Thread: Ready to begin...

Welcome to SRP. DEs are a potential acquistion disorder too. Here is SRP founder Lynn Abrams on your first straight razor shaves. By taking it slow and gradually working with the straight I found this to be a good way to introduce myself to it with minimal frustration. I finished up with a DE for my first two or three weeks before going to straights exclusively.

I like DEs but I have to say that I have nicked myself worse with a DE than with any other shaving tool. While they are better than cartridge razors if you go with a DE as an alternative take care and go easy.

I just dove in and did it, I did my whole face and neck right from the start. I dont have to worry about being clean shaven for my job so whatever whiskers I missed got left till the next shave. You will pay for making excessive strokes until you get closer to the correct pressure, but I feel it was just good feedback, pay attention and the razor will let you know if your doing it right or wrong, sometimes it will scream at you. Having a DE makes sense though if you fly often, which I dont do any more(im not a threat to society and I hate getting treated as if I am), so I dont have a need. If I travel I take my straights. I think you will find a str8 to be less daunting than it sounds like before you start. Just treat the razor like the sharpest tool on earth, respect it but dont fear it, a tenative stoke will cause more trouble. Relax, take your time and enjoy(the enjoyment part takes a bit of time to get to so why put it off longer than need be,imo).

man! thanks for all the great answers, brothas and sistas...

i like the idea of just throwing everything away and being forced to use a straight... i guess that's the pirate in me... but, i also am thinking of travel, which still happens for me at least 2 weekends a month... so having a DE for that might come in handy...

(don't egg me on, or i'll be forced to give my cold steel voyager a try, just to say that i did it!)

part of my thing is that i would consider myself a minimalist... while i respect the interest many have with collecting, etc - i'd love to just have a simple set up that works... so i'd like to reduce as many steps as possible... the idea of just having this beautifully simple blade and nothing else, really appeals to me.
also - being a drummer, i am fairly ambidextrous and coordinated, so the idea of teaching myself to shave with either hand does not intimidate...

also, i currently do not have a set 9-5-er... i'm in class once a week, then observing in schools once a week, and the rest of the time i am either at the library or a coffee shop prepping for my praxis exams... so this may be a great time to just dive in with a straight...

man, don't you love those posts where somebody hems and haws back and forth, out loud, with no concrete point!

at the risk of turning this into a novella... is the general consensus that shaving oil is not necessary when using a straight?

best,

johnny

Some members like shaving oils, but I've never had a use for them personally. FWIW, when I travel (and unable to take a straight which is rare), I just take a Bic Sensitive or Bic Metal... IMHO, unless you just want a DE, there's not a real advantage to getting one solely for travel...

Sounds like you are about to pull the trigger. Enjoy the ride!

Hello, Johnny:

Your grandfather was wise.

Welcome to Straight Razor Place, where all the information you need on traditional shaving is tucked in the many corners of this website. Look around. If you don't find the answer, post it and you'll have the answer in no time.

Aside from scores of other important reasons why I choose a straight razor, and occasional double edge for backup, is because there is something logical in having one sharp blade skate across my Hollywood face rather than three or four blades mow everything in sight.

The barber who prefers a multi-blade cartridge razor probably has never even heard of Pinaud Clubman, the golden nectar of the old time barber universe. I would find another barber.

Which brings me to this point: I suggest heading immediately for the straight razor. If you feel you need a stopover, however, start with a quality double edge razor. I always recommend the Edwin Jagger 89L for its overall quality.

That, of course, is only a transitional tool on the way to the straight razor. Think of it as the bridge between musical themes in a composition. Either way, you will be amazed how fast the multi-blade cartridge razor will become history.

You're an artist, and you know the workings and delights of art. Straight razor shaving is an art.

What razor should you buy, what brush, soap or cream — the ladies and gentlemen of SRP are more than willing to help you with suggestions.

Thanks for reading. We are delighted to have you with us.

Regards,

Obie

Again… thanks for all the great responses and suggestions…

My inclination is to go ahead and get a straight, with a pack of bic sensitives on the side for finishing, travel, or time crunches… this will motivate me to get over the hump of diving in and getting started…

As I mentioned before, I am somewhat of a minimalist, so having numerous shaving implements would annoy me… what I’d really love is to be so adept and comfortable that I NEVER shave without a straight razor…

So that is where I am heading… probably looking towards the Dovo Best Quality Set from SRD… unless I can find a place here in Nashville that is reputable and well-stocked (feel free to chime in if you’re from the area)…

One last question – and I’ll stop dragging this thread out…
I have a hard time with some of the krazy prices I’ve seen on brushes… at least they seem ridiculous to me… now, don’t get me wrong, I used to own a custom made Japanese oak snare drum made from wood aged 10 years, and hollowed from a single piece of log (list price $2k)… So I get the whole “artisan” thing… I’ve seen the Maybachs and Bentlys of brushes – are there any that are more like a Honda? Y’know, good, solid quality without some hand-carved, dinosaur bone, jewel-encrusted handle...?

Perhaps someday, as this straight shaving thing becomes a solid part of my deal, I may invest in something fancy… but for now, I’m just trying to get started…

Thanks, ladies and gents!

Johnny,

That's a great question about the brushes. There are very good brushes at lower price-points. I gave my brother an Omega Professional boar brush that cost $11 that he has been using for a while. Yesterday, he came by my house and I let him use my $250+ Rooney Finest 1/2. He sheepishly told me that he actually preferred the feel and performance of his brush to mine. That's not an opinion shared by a huge group of guys, but it illustrates that after you break in a quality boar brush, it will be an excellent tool for your lathering needs. You can spend as much as you want on a brush, and I have. For me it's worth the priced difference, but I'd have a hard time arguing that the same is true for everyone.

Hope this helps

I had the same problem when I started out, I found I didnt mind paying good money for the razor, or the strop or even creams and have since found out I dont mind paying for stones. The brush on the other hand, troubled me. I chose to go with the Wee Scott I found at SRD. It was the cheapest but still high quality badger brush I could find, if you go that route dont do like I did and waste money on the brush holder you will find the brush doesnt quite fit, there is a reason for the name. I have since realized I will be buying a bigger one someday, but it has served me well up to this point and will continue to do so for some time.