Thread: Hello from San Diego!

Hello from SoCal. I've always had trouble shaving since I was 13 or 14 because my facial hair on my neck grows curly and in swirls. I've been using a DE for a while now and have been considering getting a straight for a while, I've just never found a reliable place until now. I want to buy a straight razor off the classifieds but I just have a few questions:

1) If I'm getting a shave ready razor how often do I have to hone it or send it to get honed? I usually shave twice a week because I'm kinda lazy.

2) I've read about pastes for strops as an alternative to a honing stone. Is it a good idea to use one if I want to keep a shave ready/pre-honed razor sharp or should I wait until I can afford a honing stone?

3) What type of razor would you guys recommend for someone with coarse facial hair like me?

If I have any other questions I'll post them here. I'm looking forward to the responses!

First off; welcome to the forum.
Don't forget a strop!

1- The duration to send off for honing is extremely variable. With less shaving you will have to send it off less, but I was in your same situation and I now find myself shaving much more often.

2- Pastes work great and many never go for the hones because that is a whole different skill set. Remember not to paste your daily strop.

3- any good 5/8-6/8 round point, half hollow will work great, but feel free to deviate from that slightly when it comes to grind.

Thanks for the reply. My dad was telling me about when he was a kid his father made a strop from denim jeans. I've found a few tutorials online but I'm wondering if it'd be a good idea to try to make one so I can have extra strop. I do plan on buying a strop, but I'm not sure if I should use the denim strop (if it is a good idea to make one) as my daily and the other one I plan on purchasing as my pasted strop, or possibly the other way around. Any help? Thanks again.

Purchasing a good strop right off the bat is key. I even suggest getting a nice one from SRD, since their replacement leather is virtually the same price as a beginner strop.

Make a denim strop. You can paste it if you want. Or, leave it plain and use it for practice so you don't butcher you nice new one from SRD.

A quality strop, and a learned stropper, make all the difference in edge maintenance. Good stropping is a straight razor fundamental.

Originally Posted by JosueG

Hello from SoCal. I've always had trouble shaving since I was 13 or 14 because my facial hair on my neck grows curly and in swirls. I've been using a DE for a while now and have been considering getting a straight for a while, I've just never found a reliable place until now. I want to buy a straight razor off the classifieds but I just have a few questions:

1) If I'm getting a shave ready razor how often do I have to hone it or send it to get honed? I usually shave twice a week because I'm kinda lazy.

2) I've read about pastes for strops as an alternative to a honing stone. Is it a good idea to use one if I want to keep a shave ready/pre-honed razor sharp or should I wait until I can afford a honing stone?

3) What type of razor would you guys recommend for someone with coarse facial hair like me?

If I have any other questions I'll post them here. I'm looking forward to the responses!

JosueG,

Welcome to SRP. Happy to have you aboard.

If you are getting a shave ready razor, and with the frequency you shave you shouldn't have to get it honed for quite sometime. Probably once a year. If you obtain an old strop and paste it or apply some diamond spray that interval for honing can be extended even more.

For starters, I would recommend a 6/8" hollow ground razor. You can get a razor & strop set from either SRD or Vintage Blades where the razor will be shave ready. Get a 3" strop. It's easier to strop with because you won't have to use an x pattern.

Get the lowest cost, quality razor you can afford. A 6/8" Dovo "Best Quality"-- either black or blond scales -- is a good starter. For just a little more a 6/8" Dovo "Special" is a good beginner's razor too.

Take care--and smooth shaving.

JosueG,

Take a few hours out for some reading here. I would suggest starting with Lynn's beginners read here first post. That would actually answer many of your questions right off.

There are great razors to be had from the classifieds here that won't break the bank. And the good thing about straights is that if you decide it's not for you, it's easy to get your money back on a shave ready razor. Guys like Lynn's place have new razors, places like whippeddog.com have many vintage razors fairly cheap. Must haves are: a good brush (boar was my first brush), shaving soap, styptic or alum, something like tend skin or nivea sensitive skin for the razor burn, a strop (two sided, wool/felt and leather) from places like starshaving.com (low cost, good quality, the 3" big daddy is excellent). Nice to haves include a lap strop or balsa strop with paste or spray to maintain the edge when you think it is required. Whippeddog.com has a poor mans strop kit that includes paste and etc. for CHEAP.

I wouldn't worry about honing, other than to make sure the razor you get is honed by a master. That way you can't blame the razor for anything uncomfortable, and will have to look to yourself. I also would suggest getting more than 1 razor so you can rotate them. That way neither will have to be honed anytime soon.

Learn proper stropping techniques and your razor will last even longer between hones.

But first and foremost, read!!! Read the relevant posts here by the folks who know. Then ASK questions as you go!!

Worked for me man, will work for you too!!! I've only been at it for 3 or 4 months now, but have learned so much here.

Good Luck!!!

M