New to REAL straights...

Hey everyone, I'm very new to SRP but I've been using a straight edge with a disposable blade for 10 years. Sadly, those are 10 years that I could have been mastering honing and stropping. I never thought that there was so much knowledge-sharing when it came to this craft. Hey, at least I'm one step ahead of most newbies, which is that I know how to shave with a straight razor :)

I honestly thought that I was the only one that did not use "normal" razor. Everyone thought/thinks I was/am crazy. Perhaps I am, but at least now I know that using a straight razor is not the reason for it! Hahaha!

I look forward to running into you guys on the forums soon, as I know that I'll be shooting questions your way once my new razor arrives!

Good luck and welcome to the community. I started with a disposable blade straight but after a month I broke down and got a strop and razors. Now I need hones.... ;)

Watch out if/when you switch to a regular straight. I find there to be some differences between the two which turned in to some frustration the first few shaved with a regular straight.

And you know you have to use a real straight to be a real man! What kind of disposable straight did you use? I have a generic 1/2 DE holder type, which I'd heartily recommend to people to get a "taste" of what free-hand open razor shaving is, but good for you for going all the way! As someone who had an easy time honing a str8 from chipped and dull to shaveready... I'd say the hardest part was truly good stropping. I think that's the biggest hurtle, in your case.

Thanks guys! Aaaand... the razor and the strop arrived!... at the post office, I wasn't home when it got here...Aaargh! But, yea bharner, I had a feeling it would be a different shave. I predict it to be much sharper and heavier, right? My main concern is the fact that I hope I like the blade being bigger than what I'm used to with the cheapo straights. I got a professionally honed Dovo Bizmark from classicshaving.com, which is as I'm sure you know, is a 6/8 full hollow. I have to admit that I got that one because, thought not the perfect beginner's straight, it is fairly priced for it's prettyness. Yea, I know I know, I shouldn't consider looks when choosing my 1st straight. We'll see what happens!

AxelH, haha, yea I'm the opposite of the song because I used to be half the man I am now... I feel 100% now! My cheap razor is "Filarmonica". Have you ever heard of that brand? I don't know, it's a really cheap one but I'm surprized that after the thousands of shaves, I get to still see the brand print on the scales lol. As far as honing vs. stropping, I'm...well...scared! I already ordered a norton set that includes a 250/1000 and a 4000/8000 (or something close to that). Don't ask me why (maybe because I'm super excited), but I also got a 12,000. Of course, I got a strop too.

Guys, I do realize might have overdone it with the extra gear, but I wanted to be completely set to tackle any issues. I should be set to go right? By the way, I'm gonna throw the following question out on the forum for others to see, but since I have your attention: where do you guys keep your strop? Is hanging it on the towel rack ok? Only reason I ask is because of the humidity in bathrooms and such. Weird question, but the last thing I want is to ruin anything (though I know I'll probably cut it the 1st day! haha!)

By the way gentelmen, thank you for the warm welcome. This seems like a great community already!

Good question about the strop.

Some prefer to hang it in their bathroom. Personally, I don't. I live in a humid part of Canada, so our regular climate PLUS whatever's in the bathroom during a shower would spell trouble. I have all my strops hanging on a wall in my house, an I take my razors in there and have at it for a couple minutes. Works for me.

Nice job with the razor. I think you'll like it. FWIW, I'd put those hones in the closet for a while. You already know how to use a straight, so your learning curve will be less than those just starting out. However, I'd get the new blade length down and get comfortable stropping before I whip out the rocks.

Keep us posted!

Moodster,

It will definitely be heavier. And you may not be able to grip it as easily. My Dovo Shavette is very user friendly in that department. My big old Sheffield wedge is not... Your first shave will be amazingly sharp. Then you'll feel like you're using a week old blade in your shavette till you get stropping down. Then it will feel good again.

Moodster,
Firstly welcome to SRP
You say your cheap razor is a filarmonica, well I dont own one but I have heard that they do have a good rep. Do on search on SRP for filarmonica and you'll find lots of people singing their praises.

Welcome to SRP...I have a Shave Den. (Used to be a walk in closet) and it's off my main Bath, which is quite large. SWMBO still controls half the closet, but that's ok.
I've never had any trouble with humidity, or anything like that....When you say, your cheap razor was a Filarmonica, You don't mean Jose Monserrat Pou, "Especial Para Barbas Duras" do you...They made some fine blades, large, about 15/16, which are "!4's" most had a gold box, and some smaller in white boxes, considered 13's, some were fancy with bullfighting scenes on them, and were fetching high prices on Ebay not too long ago...

Here's a pic of the Fily's they were selling on Classic Shaving a while back. Equally good, but different than the one's I speak. Filarmonica has always been regarded as some of the best shavers out there....If you'd like to see pics of the other's I speak of, let me know....Also, The Fily's had cheap scales, that was the only down side, but steel is very good.

Guys thank you so much. Your tips are MUCH appreciated!

Edgeof40 and zib, keep in mind my Filarmonica is a half DE disposable, like a shavette (sp?). But I'm glad to know I've had a good brand for the past 10 years! I'm quite shocked after you guys told me. Then again, it's faithfully probably gone through over 2000 shaves, so I shouldn't be shocked!

Below I'll post a pic of it and you'll notice how good it looks for it being 10 years old, though there's some rust on the blade holder on the other side, which you won't be able to see. Next to is my new baby, I just opened it! (if you see some spots, it's the oil Classic Shaving put on it after the honing service)

Maxi, bharner, edgeof40, and zib... Thanks again and I'll let you guys know tomorrow or Sunday after my first REAL shave!