Thread: Introduction for Cartier

Hello everyone.

My name is Cartier and I'm a DE shaver.

Personal info - Currently I am a SSgt in the USAF serving as a Cryptologic Linguist. I am stationed at US Army Post - Ft. Gordon, GA with the 31IS.

Recently had our first child, a baby boy, three weeks ago.

Some things I enjoy: Shaving, reading, music (listening and creating), baking, photography, any chance to make something creative, and a bit of gaming.


That is enough, let's get to the shaving.

About three weeks ago I read an article on "The Art of Manliness" about how to shave like your grandpa. This piqued my interest because I remember seeing my grandpa shave just like that. So I found my way to another forum and began reading just for fun. I never really planned on getting into it. I read very often about how people had great shaves, their face was soft, and their shave is BBS.

I hated shaving. Hated it. I have to shave every morning and had always dread it. My face felt like garbage and the skin was always so tight I never wanted to touch my face. The shave was never that close either, even with 23 blade supersonic technology. After a while I began to consider trying a safety razor. More time and more reading passed and I decided to jump in head first.

Initial setup:
Parker 82R TTO
Parker Best Badger Brush
Col Conk Stand
Proraso Green Pre-shave and Soap
20 Feather Blades
Apothecary Mug

Been in love and even more interested in shaving since the first go at it. I still have a lot to learn but it had been great so far.

Next up is trying a straight razor. I have a Parker SR1 (Shavette) coming in this Wednesday and I am super excited. I'll see how it goes for a while and if it becomes the bee's knees I will have to find a nice straight.

I also have a blade sampler pack and a complete Taylor of Old Bay Street sampler pack coming in as well.

I recently started going to flea markets and antique stores looking for old shaving stuff. I've had a couple of good finds. Grabbed a 1951 Gillette SuperSpeed (Black Tip) that was in good condition and cleaned up great with a little polish for only five bucks.

Anyways, I am just interested in seeing what wealth of knowledge is available here and participating in some good discussions.

Cartier,

Welcome to SRP!!

First off, thanks for your service and commitment to our Armed Forces!! My daughter retired about 6 months ago as a MSgt., stationed at McConnell AFB, Wichita, KS.

On the Shavette, don't judge a traditional straight by the Shavette, they're two different animals! They may, by application, function the same, but, a traditional straight is much smoother and more comfortable than a Shavette...at least after you learn the basics.

Flea markets and antique stores can sometimes pay off, but you'll be a lot better off if you can wait and read and learn more about straight razors and especially condition aspects before going too far with acquiring some that are past their prime.

Below are a couple of links that have some excellent info and tips to help make your transition into straight razors more pleasant, affordable and enjoyable.

Again, Welcome to the forum, and when you have questions, ask away!!

Regards,

Howard

Hello Cartier:
Welcome to Straight Razor Place from a former 4th Infantry Division man. My friend Howard's comments are on spot and I fully agree. The Shavette and the regular straight have completely different characteristic and personality. Once you get the hang of it, the regular straight razor will become a sweet obsession. And we'll guide you along. In the meantime we're delighted to have you with us.

Welcome to SRP.

Russell

Thanks for the warm welcomes.

As far as the shavette, I am sure it will be different. I'd just like to use a low cost option without having to strop and hone while I work on my technique. I have no doubt that the bug will bite (unless I cut off my face of course) and I will get a proper straight razor and then 5 more after SRAD kicks in.

Been looking at Dovos a lot recently. They seem like a nice blade.

Originally Posted by Cartier

I've already spent a lot of time looking at their products. That is a great site. Their strops look amazing, especially the "Roo". I'm excited to get trained up!

The Roo strop is my go to strop right now. They are very, very thin and I've been reluctant to recommend them to new members because generally the first strop gets some nicks and cuts as we learn to use it and I've been concerned that they might easily cut through. One of our Moderators told me they are very tough and durable and I haven't heard of any sliced Roo's, but they sure are thin. Anyway I thought you might like the info in making your decision.

Howard

Originally Posted by SirStropalot

The Roo strop is my go to strop right now. They are very, very thin and I've been reluctant to recommend them to new members because generally the first strop gets some nicks and cuts as we learn to use it and I've been concerned that they might easily cut through. One of our Moderators told me they are very tough and durable and I haven't heard of any sliced Roo's, but they sure are thin. Anyway I thought you might like the info in making your decision.

Howard

Do you have a nice firm, thick strop you would like to recommend for beginners?

Originally Posted by Cartier

Do you have a nice firm, thick strop you would like to recommend for beginners?

The Premium I is an excellent strop and has light draw. Very easy to use and learn on. I really like mine and I know a lot of others do also. It's the same price range as the Roo, I think.

Hello Cartier, and welcome to SRP. Your specialty sounds very interesting.

No new advice to offer, but to agree with the common wisdom that a real straight is a milder creature than a shavette. We can't hand-hone to the same keenness of those disposable blades, but it's not all about keenness, it's about smoothness. Once you can cut a hair, you can still go sharper, but at the cost of comfort.

Dovos are good blades, and the Dovo Best Quality is the cheapest new blade I'd trust. You'll see cheaper ones, but they're just razor-shaped objects (RSOs). You can also get a new start buying a vintage blade from our Classifieds. The folks who sell there know what Shave-Ready means. So does SRD.

For a beginner strop, sturdy and not too expensive, an Illinois 127 for $35-$40 is what I started with. It's pretty thick steerhide, and though I nicked it up a bit, there's enough leather that I've been able to sand out the dings and still have a beefy reliable strop. Whatever you get, practice a while with a butter knife, learn the flip, so you've got some muscle memory laid in before taking the real edge to the leather.

Best wishes and happy shaving!

Thanks for the helpful advice. I'll be giving the shavette a try this weekend. Looking forward to murdering myself. Haha