Thread: Random thoughts after a year of straight razor shaving

No great insights or originality here, just some observations I'd like to share with other beginners after my first year (give or take) of shaving with a straight razor.

• Proraso pre-shave smells nice, and that's about all it does.
• Pre-shave oil does make a noticeable difference.
• Alum block is God's gift to the straight razor shaver.
• A blade needing to "rest" for 24/48 hours is a myth.
• I'm pretty sure that "rolling the edge" is a myth too.
• Stropping has gone from being a chore, to a pleasant activity, to an addiction.
• Trying to strop with "just the weight of the blade" is ineffectual.
• A $200 silvertip badger brush offers no noticeable performance advantage over a decent $10 or $20 boar.
• The best thing you can do between passes is to (carefully) strop the razor on the palm of your hand, Mastro Livi style.
• The hanging hair test is NOT a parlor trick; other than actual shaving, it's the best single indicator of shave readiness.
• Unless your razor is stainless, never wet it. Even a droplet of water left unnoticed for a minute or so will leave a stain which you'll then have to polish out.
• There isn't much correlation between the price of soaps/creams and their performance. I know this because some of the expensive creams you get as free samples when you order stuff have been absolutely terrible.

I'm glad you have had an interesting, enlightening year of shaving,,,, I wish you a hundred more.

I would like to add from my experiences:

-Don't shave with a straight if you are tired or distracted
-try different grinds, you will be surprised how different they shave

I enjoy my shaves more and more as time goes on, this is an addictive habit!

Good observations, EV2.

Yes leaving a non-stainless (or even a stainless) blade wet after shaving is a good way to get stains or even orange rust. With careful drying after each shave a carbon steel razor won't usually get water spots, but over time will develop a gray patina. That patina can actually help protect the blade a little from rusting, sort of like the bluing on a gun barrel.

I only wipe it on paper and/or cloth towel. I used to rinse it under running water then dry it off, but found that once in a while despite my best efforts a stray droplet would still get on the blade anyway and leave a mark, so I stopped doing it.

BTW, one more observation I should have made earlier: SRP is by far the most gentlemanly forum I've ever encountered on the web.

Thanks, EV2. I was being a bit thick-headed. Your explanation of wiping the blade makes sense. And evidently works quite well.

As you undoubtedly know, spots on the blade like that are often caused by water getting in between the scales. I give them a glance after wiping off the blade and, finding any evidence of water run a folded over tissue between them to remove it.

I used to be pretty much a "duck" when it came to getting water all over things. What I do now to rinse the blade so that no soap residue that can also cause tarnish or rust remains on the blade is to open the razor so that the blade and scales are lined up,. I then pinch the tang between thumb and forefinger, wrapping the scales in the palm of my hand, and move the toe blade in a straight line into a stream of water running from the faucet, stopping at the point where the water splash against the blade is just reaching the heel. I then rotate the razor about the axis of the straightened blade and scales by rotating my wrist, thereby rinsing all parts of the blade only, my fingers and palm protecting the rest of the razor. I remove the razor from the water stream by moving my hand straight back, keeping it away from the faucet and side of the sink, afterward drying the blade by - you probably guessed - wiping it on a towel with a stropping motion. This whole process may sound complicated, but it takes perhaps five seconds from start to finish. I rinse the blade during the shave the same way. I have never dinged the blade on a sink in the nine years that I have been using an open razor for shaving.

Good on you for using a "proper" razor for an entire year. Here's hoping you enjoy shaving with an open razor for many more years!

Jeff

Wonderful tips for a newbie like my self. I especially enjoyed the bit about the 200 to 20$ brush comparison as well as expensive soaps because it makes it that much easier to start and not feel the envy of the luxurious items that are being posted around here

Thanks EV2 for sharing your observations! I'm still in the "addicting chore" phase for stropping
^2 in regards to SRP
Cheers!

Here I was, nodding repeatedly, until I reached that sacrilege comment about badgers vs boar... Aiaiai.
J/K looks like you're enjoying the ride

Badger and Boar are different animals...there's plenty of love to go around.
We change over time.
I applaud the 'scientific' approach even if it isn't scientific. Don't forget to blaze the trail.