Thread: Greetings & Salutations!

Hello all.
My name is Chris, but respond just fine to Crawler.

Let's see if I can long-story-short this...
1. Raised to be a gentleman.
2. Function over fashion.
3. Drawn to older ways/they don't build 'em like they use to. (Blacksmithing will be added as a hobby in the next decade.)
4. Practicality.
5. No str8 yet; Schik Quattro Titanium.

I am 28, it would take a month or longer to have something worth calling a goatee (for beard, see signature), only shave every 2-3 days, and I'm already sick & tired of throwing away cartridges. Oh yeah, and I have a big thing for precision (I bake, the wife cooks).

I think deduction brought me around to straights. Back when I got tired of going through so many cartridges from having to shave virtually twice a week, I went from Mach3's to Titanium Quattro's. They seemed to last longer. Stubble in the goatee area finally required the move from water to Barbersol w/aloe . The added precision of improved lube combined with throwing cartridges out at a higher rate to steer my train of thought towards a reusable maintainable option.

Am I rambling yet? Maybe not, but this might still be long-winded.

Anyway, after balking at the price of replacement cartridges recently, I started my research into SRs. Obviously that's how I came here, after a day messin around on Art of Manliness. More research branched out. Reputable makers, features for a noob, reviews of blades, availability locally if possible, price vs. quality sweet spot.

Best part so far, aside from this convenient source of knowledge, is that my wife caught on to the three or so times I mentioned looking into SR shaving (and the one time I used her Fromm hair shaver from cosmology school yrs ago w/guard removed), she bought me a puck of Van Der Haggen unscented soap when she got groceries last week! Might be a keeper.

She also frowned at the potential starting costs. I've already got a shopping list assembled.
The plan is for a Dovo 5/8 or 6/8 in a set/kit, to get quality at a good price ($200-250). To have a base-line, and for hygienic purposes, I'm starting on a new blade rather than used. Though I think I'll try to find a used locally to practice my hone 'n strop technique. I just hope the wife doesn't get me a GD for my birthday...

Train of thought derailed.

P.S. Why are Grim Blades a brand to avoid? I couldn't find any related info here. GD reasons were abundant, however.

There's a lot there but welcome.....from another baker and cook.

Welcome Chris!

Dovos are good ones to start with, as are Ralf Aust. Not trying to change your mind, just another option to consider on the reasonably-priced new SR front.

I believe there were problems in the past with the Grim name being attached to sub-par blades and/or ridiculous prices being slapped on decent blades. Keep searching here on SRP (search box is top-right on the page) and you should find more than a few threads about them.

If and when you decide to look into vintage razors, don't forget to check out the classifieds here. There are usually great deals to be found. Also, do some searching here into the question of hygiene and vintage blades. Scientifically speaking, there is virtually nothing to worry about. But if it just gives you the creepy-crawlies, then by all means stick to the new ones.

As a step towards the straight, two things to consider:

1) the appearance of a puck of soap onto the scene is encouraging! Get yourself a brush and mug/bowl/scuttle, and say goodbye to the canned goop for good. Your face will thank you

2) have you considered trying a safety razor (aka DE - double edge)? The learning curve is much less than a straight and you may enjoy it much more than the Quattro. Initial investment can be big or small as you decide, and ongoing cost of replacement blades is much lower. Check out Maggard Razors for a selection of reasonably-priced options. When I do choose to use a DE, it's one of theirs and I like it.

Good luck!

The logical, meticulous mind in me knows that steel is very easily sterilized. At this point, it is about 10% "ew, other ppls germs" and 90% to have the baseline of a new SR. That way I will know the proper edge of a blade before I muck it up with poor stroping.
And when I used the wife's Fromm (meant for feathering hair and not as a SR) which is probably rather dull, I didn't do any worse than my average shave with the Quattro. Didn't take long to decide ATG on the thicker goatee stubble was getting ahead of myself.
Due to being taught to respect knives from an early age, I feel more safe using a SR instead of a DE because of the false sense of security that might come from its covered/closed/smi-guarded design. ...that made sense in my head, at least.

I find your DE cation to be a little amusing because of my own story. I have been shaving with a straight for some time but had my first DE shave this week because frankly they scare the bejeebers out of me.

If you buy an old straight from the classifieds or whipped dog, it will be honed properly. Good benchmark. New ones not always shave ready, ubuy from straight razor designs and they will be though. Enjoy the learning curve, I'm still moving along it too.

Hi and welcome. Check out whipped dog and Larry should be able to help you out with a good vintage razor pro honed, a learners strop and brush pretty cheaply. Will be disinfected as well so no need to worry there. That will let your good wife buy you a good straight and strop once your over the learning curve and done with nicking the strop. Buying a bit at a time keeps the wife happy as the price is lower and in the end you can get away with spending more. Good luck and any questions feel free to ask

Welcome to SRP! +1 on what engine said.

A mild word of warning. Don't get ahead of yourself on wanting hone your own razors. The learning curve on using a straight is complex (and easy at the same time) and your attention should be on that till you are more than comfortable shaving with your straight. At that point, should you want to hone, your best bet is to find a Mentor or Senior Member near you that can give/show you the basic techniques for honing from bevel to shave ready. Sharpening knives and honing a razor is as different as the sun and the moon, apples and oranges.

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

A mild word of warning. Don't get ahead of yourself on wanting hone your own razors. The learning curve on using a straight is complex (and easy at the same time) and your attention should be on that till you are more than comfortable shaving with your straight. At that point, should you want to hone, your best bet is to find a Mentor or Senior Member near you that can give/show you the basic techniques for honing from bevel to shave ready. Sharpening knives and honing a razor is as different as the sun and the moon, apples and oranges.

The practice run I did with my wifes Fromm hair shaver went about as well as the cartridges I use right now. No goo, just hot water so I could feel and see possible major mistakes in technique immediately. I did have to forgo against the grain in the goatee area. That was going to turn out bloody with her dull feathering straight razor-shaped object with disposable blade.

I'm meticulous by nature, which results in caution when dealing whith learning how to play with razors against the skin. I love precision, and holding a SR to your throat has a way of encouraging precision .

The good news about honing is that im not an experienced sharpener of knives. No good habits, but no bad habits either in that respect . I came across a thread last night where a couple of fellers waxing philosophical about bevels, 4k, 8k, loupes, and stria. Gonna bookmark that one.