New member

[FirstCut]

New member and noob to straight razor shaving.
I've purchased a razor, badger hair brush, and shaving soap.
Still need to get a hone and strop.
The blade I bought is probably not the best as it's not very sharp right outta the box.
Is this normal or just typical of lower quality blades?
It's a Red Deer straight blade. Feels and looks good if nothing else.
I'll definitely be reading thru the forum looking for tips.

[Utopian]

Welcome to the forum.

I'm sorry to say that you would have been better off reading through the beginner's section before buying anything. I'm not familiar with a Red Deer razor and that does not bode well. There are a lot of Razor Shaped Objects (RSOs) out there and yours may be one of them. If you bought it online, could you please let us know the URL so that we can give you a better sense of its viability?

You don't need a hone yet, but you definitely need a strop as that is to be used daily.

Read and ask questions and we'll help you sort everything out!

[FirstCut]

Thanks Utopian.
Red Deer German Steel Oreo Swirl Straight Razor Folding Barber Knife New 7700 WB | eBay

I've been wanting to make the switch from disposable rip off razor program and had some ebay bucks so I took a chance on this.
If they're not worth working with I'll get something better. Typical noob!

What brand would you recommend?

[RezDog]

The classifieds here offer very good shave ready razors at good prices. Welcome to the forum. Shave ready is important right now,, the hones are not. It is best to tackle this one skill set at a time. First learn to shave and strop and then you can learn to hone if you want. There is tons of info and lots of friendly people here.

[Grazor]

Welcome to SRP FirstCut. Had a look at that razor, pretty certain it is an RSO as Utopian said. Don't be discouraged, many new members make the same mistake and maybe you can send it back and get a refund. Take a look at the classifieds here, there are some good deals on razors that are shave ready. If you would prefer a new razor, take a look at Straight Razor Designs. Like Rezdog said, one step at a time. It is a learning curve, but worth the effort . Best of luck.

[rolodave]

Hi Firstcut

Welcome to the forum.

here is a link to find members near you. Putting your town in the avatar will help members find you.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/memberlist.php?do=search

[kalerolf]

Welcome andere enyoy

[outback]

Welcome. Sorry about your first str8 (RSO) but hold on to it. Years down the road when youve mastered your honing skills take a wack at it for fun and see what you can do with it.
I did that with one and is in my rotation. Its suprisingly smooth to shave with.
YMMV

[Razorrookie01]

Welcome aboard

[randydance062449]

Take rolodave up on his offer. He knows what he is doing. Try to get together with some of the SRP guys in your area, here is a link to a list of them in Milwaukee.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...rt=posts&pp=50