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So I'll just get right to the point. I have a full beard and was looking into getting a straight razor for the purpose of lining out my beard and on my neck so that I don't need to hit the barber shop all the time. Just wanting advice on what to get. Thanks for the help.
You can use a regular straight which is what I do and I have a goatee or beard 99% of the time. Or you can use a shavette, takes a smaller throw away blade some are DE blades snapped in half. I started with a shavette and now use straight razors only, I just enjoy them more. Shavette can be pretty unforgiving, with blade angle and pressure. I guess it depends along on budget and also what you want to invest as far as time and maintaining a razor.
At a minimum you will need a razor and strop. Ideally you also will get a decent brush and a good shaving soap.
Virtually any shave ready razor will give you a chance to try it out. Your budget can affect what and where you buy. You can look in the Buy/Sell/Trade area to see if anything interests you there. Feel free to PM me if you would like help choosing one there.
I was kinda leaning toward a shavette, until I decide if SR is the route I wanna take. But after reading some other threads it's kinda sounding like I should just bite the bullet and go for it.
Many of the very nice and reliable shavette look a little pricey. The only disposable blade razor I have is a vintage Weck brand Sextoblade. They are reasonably easy to find and not a ton of cash. I have no idea what resale is like on used shavette s, but if you buy a shave ready vintage you can often resell them for near the same money if you decide it is not for you.
Hi and welcome aboard. I started out just maintaining a beard. Soon you will want more area to shave.
Welcome to SRP! The great thing about most Shaving Gear items is they hold their value better than many things... I would start out with the Shavette, get some technique down and then decide if you want to change it up. If so, sell/trade the Shavette and move onto a SR knowing you have a bit of skill with which to start. Then, you can start exploring other items like Kamisori which my be something on the different side but works amazingly well for your purposes!
Enjoy your journey!
Shawn
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For maintaining the beard line I have come to prefer a shorter, narrower blade with a smile and a monkey tail. Google 'Depew Perfect Razor' for a few examples. The longer tail gives a firmer grip and the smile give you more control over where the cutting edge is making contact. I've also found a razor that falls between half hollow and near wedge to make things run more smoothly.
Thanks for all the input. I'll keep ya posted on progress