pleasure anytime.

Jamie.

You are most welcome. This forum of ours is devoted to making sure all shavers, new and old, are not left out in the dark. I'm sure that if you have any questions you will take advantage of Jamie and the forum to supply the answers.