Thread: Hello from North Carolina

Good afternoon all,

After 30 years of wet shaving using a Gillette twin-blade, I've finally decided to make the transition to straight razors. I've done a lot of reading on the site over the last week or so, and have been training up with a Magic Shaver using Personna blades cut in half to see if I'm going to be able to learn how to shave this way. A few small nicks, nothing hideous, and none at all today. I bought my first straight from the classifieds here just a couple of days ago, waiting for it to arrive.


For anyone contemplating getting started with a Magic Shaver or equivalent, my sense is it's very easy to give yourself a nick because it's so light--weighs almost nothing, so small unintentional movements have larger consequences. I'm anticipating that shaving with a real straight is somewhat more forgiving due to the weight (I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts/experiences). The good thing about the Magic Shaver is that it's really hammered home the principles in "The Zen of Straight Shaving" article posted on the beginners' FAQ here.

And many thanks to the founders, mentors and all who have shared their wisdom and knowledge--I would never have ventured to make this switch without this great resource. Cheers!

Welcome, Even with the heavier weight of the straight there is still very little if any pressure used with the straight.

Welcome to SRP! I see you've already discovered the Wiki and been doing some reading there... Keep up the good work!
Congrats on the purchase of your first straight.

Be sure to keep us posted on your progress.

Welcome! Glad you're here.

Welcome to SRP and the world of straight razor shaving. Glad to have you aboard.

Regards,

Mark

you should come on out to asheville this weekend for the convention we are having a lot of fun and it a great place to meet other local razor folks

Guys, thanks for the encouragement and support!

@Paco--I know what you're saying. I wasn't referring to pressure so much as the fact that the Magic Shaver is so light that it's hard to feel any sense of balance with it, and that that also contributes to small, unintended movements--like a wrist twitch while moving the blade back up to the top of my cheek--that in turn result in little nicks. I'm hoping that an actual straight razor, with more weight and balance, will actually be easier to control.

@Doc--Dang! wish I'd known about that convention sooner. How do I find out about events like that?

Welcome at SRP, good to see you made a switch.
As a new convert myself, I can only applaude you for choosing the road of a great new hobby you will enjoy as long as you have hairs on your face!