Did I start my venture into straight shaving the wrong way?

Hi all,

I just recently got into trying out straight shaving. I probably have about 5-7 shaves (partial shaves) with them. I currently have four razors so my question is:

Should I have just gotten one razor and used it til I got it down like they say you should with DE shaving?

If I should use only one, then out of the four I have, a Torrey, Red Imp 132, Gold Dollar stainless (model 800?) and a Duble Duck 9/16's, which one should I just use solely til I get my technique down?

Thx. in advance for any comments and help!

Personally I think either approach could work, but since each razor is a little different, it probably makes sense to pick your favourite and really get to know how to use it. Which one you choose is entirely up to you although I'd probably not choose the Gold Dollar since they *can* have issues with steel quality and grind. Could be fine, but the odds of having a potential dud are higher with it than the other three.

The most important thing of course when it comes to the razor is that it is shave-ready (i.e. honed by someone who specializes in razor honing). So if you do choose one to focus on learning with and find it beginning to tug or become uncomfortable to use, then grab another while you're getting the first one honed up. In other words if you choose to focus on one, don't be dogmatic about it if the razor is telling you that it needs a touch-up.

EDIT: forgot to say that regarding your original question, there are few "wrong" ways to get into straight razor shaving, just a load of different ways. Finding what works for you is part of the fun IMHO. :)

I think that sums it up from my perspective too.

I certainly would not start with a Gold Dollar

Thx. guys!

I forgot to mention that they all were suppose to be "shave ready" but I just sent the Red Imp out to get rehoned as it just didnt feel right but it could have been me and not the razor but the others didnt feel like that one does. It seems to tug alot but like I said, might or more than likely was me!

I would probably "retire" the Gold Dollar and use one of the others that you are most comfortable with. Each razor or grind, like each face, can require a different angle or technique. Because of that, I'd probably use the one i was most comfortable with until I was getting consistently good shaves.

For just out of the gate and finding 3 nice vintage razors and only 1 'questionable' one is very good. Many times, it's just the questionable razor that is found to start learning this age old art.

I concur with the consensus that finding a 'favorite' and sticking with it would be best. However I see no mention of whether or not those razors are Shave Ready. It has been brought up that they should be honed by someone who knows what they are doing.

The difference between a truly shave ready razor and one that's 'marginal' is the difference between Black and White.

When I started I had my deceased uncles 9/16 round point Genco Grant and it would shave. But not well, so I sent it off to be honed and By God! There was a Huge Difference!

After I finally learned the angles, 'lack' of pressure etc it just got better and better!

I waited well over a year before I decided to start honing my own razors. As a former Meat Cutter I 'knew' that it wouldn't be any problem. Guess What? Problem!!!! Honing a razor and sharpening a knife is Totally Different! Just Like Day and Night!

Thanks to a certain Pro Honer, his videos and personal help, I now get very nice edges and thus Very Nice Shaves!

Enjoy the Ride. It's a Long Strange Trip! But it's Well Worth the Journey! :tu :y

The only other advice I would give is that spikes can be troublesome unless you keep an eye on them. Yours look to be muted but I would read up on how to mute them and then make a decision.

I personally would start with the Torrey. The Duck and the red Imp are fine razors, but from the pictures the Torrey has a somewhat rounded tip. The spike on the Imp is just begging to slice a new shaver! (And experienced shavers not paying attention:)
I have no personal experience with them, but have heard iffy things about the gold dollars.
From personal experience- I did better using one razor for a while until I got used to the whole wet shaving thing, then I started to rotate and experiment with new blades.
Have fun!!

The torrey is closest to standard razor 5/8 full hollow, although yours has fairly stiff grind. The imp is definitely wedge ground and the duck is a bit narrow (it looks like it were honed too much down from its original 5/8 size). I wouldn't have picked a duck in that condition, there are so many of them that there is no reason not to wait for one that's not been abused.
The red imp should be closest to how it was made to shave, but you are saying it needs honing, so it's out at least for now.

The Gold Dollars I've tried have sucked compared to any razor of the brands you have, but if you like how it shaves you can go for it.

I am thinking about just getting rid of all of them and buying one very good quality one that doesn't break the bank and kinda start over. I would keep the Red Imp just because I like the looks of it and to have one as a backup if I have to send my main one out for honing!

I also liked the Torrey but is does seem harder to shave with than the others, which is part of the reason that I am thinking about starting over with just one new quality one. I too am not a fan of the GD's from what I have seen and this one I have used. it isn't bad but not that good either!!

I didn't know that about the Dubl Duck. It looks like a fine one and even seems to shave okay in the one time I used it.

What is the best quality razor to check out for around $100-140ish range? I know these might be YMMV kinda of thing but surely their are ones like Boker's or others that have a great rep and great quality or at least I hope so. I am also thinking that just one very nice one will be cheaper in the long run rather than having 3-5 or more around and will cost less to hone, etc.

Thx. all for the comments and I look forward to reading more and seeing some recommendations!

You can stick with the red imp after it's properly honed then. Other than the thick grind it should be a fine shaver (the weight and ergonomics are what a 'standard' razor is but there is no flex whatsoever when shaving).
If you want a new full hollow ralf aust get great reviews. You can sometimes get a TI in your range, but from what I've seen I don't think their current level of crafstmanship is anywhere near ralf aust.

As far as the dubl duck goes notice how the edge is almost in the shoulder, when it was new there was about another 1/8" to its width and the wide honewear band at the spine wasn't there - instead there was a crisp line between the concave curvature of the grind and the convex of the spine.