Thread: Hello from Brandon, Fl

So I am new to the Straight Razor shaving thing. I was in the Army for 8 years and now work IT. I go diving a lot and because of this I need to shave often but it always irritates my skin so bad. I have always shaved with a disposable and the can gel stuff.


Fast forward to 3 days ago. I have been lurking here for sometime as well as others for the last 2 months and 3 days ago I pulled the trigger on a razor to use for practice restore and honing, a John Creswick from Sheffield. I have also bought a shave ready C.F Wolfertz Allentown to shave with and a Torrey razor Co. I am waiting for both of them to arrive as well as my silvertip badger brush.

Right now i am reading on soaps to use and other things. Keep in mind I have been doing this everyday for the past 2 months, everyday for 3-6 hours, and it is a lot to take in. I went out and got a kit for $8 just to see how it is shaving with soap. It is the Van Der Hagen kit from walgreens. Even with that cheap set and my Disposable I can tell a difference in the way my face feels and my face did not get as irritated. Not sure if it is a placebo effect or not.


From what i have read these are decent razors to start off with. Thoughts?


Well enough about this, I am off to work and read.

Wolfertz Allentown:




Creswick Sheffield:



Torry:

Welcome aboard,,,, I'd get the Torry & the Wolfertz Allentown hone by one of the members in the classified section & begin your journey,,,

Thank you for showing us your razors.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

Welcome aboard,,,, I'd get the Torry & the Wolfertz Allentown hone by one of the members in the classified section & begin your journey,,,

Thank you for showing us your razors.

I have been looking at doing that. Looking for best turn around time. I had looked at other razors and almost bought them until I read about frowning and the like plus the "Avoid" Section...That was a life saver...or should I say a face saver. One thing I did not read yet is how often to send or do a hone on a blade?

that is not a simple answer. Basically when they get dull send them out. There is a curve on that, and it goes close to the learning to shave and strop curve. Some new members only get a few shaves in before they blow their edge from bad stropping and high angle. As the stropping and shaving gets better the edges last longer. There is the wire beard syndrome as well, which can be deadly on an edge. So after 100 shave your blade life will stabilize and you will know then. Most guys only kill one edge fast, the rest may take a month or two. If you learn how to refresh a shaving edge you may never need another full hone. There are many variables.

Welcome to SRP!
It's good to hear that you did the research before shaving.
The VDH kit is a good cheap way to start. The soap is pretty good and in my rotation. The boar brush will get softer and work better after about 10 shaves.

For how often to hone, as RezDog says it varies. I rolled my blade twice the first week, dinged it the next week, and just general dulling from bad stropping technique about a week later. Luckily I already knew how to hone a razor and had the hones. After the first month though, things quieted down and it just an occasional CrOx stropping and 12k touch up.

I hope that all my reading and watching videos pays off. I have an innate ability to see something a few times then do it with ease. My wife hates it. I once was bowling and quite bad, just a little over 100. I sat down watched a few pros and tips on youtube, read about the ball I was using, then the next game I bowled a 253. I have have a 215 average right now. I hope to be able to do the same with shaving and stropping. I bought the other blade just for honing and stropping practice, maybe even dip my toe in restoration. I have restored furniture before and it turned out well.

It doesn't look difficult at all. Don't raise the spine, don't put too much pressure, the strop should flex at the spine not the blade, don't go too slow, don't lean the blade, and listen at the sound it makes.

Just so many products out there I am having a hard time figuring out a good Strop and soaps to use. I am planning on trying out the Genuine Ogallala Bay Rum Shaving Soap Sampler that I read about on here. Don't even know where to begin on a strop yet.

Does anyone know of someone near Tampa that does a good job of honing?

Hi and welcome. Do yourself a favor and find one soap to use and stick with one razor and use them exclusively. Switching and swapping all the time makes it hard to get consistent results. For a strop getting one with replacement leather is a good idea.

Originally Posted by eddy79

Hi and welcome. Do yourself a favor and find one soap to use and stick with one razor and use them exclusively. Switching and swapping all the time makes it hard to get consistent results. For a strop getting one with replacement leather is a good idea.

Didn't know about replacing leather. Would a paddle be better as that is what I see most on the videos. Even the one on here by jockey(?) shows a paddle. I am trying out 6 different soaps to find a good one that works for my face better.

Most use a hanging strop it is just personal preference. Six soaps means learning to make lather PROPERLY 6 times. It does take a couple shots to get it right as they all differ a little and if you constantly mix it up it takes even longer. it is just another variable holding you back from increasing you shaving skills quicker and stopping you from knowing if it was your skill or the lather that was the variable

Originally Posted by eddy79

Most use a hanging strop it is just personal preference. Six soaps means learning to make lather PROPERLY 6 times. It does take a couple shots to get it right as they all differ a little and if you constantly mix it up it takes even longer. it is just another variable holding you back from increasing you shaving skills quicker and stopping you from knowing if it was your skill or the lather that was the variable

Hummm...never thought of it that way. I knew there would be a slight difference but nothing that would cause a delay. Well I will try each one until it is gone then switch to the next. Then pick the one I like best and go with that one.