Old guy from Tennessee trying straight razor shaving

I'm timmwood, 56 years old, resident of Middle Tennessee. Don't know exactly how I got interested in this, but I would like to make it work. I've started out with a Parker shavette using half of a double-edge razor. Got a shave kit from Walmart. I sure do cut my chin a lot! I'm thinking about taking a break from shaving in that area with the shavette until it all heals up. Tell me this - is it easier to shave that area with a regular straight razor than the shavette, or does it make any difference? Also, recommendations on good value straight razors would be appreciated.

Hello, timmwood. Welcome to SRP.
My first straight razor was a 5/8 Ralf Aust from Straight Razor Designs. I consider it one of the best values for new straights.

Welcome to SRP

Dovos from SRD are good as well as the TIs. If your willing to spend the money thier kits are great starters with options to upgrade

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Originally Posted by timmwood

I'm timmwood, 56 years old, resident of Middle Tennessee. Don't know exactly how I got interested in this, but I would like to make it work. I've started out with a Parker shavette using half of a double-edge razor. Got a shave kit from Walmart. I sure do cut my chin a lot! I'm thinking about taking a break from shaving in that area with the shavette until it all heals up. Tell me this - is it easier to shave that area with a regular straight razor than the shavette, or does it make any difference? Also, recommendations on good value straight razors would be appreciated.

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I would suggest watching the shaving videos on utube. they are by Lynn Abrams and others and are very informative. Do let the cuts heal. There are many good brands of straight razors out there. Dovo, Boker are two that come to mind right off the bat. there are also many of the older straights out there . razors that were made in England the Sheffield's. There are many good razors made in Germany and the USA. Your not that old. I'm 65 and just started back in to straights about 1 1/2 yr ago. There is a learning curve but you will find it worth it. All the folks here on the straight razor place are good source of info and are more than willing to part with there knowledge. Enjoy and welcome to the sport. Oh buy the way I'm in Parsons Tn. not to far from you.

If you are nicking yourself a lot I have to think that your angle may be too steep. a flatter angle and no pressure should help that a bit. You can often find great value on straight razors in the classifieds here. There are a lot of nice razors for $80 and down to $30 that will fit the bill, more often than not they are shave ready. If you are looking for places for new stuff SRD is probably a good spot to look, and bang for the buck, the Ralf Aust razors look pretty good and perform well.

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Originally Posted by RezDog

If you are nicking yourself a lot I have to think that your angle may be too steep. a flatter angle and no pressure should help that a bit. You can often find great value on straight razors in the classifieds here. There are a lot of nice razors for $80 and down to $30 that will fit the bill, more often than not they are shave ready. If you are looking for places for new stuff SRD is probably a good spot to look, and bang for the buck, the Ralf Aust razors look pretty good and perform well.

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The plan now is to take a break from the shavette and save enough money for a razor and strop from SRD. Sometimes it's good to step back from something and get some perspective. I do think a regular straight will be more forgiving. Also, I'll let some of the excitement from this new interest die down. Then, I might take a bit more careful approach to it.
timmwood

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Originally Posted by timmwood

I'm timmwood, 56 years old, resident of Middle Tennessee. Don't know exactly how I got interested in this, but I would like to make it work. I've started out with a Parker shavette using half of a double-edge razor. Got a shave kit from Walmart. I sure do cut my chin a lot! I'm thinking about taking a break from shaving in that area with the shavette until it all heals up. Tell me this - is it easier to shave that area with a regular straight razor than the shavette, or does it make any difference? Also, recommendations on good value straight razors would be appreciated.

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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!

Please don't feel bad about the cuts and nicks as there is so much to learn! This age old art used to be handed down from Father to Son or Uncle to Nephew and I would suppose from an older neighbor to a widow's son.

If you would like a shave ready straight razor, PM me and I'll see what I can do for you. :shrug:

Remember you will also need a strop to maintain the edge.

There is nothing wrong with using that shavette it will get you going! :tu

This age old art is a Long Strange Road; but it's Well Worth the Journey! By the way; at 56 you are still a kid as razorfeld is a 'young' 82':rofl2: :tu

Welcome to SRP!

