Thread: Hello everyone!

I am new to this forum and have not used a straight, yet. I have been pouring over the forum and soaking up information on shaving in general, which has improved the quality of my shaving experience with my little Mach 3 already. So, thanks goes out to everyone here for some much information.

I did exactly what the forum says not to do for your first straight, bought a nice vintage Wade and Butcher Special on the bay. It was only $12.50 so how could I pass that up. It is in fair condition, a lot of patina, some surface rust, the scales are not cracked (but a little warped) and the razor is tight at the pivot, no pitting or smile on the blade. It does need to be honed and work done on it to remove the surface rust. I see sharping services offered at two of the sites that advertise on here (Vintage Blades and Straight Razor Designs) it looks like they are the same place since they both have you ship to the same PO box. Do they perform the other services also or can anyone recommend some place? I am usually a do it myself kind of person, but until I have more experience this is better left to the pros.

So far the rest of my kit is a cheap Omega brush/bowl /stand, Cella shave soap, SRD Latigo strop, Alum block and Brut balm.

Thanks again,

therev

Is that Therev or The Rev?

Welcome to SRP. Classic Shave and SRD both use Lynn for honing services, hence the same address for honing services. If you click on the classifieds link in the menu bar above, and then click on "member services" you can find a listing of members here who do razor honing. Finding someone in your area can be a real blessing as they can help enhance the entire shaving experience.

If you want to get a good second razor without the extra work and effort, check out some of the vendors here, the classifieds section, Larry's site whippeddog.com, and others you'll find as you peruse around here. Most of these vendors keep prices significantly below market value because their aim is to help new guys get started on the right foot. And having a second razor is good for a number of reasons.

The rest of your setup looks pretty good for starting out. There'll always be another piece that's more expensive, or nicer, or whatever, but what you have should be good to get you down the road.

Best of Luck!
Jim

Hey BigJim,

Thanks for the welcome and the info. It is 'therev', just a nick name that some how stuck.

-therev

Shhh! Don't tell anyone but I discovered the same thing. The difference in shaving even with a Mach2 or Schick Quadro is surprising once you start to prep your beard properly. The industry, on the other hand, want you to think it's the new gee-whiz-bang fifty bladed mostrosity that gave you the close shave.

Originally Posted by MickRussell

Shhh! Don't tell anyone but I discovered the same thing. The difference in shaving even with a Mach2 or Schick Quadro is surprising once you start to prep your beard properly. The industry, on the other hand, want you to think it's the new gee-whiz-bang fifty bladed mostrosity that gave you the close shave.

As I waited for my first straights to be honed, I practiced lathering and skin stretching and got much better shaves with the schick hydro I'd been using. However, once I got my straights back there was a whole new world of shaving bliss I never thought could exist!

The big razor companies are selling fast and smooth, and propagandizing that more blades means quickness and smoothness. Sometimes Less really is more.

Let us know how your adventure goes...

Jim

Yea, I am anxious to get my blade back to start with it. I just sent it out today to get honed and a little light cleaning. I will practacing my lathering and stretching and studying up on stroping the blade and my first shave.

Every time I see an ad for the big companies it reminds me of this MadTV skit. ‪MADtv - Spishak Mach20‬‏ - YouTube