Thread: Separation time for me and my Mach 3

Hello, my name is Michael and I currently reside in Southern California. I have been interested in shaving with a straight razor for some time now. However, I have have been putting it off as my rusty and trusty Mach 3 has in general done the job. However, despite a fresh new blade, and my very thin and spotty facial hair, it recently gave me the worst shave of my life. This has finally pushed me over the edge into learning how to use a straight razor. I hope to get a better shave from now on, and I am very glad there is a community for helping out with this. I apologize in advance if I ask too many questions!

A moment of silence for my poor little Mach 3. I purchased him at a Wal-Mart 8+ years ago shortly after I began shaving. I taught myself to shave with disposable Bics, and boy were those harsh. That is what my dad had always used out of what I guess was a sense of frugality as well as a family superstition against using an electric razor. And although I am not exactly enamored with the shave my Mach 3 has given me, it was a million times better than those Bic razors. I seem to remember I purchased another Mach 3 for my dad which he greatly appreciated and I think still uses.

Anyway, time to stop reminiscing. I suppose I won't be getting rid of Sir Machsalot anytime soon as judging from the FAQ, I will need to stick with him for most of the shaving as I build up skill with the straight razor. So, I have read over the FAQ and the beginner sections of the wiki, and I am looking at purchasing my first razor, strop, and accessories. I am thinking to get a cheaper shave ready razor from the classifieds as from reading around, it sounds like my first razor will not survive my learning period unscathed. I was hoping to get a few questions answered to guide my shopping:

1. I am looking for a razor that meets the recommendations from the FAQ (6/8, half-hollow, round point), but it doesn't seem like there is a lot of razors that fit all of these requirements exactly. If I were to go outside of these recommendations, are there any particular types I should avoid as a beginner?

2. A follow on to the previous question, several of the razors in the classifieds have etched blades. Is this purely a cosmetic concern, i.e. will it make it harder to shave with, strop, or (eventually) hone?

3. After complaining about the worst shave of my life, my wife picked up shaving cream from her favorite beauty products brand (Origins BladeRunner, if it matters) which recommends applying directly to the face in a thin layer. This works well for my Mach 3, but is this recommended for straight razor shaving? Once I get a brush and mug, I will trying building a lather with it, but if it doesn't work, could I try using it directly on my face or should I go for something else? This probably also depends on personal preference, but I could use some anecdotal guidance to make my first few shaves as easy as possible.

4. Is there any razor care I should perform other than stropping? I expect to get a honed, shave ready razor, so I think it will mostly be stropping it to take care of it, but I read something about occasionally oiling the blade to prevent corrosion as well. Any tips for care would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance and I look forward to getting to know everyone on the forums!

Originally Posted by Maikeroppi

1. I am looking for a razor that meets the recommendations from the FAQ (6/8, half-hollow, round point), but it doesn't seem like there is a lot of razors that fit all of these requirements exactly. If I were to go outside of these recommendations, are there any particular types I should avoid as a beginner?

2. A follow on to the previous question, several of the razors in the classifieds have etched blades. Is this purely a cosmetic concern, i.e. will it make it harder to shave with, strop, or (eventually) hone?

3. After complaining about the worst shave of my life, my wife picked up shaving cream from her favorite beauty products brand (Origins BladeRunner, if it matters) which recommends applying directly to the face in a thin layer. This works well for my Mach 3, but is this recommended for straight razor shaving? Once I get a brush and mug, I will trying building a lather with it, but if it doesn't work, could I try using it directly on my face or should I go for something else? This probably also depends on personal preference, but I could use some anecdotal guidance to make my first few shaves as easy as possible.

4. Is there any razor care I should perform other than stropping? I expect to get a honed, shave ready razor, so I think it will mostly be stropping it to take care of it, but I read something about occasionally oiling the blade to prevent corrosion as well. Any tips for care would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance and I look forward to getting to know everyone on the forums!

Welcome to the SRP. to answer your questions here goes. Many others will also chime in but this is how I started:

1. There are many starter str8 razors to choose from. The clasisifed section is a good place to start. I strongly recommend you purchase a "shave ready" razor which has been honed by a person who knows what they are doing, AKA honemeister. If your going to buy a new razor, make sure you purchase from a shop that makes them shave ready before shipping.

2. Etching will not affect the shave of the razor or the honing. It is simply for aesthetic value.

3. Not familiar with the particular cream but give it a shot.

4. Depending on the humidity of the location that you store your razor/s you may want to use an oil of some sort to prevent rust. My razors are not stored in a bathroom where there is high hummidty. During the winter here in NJ, the air is dry so I don't always oil the blades. If they are stored for any length of time I put some camelia oil on the to prevent rusting.

