Thread: 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.

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!

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