The chin is one of the harder areas to shave for most people. Nicks and cuts on the chin are common when you begin. Use a shallower shave angle, like 10 degrees off of the skin - that's about one spine width off of the skin for a Parker. Check out the beginner's section in the Library and watch a few shaving videos.

As for going to a straight, the most important thing is to get one that is professionally honed. SRD has nice options for new or if you want a vintage blade then the classifieds on this site are good place to start.

Welcome to SRP Timmwood,
Yes I found the chin to be the most difficult on my face as well.
What makes it easier is a nice well honed, sharp blade which doesn't require any pressure.
Pressure = pink lather.
Rest assured it will all come together and turn into a very pleasurable experience.

Hi & welcome to SRP. I see you have already gotten a lot of advice I would have mentioned so I will leave it at that. If you have any questions just ask.
Good luck!

Welcome to the forum, it is very informative and helpful...

Welcome, i would seriously consider cudarunner's offer. He is a good bloke. Otherwise our classifieds are a good start. And as has been said you WILL need a strop.
until you get a strop and razor you can use your shavette (bladeless) and a belt to practice the correct stropping motion and get a feel for pressure.

Welcome to SRP

Hi and welcome. Any questions feel free to ask

Hellloooo and welcome to SRP you landed in an amazingly helpful forum have fun and enjoy the experiance

Welcome youngster! I'm an old guy :)

I'm with Leatherstockings on the Ralf Aust from SRD. It was my first and is still one of my favorites.

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Originally Posted by timmwood

I'm timmwood, 56 years old, resident of Middle Tennessee. Don't know exactly how I got interested in this, but I would like to make it work. I've started out with a Parker shavette using half of a double-edge razor. Got a shave kit from Walmart. I sure do cut my chin a lot! I'm thinking about taking a break from shaving in that area with the shavette until it all heals up. Tell me this - is it easier to shave that area with a regular straight razor than the shavette, or does it make any difference? Also, recommendations on good value straight razors would be appreciated.

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I was a young whippersnapper of 54 when I started. Been doing it 5 years and love it. You'll survive the nicks.

If your serious , take up Roys( Cudarunner) offer he'll help anyway he can to get you the help you need , a fine fellow if there ever was one, and then learn how to shave and strop correctly. A proper edge put on by someone who knows how will give a better chance at a smooth nick free shave. Tc

Welcome to SRP!

I'm a member of other forums connected to my interests. Those forums are full of friendly, helpful people. I was hoping that would be the same for this forum - and my expectations were exceeded! I am so grateful for all of the help and advice that has been offered. I will be buying a straight razor from cudarunner and probably will buy the Illinois strop that many have recommended.
I'm taking a break from the shavette for now to let everything heal. I should be ready to try again when the razor and strop arrive.
Thanks again to everybody!
timmwood

Since cudarunner bandied about let me welcome you to SRP. I started using a straight 2-1/2 year ago, when I was 80. I am living proof that old dogs can learn new tricks. And yes we are, most likely, the best informed, friendliest, gentlemanly shaving forum on the web. Also, you will see that a sense of humor is a welcome trait for existence here. Don't be afraid to ask a question of the forum members. Just be prepared to get many opinions in return, some serious and some funny. We can't help it.

But in all seriousness, take your time, learn slowly, one step at a time. Rushing in this craft is tantamount to failure. Roy will give you a blade with an excellent edge (watch out for his humor).

Welcome aboard.

Roy (Cudarunner) will fix ya up!

Roy fixed me up. I bought a used razor from him and now look forward to receiving it.
Question: what do y'all recommend for pre-shave procedures? Is a pre-shave oil worth it? Or is a hot-towel treatment or hot shower enough?
Thanks,
timmwood

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Originally Posted by timmwood

Roy fixed me up. I bought a used razor from him and now look forward to receiving it.
Question: what do y'all recommend for pre-shave procedures? Is a pre-shave oil worth it? Or is a hot-towel treatment or hot shower enough?
Thanks,
timmwood

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Personally a shower does me. I used to use a bit of vitamin e cream as a pre and post shave early on to help my skin heal.

