Thread: G'day

IF you haven't already, you can also check out the videos in the general discussion section to watch some guys shave. It helps get a feel for how you would handle the razor on your first attempts. Here's a good one:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...ing-video.html

welcome srp you learning curve should be a lot shorter then rest of us.you have someone can show to you everything you need in first hand . Be patient you will get there. Enjoy

Welcome I to have not a whole lot to offer to anyone but the curiosity we all share and interest in this should get us all some were! Even if we don't learn everything we still might have a good life doing it and just as the first thing they teach in school the only unanswered question is the one not asked! welcome and enjoy!

Welcome aboard mate.
Grant.

Well... even though cigars from the island south of Miami have destroyed my spending allowance for this month, somehow I am going to have to resist the urge to fry my mastercard and lash out on some of the custom beauties I have seen in these pages.

Its pretty clear that general consensus is that I should by something simple to start and take it one step at a time. Here's hoping....

Thanks again lady and gents! I look forward to ordering some gear soon, that hopefully gets me up and running and enjoying this pursuit! My biggest problem is knowing what to buy exactly... I mean, specifically and from whom.

Originally Posted by aussierob

Well... even though cigars from the island south of Miami have destroyed my spending allowance for this month, somehow I am going to have to resist the urge to fry my mastercard and lash out on some of the custom beauties I have seen in these pages.

Its pretty clear that general consensus is that I should by something simple to start and take it one step at a time. Here's hoping....

Thanks again lady and gents! I look forward to ordering some gear soon, that hopefully gets me up and running and enjoying this pursuit! My biggest problem is knowing what to buy exactly... I mean, specifically and from whom.

If you click on the classifieds and look into the razors for sale mostly anyone there is a responsible seller, if you have questions about them you can ask me, I know most of them well from the forums. Hi_Bud_GL (his name is Sham) is a great vender on here in the classifieds and his honing skills are EXCEPTIONAL, you will get a super keen edge from the razors he sends to you. I am speaking from experience as I have two razors from him.

I would stick with something in the 5/8 or 6/8 size range when you get your first blade. Also I would use full hollow blades instead of Wedges or semi-hollows first your first razors. They give better feedback while shaving, imo.

Then you're going to need a soap/cream, a brush, and a strop. Straightrazordesigns has awesome strops available, the best imo and the site is run by the people that work on this site, you can't go wrong. Make sure to get a strop with a linen part and a leather part. They also sell shave ready razors that are new (I'd get a Dovo from there if you want to go through them), they come honed, shave ready, and they're scary sharp as well. It's all preference but I like Vintage blades that have been restored and honed to be sharp again, I think it's cooler. Some razors I have were made over a hundred years ago.

Brushes, imo, don't matter that much. I use a boar brush (omega brand) and I face lather with the soap. I don't whip in a bowl and build a lather in it like some guys here do.

Soaps? I'd recommend Mitchell's wool fat, Tabac, Cella, and Truefitt and Hill. What I do is only buy the refill pucks, since they're cheaper, and store them in a tupperware that fits the puck size. Some brands that offer their ceramic dishes for their soaps can be expensive, imo.

I would check out this video here of Sham explaining how to strop, It's a great resource on how to hold and turn the razor on the stropping stroke:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...stropping.html

I can't emphasize how important stropping is, it can make or break your edges. It cleans the razor to prevent rust and also realigns the edge to keep it keen. One of the biggest mistakes new guys have in the forums is they get their razor in the mail, try to strop it, and then think it is dull when they shave. The reason is they stropped wrong and rolled the edge of the blade dulling it before they first even use it. Strop slow when you first do it making sure the stroke is perfect, the edges will follow, try to go fast and OOPS! dull razor.

Keep in touch!

Thanks very much guys.
Its a pretty steep learning curve and I'm at the stage where I just want to jump in. I'll look to place an order for some start up gear this week !

Originally Posted by aussierob

Thanks very much guys.
Its a pretty steep learning curve and I'm at the stage where I just want to jump in. I'll look to place an order for some start up gear this week !

Let the games begin!

Welcome aboard!

With a little research, you'll probably find everything you need to know here. If not, then just post the question! These folks know everything about straight razor shaving.

Gerald