I suggest you keep reading the Wiki and some of the other forums. Don't hesitate to ask questions here since the mentors and senior guys are so very helpful.

You'll find a great bunch of gentleman here willing to get you on the right path, as they did for me.

Enjoy your day.

Welcome aboard and good to see another SoCal straight shaver here (whereabouts?)! Jeff (Mvcrash) has given you some great starting advice, and I'll add to it. For your cream, get someting that lathers nicely so as to provide a good cushion for your blade. If you're willing to wait a few days for shipping, go over to classicshaving.com (they're in Palm Springs) and order up some Proraso. It builds a great lather and is loaded w/ menthol and eucalyptus. Feels great on the face. If you don't want to wait, and you have a Bath and Body Works nearby, pick up their C.O Bigelow cream (it's Proraso packaged under a different name).

Since you're in SoCal, humidity is not a great issue, but you should still take steps to keep moisture away from your straight. I do two things. When I'm done shaving, and have rinsed my SR, I take a can of DustOff (designed for cleaning dust and such off your keyboard, mouse, etc) and blast some air around the pivot. This will get water out of an area that's hard to get to. The other thing I will do is to dip my razor in a solution of isopropyl alcohol and mineral oil. When the alcohol evaporates, it will take any leftover moisture with it, leaving a thin film of oil to protect the blade.

Welcome to your new obsession!

Thank you very much for the replies; there were very helpful. I'll be sure to store the blade dry, and oil it occasionally. I'm glad to hear I don't have to worry about etching of the blade, Jeff. That should open up my options in the classifieds a bit! I am going to start contacting other members about blades right away.

I live in Ventura County, about a mile out of LA on the 101 North, LAsoxfan. Too bad I'm not closer to Palm Springs or I could go check out the store in person!

Thanks again for the replies. With your help, I think I have enough information to gather all the equipment. I'm sure I'll be back asking more questions when I have everything and I'm ready to attempt the first shave!

Welcome and congrats! Add up what you spent on razor refills over the last 8 years and spend it on a honed up razor or two. With proper care they will last a lifetime. Straight Razor Designs is a good place to start. Good luck and we will not mourn the loss of the 3 bladed monster but rather celebrate the birth of a straight getting new life.

Welcome and congrats on kicking the Mach3 habit!! If you would please check out the Members map http://straightrazorpalace.com/vbgooglemapme.php
Great for finding members close that might be able to help in person. Also leave your mark while your there.

Don't forget to check out the Wiki as well. Great reading for a new member.

Enjoy the site and don't be afraid to ask questions.

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Well, I finally have everything ordered, and I think I should have it all together by the end of this week. I went with a not particularly fancy but shave ready razor out of the classifieds which has already arrived, and now I'm just waiting on my strop, brush, and shaving cream to arrive. I also picked up the instructional DVD which I have been watching bit by bit.

My strop can't arrive soon enough! Thanks again for the help.

Sorry for not posting for so long, but my learning to shave has been pretty uneventful. I will consider that a good thing. I have slowly worked up to shaving my full face with my dominant and non-dominant hand, and other than a small cut on one sideburn area, I have had no problems.

Unfortunately though, when preparing for my most recent shave, I found that my straight razor has started rusting. I am wondering, is there anything I can do to fix this or do I need a new razor? Also, what can I do to prevent it from happening again? I've attached some pictures.



I have of course stopped shaving with it. For care, I always wipe it dry before storing it, and I put sewing machine oil on the blade when I notice water stops beading on it. I have been storing it away in my Proraso box wrapped in some some bubble wrap as I didn't want to leave it out for my wife or cat to accidentally run across it. Is this alright? Also, one other detail: I shave only 2-3 times a week. I have small amounts of very fine facial hair that's slow growing, and at most I shave only every other day. Could my infrequent use be the cause as well?

If you have any ideas, let me know, and thanks in advance.

As long as you oil your blade every once in a while, time between shaves shouldn't matter at all. The rust sometimes just happens. Steel is organic as is any metal, and naturally wants to return to it's original state, thus rust occurs. From the pictures I don't see any pitting or corrosion on the blade edge so there is no reason to think about a new razor thus far. The rust may be easily wiped away with some metal polish like MAAS or Mothers. But it all depends on the severity of the rust. I'm sure other guys will have some opinions in this regards. As a prior multiblade shaver I will tell you, you have made a great choice, joined a great community and don't feel weird asking "dumb" questions. I do it all the time, it's good to have you here, enjoy!