Thread: college student who just bought a cheap set, and I need help

Been there done that. Tossed mine in the trash can and got a real razor....

I can recognize that blade from a mile away, it's the same junk you can buy under the infamous name of G.B.Buckingham and Sons , a razor that's totally unusable.

Originally Posted by rmundy15

So I bought a cheap set (straight razor, strop, badger brush, soap, bowl) and I've shaved with it twice. The first time it took me about 40 minutes and I hacked my face up but got a really smooth face. I shaved with it again today, I am pretty good with shaving my cheeks but my neck, jaw line, and chin are impossible for me to do. I am watching videos online but they aren't much help. Any and all help with these areas would be appreciated...the angle, amount of pressure, ect....

I wish I had started when you did. Instead I started about 40 years later. You're doing fine. Just keep watching videos of people who can do what you're trying to do and it will come in time. You'll notice something in the video you didn't notice before after watching many times that will help you. Eventually it will click. Took me six months to achieve a level of competence, a year and a half to master it. But it's worth it. The disposables and cartridges offered today are a road to nowhere. There's a growing dissatisfaction with these current methods of shaving. I rely on this forum most with regards to all phases of straight shaving (stropping, honing, shaving).

You sound like someone who is committed to mastering this.

I started with a similar set.... the soap and brush were usable... The razor was not even close to shave ready. I thought I was doing something wrong till I read a lot more about razors. I didn't toss my razor. I used it to learn how to hone (If something went wrong I wasn't out anything) I did get lucky as the razor I got took an edge pretty well after some practice, and was part of my regular rotation till I passed it on to the buddy who purchased it for me to learn to shave on.