Thread: introduction

Hello, new guy here. Iceberg from the midwest. I piked up a red imp by Case with ivory colored scales instead of the typical red, are these replacements or is this common?

Hello, iceberg, and welcome to Straight Razor Place. What part of the Midwest?

Replacement scales are common! I believe all of the Red Imps came with red scales originally. Are you planning on using it? Also, is it a 132 or 133?

Originally Posted by iceberg

Hello, new guy here. Iceberg from the midwest. I piked up a red imp by Case with ivory colored scales instead of the typical red, are these replacements or is this common?

As my friend Obie has said, If you could expand on your location in a more exact manner (perhaps in your profile) it might be of help for you as you never know if there is a more experienced member right down the road from you

Now to the 'Official' Greeting;

Welcome to the most friendly, helpful and informative site on the web!!

You will find members here of all different backgrounds, ages and occupations from all corners of the world and all with a quest for more knowledge about using and maintaining a straight razor!

If you take the time to search, 99.9% of your questions can be found in the Library (WIKI) however feel free to ask us about whatever it is that you are wondering about or having a problem with. It does help if you’ve done some research before hand so it narrows the problem down a bit.

Now with that taken care of;

As far as your razor, in my experience most all Case razors are great shavers. End of Story. Whether or not the scales are original that point is mute as long as they are intact and functional that's all that counts.

You haven't mentioned if your razor has been honed by someone who knows what they are doing and you haven't said if you have a strop or a brush and a way to make lather/the canned crap doesn't cut it with a straight.

If you need the razor honed send me a PM and I'll help you out.

This age old art has a very steep learning curve but once semi master is Very Rewarding. It's a long strange trip but well worth the journey!

If you have patience you will succeed if not you will fail and I Do Not Want To See You Fail!

Enjoy the ride, let me know what I can do to help you learn.

Sanfte Rasur, mein Klingenbruder!

(Smooth Shaving My Brother In Blades)

welcome. You've got a good razor. As others have mentioned, make sure it is properly honed and then go to it!

Hi & welcome to SRP. You will love it here & there is plenty to learn as there is a wealth of information on here! Here is the first bit of information for you to know:
Straight Razor Place - Beginners Tips: December 2014
Frequently Asked Questions - Straight Razor Place Library
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 - Gifts for Men | Straight Razors 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:
Beginner's Guide to Honing - Straight Razor Place Library
Also here is Lynns bevel setting video & some of gssixguns honing video's:
https://www.youtube.com/user/gssixgun/videos
Bevel setting on a Chosera 1K taught by Lynn Abrams
Here is another good link to know:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...wers-here.html
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 in your are & hopefully they will 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!
I just went back over all these links & they are all working so far. I hope it continues to do so.
Steve

Welcome to SRP! Red Imps are an old reliable brand, you won't be disappointed.

Sorry, i fell behind on keeping up here. Im in central iowa near Boone

It is a 133 and I honed it and used it already. I have my Dads old razor hone plus a couple fine ceramics that work great. Dad taught me how to sharpen a razor when I was a kid as well as knives and axes, comes in handy.

cudarunner is right with everything he says. If you need someone to hone it, send it to him since he said to do so. He has helped a lot of people out so you won't go wrong with him. He's very knowledgable!