Thread: Hello from Virginia

I've been lurking around these forums for the better part of a year. Figured it was time to do a little more than just browse around!

Hello Marshall. Welcome to SRP!

Welcome! I'm in VB, let me know if I can be of any help!

And I'm in Nags Head, NC, close to some parts of Virginia....welcome

Welcome to SRP. How far are you into your wet shaving journey?

Hi Marshal & welcome to SRP. You will love it here & there is plenty to learn as there is a wealth of information on here! You will want to buy you a nice straight razor to begin with whether used or new. Beware of used ones not that they are bad but know what to look for like a lot of hone wear on the spine & edge or chips in the blade. Stay away from razors with rust on the cutting edge as that will only result in it chipping more metal off as it is honed. Here is also a list of straights to stay away from:
Brands of Straight Razors to Avoid - Straight Razor Place Library
Here is a list of good brands of razors you will want to own plus there are more than just these out there which you will find out from other members here:
Good Straight Razor Brands - Straight Razor Place Library
If buying a new razor, I suggest you buy one from Straight Razor Designs or SRD. The owner & founder of this forum is Lynn & he is also part owner of SRD. When you buy a straight razor from him, he will personally hone that razor before you get it plus you will get a certificate for another free honing for when that razor needs it which should be a few months. There will be vendors who will sell you a straight razor that is supposed to be shave ready but really won't be. You will most importantly need to know how to strop & you can learn in the Library or here:
Razor stropping - Straight Razor Place Library
You will need to strop your razor before & after you shave. If you buy one from Lynn, chances are you won’t have to strop it before you use it the first time.
You will also need a shaving brush, a shaving mug & some shaving soap. Later it will also do you good to get a second straight razor so that when you send the first one out to be honed, you will have a backup to shave with.
Here is a link to the Library where you will find stropping in there & everything else you will need to know including how to hone:
Straight Razor Place Library - Straight Razor Place Library
Here is another good link to know:
Welcome to the Workshop: How do I / Where do I / What do I / answers are here
Should you have any questions, there are a lot of knowledgable members on here that will be more than happy to help you out. If you want to find someone in your area, you can look here:
Local Help - Straight Razor Place Library
And if you can't find anyone near you, just ask and someone that lives near you will hopefully let you know how to meet up & you can get some one on one mentoring. There is a lot to do on here, just search everywhere on the forum & in the Library. You will spend hours on here & have fun doing it, so there you go, have at it!
Good luck & have fun!
Steve

Hi and welcome. Which route are you looking to start down. Whatever you choose the info is here to see you headed in the right direction. Good luck and any questions feel free to ask

Didn't expect so many posts to respond to!

Originally Posted by JoelLewicki

Welcome! I'm in VB, let me know if I can be of any help!

Small world, I'm in VB as well! But toward the end of the month I'm moving up toward Richmond. You and Haroldg are pretty close by though, I never expected to see folks so close!

Originally Posted by eddy79

Hi and welcome. Which route are you looking to start down. Whatever you choose the info is here to see you headed in the right direction. Good luck and any questions feel free to ask

I dove head in and bought a straight razor (Dovo) a little over a year ago. Haven't used a 'modern' razor since! I bought a second one not so long ago, a Gold Dollar just to see if a $25 straight could possibly be useable. That and because I wouldn't mind beating it up while experimenting with hones.

Originally Posted by MattCB

Welcome to SRP. How far are you into your wet shaving journey?

I've gotten to the point where I can shave comfortably with no nicks and my face feels relatively smooth. Still have a few trouble spots, but on a good day it gets at least as close as the modern razor I ditched and with fewer passes (1 instead of several). Razor burn is a thing of the past (when I don't bone something up on the hones anyway)! Which is the entire reason I got a straight, the old Mach 5 was giving me wicked razor burn and ingrown hairs (also a thing of the past). I'm currently learning to put an edge back on my blades.

I can put a serviceable edge on the two I have. Not perfect yet, but good enough to get the job done. I've got a Norton 200/1000 and 4000/8000 combo stones with a Guangxhi river stone @ 12000 to finish. I have a feeling my progress will speed up once my loupe comes in and I can get a better view of what's going on. This place has been an immense help with everything from honing & stropping to prepping & shaving, I really can't say enough good things about the forum and the information it contains.

engine46 - that's a lot of info to dig through! lol, I'll have to poke through it when I've got a little more time. I think I'll start with razors to avoid lol.

I try to give as much information I can to a new guy. Take your time. Sounds like you at least have the right grit hones to get the job done. You'll be ok. Just look at the razors to avoid & check into the other stuff as you go. There's so much to learn on here. Glad you are using a straight & not those new style razors that aren't worth a crap! In the long run, sharpening your own straights, you come out cheaper than buying those refils of 5-6 blade cartridges all the time.

Originally Posted by engine46

I try to give as much information I can to a new guy. Take your time. Sounds like you at least have the right grit hones to get the job done. You'll be ok. Just look at the razors to avoid & check into the other stuff as you go. There's so much to learn on here. Glad you are using a straight & not those new style razors that aren't worth a crap! In the long run, sharpening your own straights, you come out cheaper than buying those refills of 5-6 blade cartridges all the time.

I agree. It's kind of a staggering start up cost, but if you do the math a good razor, strop, and hones will pay for themselves in about a year or 2 at the rate you tear through a pack of disposables or refillable razors. I figure in another 6 months or so it will have paid for itself. A cake of shaving soap seems to last longer than that foam in a can or foaming gel junk too. Now that I've seen the light I can't imagine why we ever strayed away from a good straight. The only downside is the learning curve really.