Thread: New member who needs halp!

Dear Straight Razor Community,

I'm new to the fancy shaving world. I've been lurking around this site for a while because about 3 months ago I purchased my first straight razor and dove headfirst into things. I purchased at a local shop a Dovo #515 5/8" razor. While I've improved a great deal, I just don't have the time or patience right now to maintain a straight razor (just had my first child two weeks ago!)

I would like to switch to using a nice safety razor, and I hope I can get some advice here.

Anyways, I'm a PhD student in Hebrew Literature, I live in Boston, and I look forward to learning all that this forum has to offer.

Cheers!

What you can do is pick up a quality DE and if at a later time you still want to move the straight you will have the required amount of posts. I imagine by that time you will decide to have your razor pro honed and give it another try...win, win. Participate in the forum, learn, have fun!

Hi and welcome to SRP. I think you forgot to buy a strop.

Originally Posted by RedGladiator

Hi and welcome to SRP. I think you forgot to buy a strop.

Worry not, my ignorance is not THAT deep. I bought a nice strop made by the Illinois Razor Strop Co.

Originally Posted by shooter74743

Rules are rules & we don't talk sales on the open forum. What you can do is pick up a quality DE and if at a later time you still want to move the straight you will have the required amount of posts. I imagine by that time you will decide to have your razor pro honed and give it another try...win, win. Participate in the forum, learn, have fun!

Thanks, man! I will be sure to do as you suggest. We'll see how things progress. I have come to learn that my Dovo, while technically "shave-ready," was not truly ready for close shaves. I'm the type of guy who would rather learn how to hone on his own rather than send the razor out.

Welcome to the forum. Do you have any experience with using a DE to shave with? It might make a difference on what DE gets recommended. If you have no or little experience a milder DE may be a good place to start.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Welcome to the forum. Do you have any experience with using a DE to shave with? It might make a difference on what DE gets recommended. If you have no or little experience a milder DE may be a good place to start.

Bob

No experience at all. I'm open to suggestions. I don't have a super thick beard, though my skin can get irritated fairly easily (not overly-sensitive though).

Originally Posted by FlyCasual

No experience at all. I'm open to suggestions. I don't have a super thick beard, though my skin can get irritated fairly easily (not overly-sensitive though).

I don't have too much experience with new production DEs and the few I do have are not on the mild side so no recommendations on new razors. From the vintage Gillette DEs that I have a Gillette with a tech head seem to be mild shavers. Should be easy to find one in good condition fairly cheaply. Used DE normally clean up fairly easily.

The make of blade you use can make a difference so getting a sample pack of different blades is a good idea to find a make that suits you.

A lot of irritation from shaving comes from using the wrong angle and/or too much pressure on the blade. That goes for both DE and straight razors.

With a DE use just the weight of the razor for pressure. To find a good starting angle with a DE put the head of the DE flat on your face with the handle straight out parallel to the floor. The slowly rotate the handle downward till you can just feel the blade. That should be a decent starting point and you can adjust from there. The head on a DE does not pivot like on a cartridge razor so it is up to you to maintain the angle while following the curves on your face while shaving.

Bob

You have good advice on the DE's, my working knowledge is weak there to be honest. When you want to get back into straight shaving & the little one is sleeping more, contact me and I will hone your razor at the cost of return shipping w/ insurance. It will be truly shave ready. Trying to learn to hone and shave is near impossible as you will not know what shave ready is. Knife shave ready is where we start with straight razors...

get a nice vintage adjustable a gellette fat boy a slim or a super adjustable would be great as they all so from super mild to super agressive depending on the setting you pick. If you want new go for a merkur future its also adjustable, im new to straights but not new to de shaving so Im glad somone has a question I have knowledge of feel free to pm me and ask any questions.