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.