Thread: New member

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.

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!

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?

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.

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.

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

First , I have seen that razor first hand , a buddy , just went and bought one before he asked, it won't take an edge .. You don't have any money tied up in it so good. If new go with a reputable store, SRD has been around and they will gone it for you pkus give you a free redone later,my out will dull it in the beginning, great advise has been given and I wish I would have taken it in the beginnin myself, if you want help ask , but listen also. The classifieds offer a great way to get a shave ready razor that is inexpensive from someone who shaves so you will have a better chance at success, get a strop and practice, the library has lots of info. Good luck and ya put your location in your profile so people in your area can focus on you to help. Tc

Thanks guys, yeah not much tied up in it.
I will browse the classifieds for a better / useable razor.
Looks like I have a nice looking paperweight!
I was going to buy a good hone as I'm quite good at sharpening things and have a couple hones but they are used for my hunting knives and are 2000. I assumed I'd need a higher quality and 4/8k hone for sharpening a straight razor.
Obviously I have a lot to learn.
Thanks for the tips and I'll be doing some more homework.

Welcome to SRP FirstCut: Visit the Library tab on the forum main page. It will help answer a lot of your questions.

Welcome to the forum Firstcut. Now, take a deep breath, put your money away, relax and start reading up on all aspects of SR shaving. Honing correctly isn't as easy as people think, so don't rush into it and waste a lot of money on stones that may not be what you need. Try to hook up with a honemeister in your area for a one to one tutorial. There are so many helpful members here. If no-one is near, then send your first decent, useable razor away for proper honing. This will let you know what truly shave ready feels like. Learn to strop.

You have a huge learning curve ahead, which to be honest, never actually ends.

Good luck!!