Just wanted to say hello from Bucks County, PA>>>

I found this site after my first straight razor shave. Looking for it beforehand would have been akin to RTFM and, hey, let's be honest, men rarely do that ;)

I am self taught in this art...a little common sense and slow going got me over the hump as it were. A lot of shaving with a straight razor, I found, was intuitive such as blade angles, short strokes, going slow (first shave was probably 30 minutes...now down to about 10 minutes after 8 shaves or so). Also sort of intuitive was the way to lather the soap in the cup and then paint it on...I felt like Joan Miro and Jackson Pollock ;)

The biggest thing, after my first shave, though was the realization that you really don't need all 7 layers of skin :fim: Fortunately my lady was paying closer attention to the dreamy Bay Rum smell than the Dario Argento job I did ;)

Interesting site...looking forward to reading it and getting more proper tools...my starter kit is a Luxor Pro disposbale blade razor...Derby double edges broken in half...Williams Shave soap...a Marvy Brush and an Old Spice lather mug...I use a Navy mug for brush wetting/soaking...all in all a real low end affair that gives me a nice shave and a feeling of being a Renaissance Man :) Like my other hobbies collecting watches, firearms and knives...I suspect I shall soon be frequenting shady backrooms on fora such as this looking for my next equipment fix!

Regards, Ted

Way cool Ted! Welcome to SRP. Take a read through the WIKI on the menu bar above. Lots of good stuff for newbies to this craft. A search on poor man's scuttle may kick it up a notch on your lather w/ no expense. When I forst started I used a stainless steel cat food bowl w a rubber base from Walmart for a few bucks. Also try lathering on your face or a rice bowl instead of a mug. You'll be able to build a thicker lather. I am looking forward to reading your future posts. Good luck!

Hi Ted and welcome to SRP. If you are getting good shaves with the broken Derby blades you will love the shaves from a pro honed sure enough straight razor. Check out the SRP Wiki with the beginner's guide and more here. I used to collect pocket watches, guns , knives and other stuff but now it is just straight razors and stones to hone them. :boohoo:

Welcome, Ted! Sounds like a simple start to the hobby, which is always a good idea. Good luck with your shaves, and enjoy!

Welcome to SRP Ted!

Hi Ted, it sounds like you have made a great start and things can only get better from here. This is a great place to hang out and there is a ton of stuff to read and learn from. Please keep us up to date on your progress and ask lots of questions. :)

Welcome to SRP Ted!
+1 on the advice given above...feel free to ask questions, as your explore deeper into this exciting world of straight shaving. The ladies and gents here are quite helpful. :)

Mac

Welcome Tim!

Lots of excellent conversations to participate in on this site!

Would love to hear about your knives in the Finer Things forum :D I love my knives as well ;)

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Originally Posted by JimR

Welcome, Ted! Sounds like a simple start to the hobby, which is always a good idea. Good luck with your shaves, and enjoy!

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this past weekend I bought a vintage Romo(I think) Razor with a Solingen blade and just ordered the Norton waterstones 220/1000 and 4000/8000 combo so I could try to hone it properly:w:w

Assuming I am able to hone the razor...big assumption...can't wait to try shaving with it :)

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Regards, Ted