Timmwood,

You will find that 99.99% of Everything involved in this age old art is 'Personal Preference' anything from what pre shave prep to razor maker, what grind what kind of brush, and the list goes on and on.

With that said, when you are new to this art trying to cover as many bases as you can is a good idea.

Whether or not a pre shave oil, cream etc will help you is yet to be seen.

The one thing that I've seen many times is guys invest a lot of money to get started and then find that it's not for them.

Just my thoughts :shrug:

I would just start off with a simple hot towel. If you want to invest money in a pre shave later, you can if you want. it's your own preference. Try the towel though & if you THINK you need something more then try a pre shave or cream. I have a pre shave but I didn't buy it right away. I got it later & sometimes I don't use it. If your skin irritates you the you might try something but if not then you're good to go with a hot towel.

Hot towels are a great way to enhance the shave. Showering first works well but hot towel just seems right to me. As mentioned, shaving is a lot about personal preference. once you get the shaving down the real fun of deciding what you truely enjoy begins.

Welcome to SRP!

Today is a big day for me in my straight razor endeavor. The postman is scheduled to bring me as many as three items: a straight razor from cudarunner, a strop from Straight Razor Designs and a couple of towels from Westcoast Shaving. I look forward to my first shave with a true straight razor.
My last two shaves with the Parker Shavette have been much better than my earlier attempts. Even my attempts at the chin area have turned out much better. I've taken it much more slowly. If there are areas I don't feel confident doing, I just don't shave them.
I love the feel of my face after a shave now. I use a post-shave balm, which I think helps a lot. I plan to shave tonight with the new razor and see how it goes.
Thanks to everyone for the help!
timmwood

The feel of the face after the shave. That's the reward!

Well, the goodies did indeed arrive! A straight razor from cudarunner, strop from SRD and a couple of towels from Westcoast Shaving.
After getting home and opening the stuff, I just had to shave, even though I had shaved this morning!
Overall, the results were good. I didn't use the styptic pencil even once, whereas that was a regular occurrence with the shavette. Of course, I've become much more careful, and perhaps a bit more experienced now.
The blade looked beautiful. It seemed more forgiving than the shavette, but the shave was as good or better.
After doing some research on this site, I also did a better job of lathering.
I prepared for the shave with the wet towel treatment. I ran hot water over the towel, then put it in the microwave for 20 seconds.
Cudarunner stropped the razor before he sent it, so I haven't used the strop. I need to do additional research so I feel confident using it.
So, progress was made and it was fun, too!
timmwood

That's great. It has begun! Enjoy!

:tu :tu :tu :tu

I'm very happy that all went well :y

Good job... It only gets better.

Hey, just wanted to let you know things are going OK with the straight razor shaving. I've still got a lot to learn, but the involuntary blood donations are fewer and the shaves are getting smoother. Thanks to cudarunner and others for their help and advice.
timmwood

From the emails it sounds like you are well on your way to truly enjoying this Age Old Art :y

As I've told you, it takes time but once semi mastered it's a Wonderful Way of Life!

Keep at it! But take your time! :tu

There's going to be a meet up in Richmond, KY over Memorial Day weekend. I don't know how far you are from this.

Taking Lynn's advice.use an old leather belt and a butter knife and practice. One wrong turn of the blade and it may be a tandem strop with a str8. Done it myself, glad it was a belt and not a $100 strop.

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Originally Posted by rickboone

There's going to be a meet up in Richmond, KY over Memorial Day weekend. I don't know how far you are from this.

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Looks like (according to an online search) that he's 271 Miles - 436 Km
4 hours 38 mins away from the meet.

I do hope that he can make the journey as he will learn more in a few hours than reading and watching videos for months upon end :tu

I speak from experience as while I've only been able to attend one NW meet that was in Spokane WA it was so informative to not only watch Glen (GSSIXGUN) in person do some show and tell but to be able to stop him and have him slow down or back up so I could see Exactly what was going on. :bow: