42yo newbie making the switch!

Hello to all! My name is Matt and I live in Ohio. I'm making the switch to cutthroat because I've owned my grandfather's SHUMATE #850 since 1990. And I want to use it! It has been too long for me not to put a blade that has so much sentimental value to work. I Have always enjoyed the ritual of shaving and have used a DE for years but I have done nothing with this straight razor but look and admire it and put a little oil on it from time to time. But today I sent it to Straight Razor Designs to have it honed, so it can live again. Thanks to this site and the knowledge you all have to offer I cannot wait to get started. I'm confident that any problems or questions I have will be met with expirenced answers and explanations. I'm not sure how good the vintage SHUMATE #850 is to shave with but unless you guys tell me I'm crazy for using it, that will be my blade of choice. Looking forward to being part of SRP and thank you for having me!

Welcome, and congrats on the decision to send it to SRD, it will be ready for your face get you get it back!

You ARE crazy to use it.

As a family heirloom, you should not learn with this razor. It is a frequent occurrence for beginners to destroy their razors. They actually are fairly fragile and one simple mistake can break that blade.

You SHOULD use that razor, just not now. I suggest that you buy another quality razor and learn how to use it instead. Only after you have a few months of shaving done should you begin to use your grandfather's razor.

Also, Shumates are great razors!

You make a great point! I would be devastated if I ruined it. It gives me great memories just to even look at it. My grandparents came from Germany and this razor was one of the first things he had ever gotten when they homesteaded in Nebraska! Would you have a suggestion for a beginning razor? Thanks for the great advice!

Welcome. There is nothing better than an heirloom razor. Enjoy and protect it.

Check the classifieds. You might be best served finding another razor similar in size and grind to your grandfather's.

You can also check Straight Razor Designs for a new razor. I really like the quality of the Ralph Aust razors but you can also get a low end Dovo.

Welcome to SRP!
Shumates are great razors. With a hone from SRD, it will go through hair like butter and give you a nice smooth shave.

I'll second the "don't shave with it yet". When you are learning it is easy to ding the razor on the sink, the faucet, the counter top, etc. If you don't want to spend the money on a new razor, you can get one from the classifieds or whippeddog.com. The whipped dog ones may not be pretty, but they are low cost and good shavers.

Make sure you check out the Beginners Section in the Library and start practicing stropping on your leg with a butter knife.

Welcome to SRP Matt. It will be a pleasure to have you here as we are all sick with RAD, Razor Acquisition Disorder. I just got finished helping another new member out getting his first straight from eBay, a Red Imperial that is mint. The Shumate is a great razor & you'll love it when you get it back from Lynn, the forum founder who also does the honing at SRD. Lynn's a great guy & an awesome person to learn from. I've learned a lot from him through his dvd & just through emails. You might want to get a second razor for when you don't want to use the family heirloom all the time plus when you need to send it out for honing, you will need another one for the time being. That is where RAD comes in because some of use can't own enough straight razors!:bow There's so much information to learn if you go to the Library here. It all starts here:
Straight Razor Place Library - Straight Razor Place Library
You'll start with the beginners & work your way around in there. Play around & check it out!
You'll also want to know this one too:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...wers-here.html
Here are razors not to buy:
Brands of Straight Razors to Avoid - Straight Razor Place Library
There is much more you can learn by exploring the site. Enjoy & have fun!

Welcome to SRP and our little global family.

As one who has the honor of custody of two of my Grandfathers razors I second the comments about "learn with something else"

Far to often we get the "I dropped/dinked on the faucet/left it wet/insert name of disaster here" to their razor.

You don't realy own the Shumate, you are the Guardian. It should be cared for and used, as this honors its intent and connects you to your Grandfather. But it must be ready to pass on to the next generation, hopefully to someone whom you have mentored in its use and care.

I've started my younger Brother down the path of shaving with a Straight, partly to be able to pass on one of Grandpa's straights to him, for one of his Grandsons.

Smooth shaving...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Utopian

You ARE crazy to use it.

As a family heirloom, you should not learn with this razor. It is a frequent occurrence for beginners to destroy their razors. They actually are fairly fragile and one simple mistake can break that blade.

You SHOULD use that razor, just not now. I suggest that you buy another quality razor and learn how to use it instead. Only after you have a few months of shaving done should you begin to use your grandfather's razor.

Also, Shumates are great razors!

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Fully agreed, I've actually managed to never actually ruin a razor but I really wish that I'd gotten a lot more honing practice with some less fancy razors before I started honing my first razor, a NOS(When I bought it) Heljestrand MK42, it now has slightly uneven hone wear and a slight(almost unnoticeable unless you take a close look at it) taper towards the toe because I used to hone with a finger on the spine when I started out.

Hi Matt, and welcome to the forum!!

Hi and welcome. Definitely start with a blade that has no sentimental value. I must have put 3 or 4 chips in my first dropping it or dinging it . After taking out all the damage i caused it is considerably thinner than it was to start. There are plenty of great razors out thete to learn with thst won't see you cry if you do have a mishap. Good luck and any questions feel free to ask

I am going to follow the well based advice. I'm going to get a different/ non-heirloom razor to start out on. This will slightly delay my start but think it is for the best. Thank you everyone for the advice! I am quite confident in this community and its answers you all provide. It is obvious that everyone here cares and enjoys the craft and tradition. I will be depending on you and hope to someday be knowledgeable enough to post quality comments as all of you have. Thanks again for caring about something that is important to me as if it were your own!

I agree with the other guys. You might want to use it a time or two but other than that, I would look for another one to use regularly, then buy a spare for when that one is out being honed. That being said, the worst can happen using a family heirloom. You might accidentally drop it & when it hits the sink, faucet or other, it WILL chip the blade & you'll never forgive yourself. Please find yourself a daily user. You want to keep that family heirloom in the condition it will be in once you get it back from Lynn. Please take my advice & that of the others who mentioned the same thing.
Steve

Welcome, agree with following:

Family razor = special occasion sometimes razor, useful for testing honing skills against when you get there if honed by professional.
Banger = Every day use razor
2nd Banger = nice but not necessary so you can keep shaving while banger #1 is away being honed.
Strop = Must have but will nick your first, get one that can be replaced or destroyed
Brush = any cheapy will do until you decide
Soap = try out the creams first they seem to work better for beginners.