Thread: Hello from Oklahoma City

Hello All,

Just wanted to check in as a budding straight razor afficionado-in-training! I had been shaving with single-blade, $1.25-per-10-pack disposable razors for a few years because of the high cost of cartridges, and about 6 months ago a friend of mine gave me a Merkur 180 DE and a basic wet shaving kit as a best-man wedding gift, and shortly thereafter I went to a local shave shop and the floodgates opened. Creams, soaps, brushes, balms, bowls, stands, trays, I was overwhelmed and excited... Then 3 months ago at the recommendation of the resident barber, I bought a Dovo Shavette to try my hand at it and to see if I could see investing in the real thing. I now have 5 eBay acquisitions, and am hungry for more. I seem to remember it being said that SR shaving is cheaper in the long run?

I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge/technique and learning from this very friendly community!

Welcome to SRP!
sorry, the "shaving with a straight will save money" is just a line to tell SWMBO.... in theory it can be done but almost nobody practices it. first the razors and strops, then the hones, since you already know the brushes creams and soaps....
however, after the initial euphoria wears off, you will find yourself settling into a routine of 1 brush, 1 strop, 8-10 razors, maybe 10 soaps/creams and some hones. you might have other stuff but that will be your basic go to equipment at that point you will stop buying and the wife will think you are saving money.
i have not bought a hone in 3 years, a brush in 5 years, a razor in over a year and i only buy replacement soaps and creams when i run out.... of course i could have bought a new car for what is spent getting here

enjoy,
jim

Oh Lordy, this sounds almost as expensive as 'restoring old motorcycles'. Maybe I'm exaggerating....I hope so.

You seriously find it necessary to have TEN razors? Why? I mean, I understand of course, but what's the stock justification for SWMBO???

The good thing about straight razor shaving is its exactly as expensive as you want it to be. The bad thing about straight razor shaving is its exactly as expensive as you want it to be. You can definitely save money using straight razors in practice, but shaving this way is just plain fun and its easy to get hooked. I always tell people that straight razor shaving is my "golf."

Originally Posted by r2d2

Oh Lordy, this sounds almost as expensive as 'restoring old motorcycles'. Maybe I'm exaggerating....I hope so.

You seriously find it necessary to have TEN razors? Why? I mean, I understand of course, but what's the stock justification for SWMBO???

"Daily rotation" or you can try "straight razor shaving will save money in the long run" i never have needed an excuse... i had a small collection all my life the first wife added to it and enjoyed them as well. the second one knew that the number was large "several hundred" long before the marriage. I think that i have spend nearly as much on hones and razors as they can be stupid in price and FWIW not worth all the hype and money.... basic honing tools provide just as nice an edge as super expensive hones. for the record synthetic hones are easier than naturals and usually cost less most of the professionals rely on ceramic hones for their speed and ease of use.

my nephews and step-sons all know how to use straights and regularly use them, although the boys in the service tend to use a DE more frequently. most of the girls i try to get to use DE some of them do and the wife does too plastice razors are forbidden in the house.

it is a hobby that you can involve the family in teach a girl how to hone a razor and even if she never uses one she will have a skill that will keep her kitchen knives very sharp