Thread: Another Convert

Hello,

I live currently live in Brooklyn, but grew up in Michigan. I came to straight razors by way of dreading having to spend more $$$ on cartridge refills and also trying to eliminate as many disposable things as I can from daily life. So I read a couple articles, then found and Bought a Sheffield razor on ebay that had a decent edge to it. I then procured a combo leather/canvas strop. I've shaved twice. First time, I just did the easier parts, like sideburns and a little bit of the neck area. Wasn't too bad. Then I stropped again (think I did a better job that time), and my second shave was a lot more successful. I did my whole beard, but admittedly, left a couple parts of my face with the feeling of razor burn. Thankfully, I wasn't redfaced! I now acquired a hone and just honed my razor. I will give it a go again tomorrow. I suspect that my main issues are sharpness and technique. If anyone lives in the NYC area and is willing to give me some in person 101 straight-razor instruction, that would be great! I feel like youtube videos and forums can only get you so far. I am convinced that I want to invest the time to move away from the cartridge razors.

Looking forward to learning more on this forum!

-Ravi

Welcome,
I am still in Michigan (and love it!) so I can't help you right now... There is a wealth of info on this site, read the wiki and get a second razor from the classifieds here so that when your other straight needs honing, you have a backup!

What kind of razor and hone do you have, and welcome to the forum?

I bought a vintage Sheffield off of ebay. The hone I have is a waterstone that I found on Amazon. It was not very expensive ($13), and did not indicate the grit number... I know, I am a total newbie. I am decent with sharpening a knife, so I felt relatively comfortable adjusting to honing the razor. I am probably going to shave test my hone job tonight or tomorrow. I will post how it goes.

Please do feel free to post your shave results. It is difficult to advise you properly without knowing more about the razor (brand, condition) and the hone. Just try the easy (sides) of your face and tell us what happens.
Good luck!

Ok, my third attempt is in the books! This time, my razor was "honed" (in "" because I did it myself not really knowing much), and "stropped" (again, ''' for the newbie!). After a hot shower, during which I washed my face well, I lathered up with a brush and shave gel (Aveeno brand that I have been using for years with cartridge razors), then put a hot towel on my face and held it for about two minutes. I then wetted my face again with hot water and lathered up again with a thin layer of shave gel. I did WTG passes on my sideburns, which felt all right. I then did WTG passes on my neck, those felt ok, a little tugging. I only tried a couple WTG passes on my chin and upper lip. Those are the hardest parts for me as far as holding the blade comfortably and executing a smooth pass. There was a lot of tugging, so I didn't push it. I then added a little more cream where I had passed on my sideburns and did a couple ATG passes. That felt really awkward. Should I be switching hands for different sides of my face? I am right-handed and was trying to do everything that way. I cleaned up with my old cartridge. I didn't want to force the shave like I did last time and reinjure my face. Afterwards, instead of aftershave, I put on some facial lotion. Right now, I feel a little razor burn on my upper lip where I attempted passes, and a hint of burn on my neck and sideburns where I really shaved.

Obviously, something is off. I suspect that to begin with, my razor is just not shave-ready. The blade feels like a sharp knife, and from what I have read on here, it needs to go beyond that. I would also guess that my pass technique needs work.

Should I invest in a shave-ready razor from this site's classified's and work on my shaving and stropping? Seems like it might be tough for me to properly hone this one that I bought. From what I can tell, it came with a knife-sharp edge and no nicks. Someone experienced could probably hone it... not sure what to do here.

Originally Posted by ravi626

Obviously, something is off. I suspect that to begin with, my razor is just not shave-ready. The blade feels like a sharp knife, and from what I have read on here, it needs to go beyond that. I would also guess that my pass technique needs work.

Should I invest in a shave-ready razor from this site's classified's and work on my shaving and stropping? Seems like it might be tough for me to properly hone this one that I bought. From what I can tell, it came with a knife-sharp edge and no nicks. Someone experienced could probably hone it... not sure what to do here.

The short answer is "YES" on both counts.
Get yourself a good quality, shave ready razor from the classifieds or a vendor here and work on your lathering, stropping and shaving technique first - then down the track a bit, if you wish to, start on the honing journey.
Here are my thoughts on the reasons why
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...-try-hone.html
Finally, welcome to SRP - hang on and enjoy the ride

Ravi,

Welcome to SRP chief.

+1 on Havachat's advice. Try to purchase a low-cost shave-ready razor from one of the online vendors who advertise here or the SRP Classifieds. One of them is offering a free-lifetime holiday offer at this time. Since honing usually cost approx. $20.00 a pop, you may want to consider that option. In fact, I currently have three razors from that vendor with free life-time honing certificates and am about to add a fourth.

I would also hold off on honing your Sheffield straight razor until you determine what type of hone you have and become more comfortable with your shaving technique.

Thanks for the tip guys. I figured as much after coming to this site and perusing around a bit. @Havachat45: read your other post, and boy did that sound familiar

So, my question now is, which razor to buy? The beginning FAQ says to go for size and hollowness right in the middle. You guys agree with that for a beginning razor? @jhenry, which vendor is that?

1. Razor specs -- 5/8 or 6/8 wide, half-hollow to full-hollow ground. That's "middle-of-the-road", and there's no reason to start with anything else.

2. The Classifieds here, and Larry at WhippedDog.com , are a good source for reasonably-priced "shave-ready" vintage razors.

3. If you got a hone on Amazon.com for $13 that will put a decent edge on a razor, you were _very_ lucky. Please -- who was the vendor, and what was the description?

Charles

PS -- I haven't read "Why Beginners Shouldn't Hone", but I probably agree with it. I was a beginner who was trying to learn to shave, and to hone, at the same time. It's possible, but I don't recommend it.