Thread: My heretical rules for enjoying str8s

hi all, been a while since i was here

mostly because i have discovered, through trial and error, a set of guidelines that have allowed me to enjoy effective straight razor shaving. i label them "heretical" because they go against most of the advice given here.

1. HONE BEFORE EVERY SHAVE. this is probably the big one people will find issue with. my biggest shaving gripe was ineffective edges. now that i have mastered honing (at least to my satisfaction), i figure i deserve that newly-honed shave every time. not much mind you, just a couple of strokes on an old oilstone (between 3k and 5k grit) and then a few on the swaty, followed by some stropping. total time - about five minutes work. i put a little pressure on the blade and i also double or triple tape the spine, whatever i have to do to get the edge in a short period of time. the result is a blade that will cut three days worth of mountain-man stuble with one pass. why not get this every time? i have to say i find the prevailing wisdom here of infrequent honing to not match reality and seems focused more on keeping the blade pretty instead of effective.

2. NO EXPENSIVE RAZORS. since i want a "HHT" keen edge on *every* shave, my heavy honing regimen will likely limit the life of the razor. since i only buy used or even left-for-dead razors off the web, i don't feel bad about an approach to honing that limits their effective life. also anecdotally i suspect that these cheaper razors have lower quality metal than new expensive razors, which is good, because i want them to hone quickly. why do people want steel so hard they can't quickly sharpen it?

3. GET THE CHEAPEST LEATHER STROP POSSIBLE. the $39 illinois special will strop your razor. when you nick it (you will), just toss it.

4. GET THE CHEAPEST REAL BADGER BRUSH. you're only using it to put foam on your face, not paint the mona lisa.

5. CHEAP SHAVE SOAP. and use A LOT of it. since i use william's mug soap at 99 cents a bar, i don't worry about wasting it.

6. GENERIC JOJOBA OIL. this is the effective ingredient in other aftershave moisturizers, just buy it on its own for $2 a bottle and use sparingly.

7. SHAVE MUG == OLD COFFEE MUG. who is paying $20 for a shave mug????

8. ITS OK TO USE A MACH3 ON SOME PARTS. i realize i will never get the steady hands needed to do just underneath my bottom lip.

9. NORTON8k == USELESS. COTICULE == EXPENSIVE USELESS. PASTES == MESSY USELESS. with the norton 4k, my old oilstone, and the swaty, i can put a "HHT" edge on anything i get from ebay.

10. THE RAZOR IS A TOOL, NOT AN HEIRLOOM. obsession with pretty things is the domain of the small-minded.

11. SMELLY STUFF IS FOR WOMEN. when you put on your fave aftershave/cologne, the rest of us on the bus, subway, or office meeting room are gagging.

in conclusion - use cheap stuff, heap whatever abuse you have to on it to get it working, and throw it away when it fails or wears out.

I must say that you make a couple of good points! Williams soap will work just fine. An Illinois razor strop is very effective and an old coffee mug will work great! But if you want cheap on the brush I suggest boar or nylon. As for the rest, in my opinion, rubbish!
I will also agree that smelly stuff is for women!!

But it's alot more fun to slather on the bestest smelling shaving cream/soap with the finest brush you can get (there are good boarhairs out there!). Then using a fine razor to shave with and finishing off with a nice fragrant aftershave lotion or balm. Ultimately, you're the man and if that method works for you, go for it. But not one of us in this forum is gonna take the dollars we save with us when it's time to check out, don't you think you deserve the best? If we don't do this for ourselves, who will? Just my thoughts, those and 50 cents won't get you a cup of coffee around here.
Ernest

What you’re talking about it the difference between “getting it done”, and making a pageantry out of it. It’s funny how many times I read about this in different forms. Being new to using only straights (as opposed to the disposables every now and then and a fusion every day) I can see both sides of the fence. Hell, I have still never used actual shave soap and a brush. Gillette shave gel works fine for me for now, but I do look forward to trying a good soap and brush.

As far as honing, I find every 20-25 shaves my limit. But then again I’m no honmeister, just decent. I can HHT just about anything though.

I would really like to combine your “no expensive razors” and “a razor is a tool” however! I also work as a mechanic on the side and view everything as a tool pretty much. From my cell phone to my pocket knife to my guns, they have to be functional! The way I see it though, is that a cheap tool is just that, cheap. I’m not saying it takes a $1000 Livi to shave your face, or that a $10 ebay razor that needs sprucing up won’t do the job just fine. Just that there is a clear line between cheap, and cheap for a reason. I think the “use it till it’s dead” mentality is what a lot of us rebel against just by using a straight. Although not an heirloom, I think having an aesthetically pleasing tool makes the experience even more enjoyable.

As far as soaps and brushes and honing and the whole thing goes it all comes down to what makes you happy. Hell, if shaving with a honed fork makes you happy go for it! But as for myself, I see nothing wrong with a little man pampering every now and then.

Something about a good hot shower, long slow shave, a respectable amount of manly smelling fragrance, a suit and shoes that cost way more than I have any right to spend on them just makes me feel great!

Originally Posted by b7j0c

hi all, been a while since i was here

mostly because i have discovered, through trial and error, a set of guidelines that have allowed me to enjoy effective straight razor shaving. i label them "heretical" because they go against most of the advice given here.

1. HONE BEFORE EVERY SHAVE. this is probably the big one people will find issue with. my biggest shaving gripe was ineffective edges. now that i have mastered honing (at least to my satisfaction), i figure i deserve that newly-honed shave every time. not much mind you, just a couple of strokes on an old oilstone (between 3k and 5k grit) and then a few on the swaty, followed by some stropping. total time - about five minutes work. i put a little pressure on the blade and i also double or triple tape the spine, whatever i have to do to get the edge in a short period of time. the result is a blade that will cut three days worth of mountain-man stuble with one pass. why not get this every time? i have to say i find the prevailing wisdom here of infrequent honing to not match reality and seems focused more on keeping the blade pretty instead of effective.

For me this isn't true. I actually found that the first shave I get out of a razor after honing is a bit harsh. Besides...my blades still cut 7 days worth of stubble after a month. So I'm not worried.

2. NO EXPENSIVE RAZORS. since i want a "HHT" keen edge on *every* shave, my heavy honing regimen will likely limit the life of the razor. since i only buy used or even left-for-dead razors off the web, i don't feel bad about an approach to honing that limits their effective life. also anecdotally i suspect that these cheaper razors have lower quality metal than new expensive razors, which is good, because i want them to hone quickly. why do people want steel so hard they can't quickly sharpen it?

I've only got one. I like it a lot....for me it was worth the money. I know that if I need a good shaver and I don't know if the other edges are still good enough that one almost always is. So yes, it's not needed. But I like mine anyway.

3. GET THE CHEAPEST LEATHER STROP POSSIBLE. the $39 illinois special will strop your razor. when you nick it (you will), just toss it.

$39 for a strop? I didn't even pay that much. Besides.. why would you nick your strop. I don't see why a strop could not last a lifetime. I've only nicked one strop and it cost me aroun €10. Since then I got a real strop and it's lasted me for ages and I haven't come close to nicking it......I just don't understand how one can nick their strop once they've got the hang of stropping....I mean...it's not exactly rocket science is it?

4. GET THE CHEAPEST REAL BADGER BRUSH. you're only using it to put foam on your face, not paint the mona lisa.

Made my own. But it's still a silvertip and cost me around $40 I don't think anyone can beat that. I have to say though that I've used a cheap badgerbrush and now using a silvertip.....I definately prefer the silvertip. I have sensitive skin and it doesn't take much to irritate it.

5. CHEAP SHAVE SOAP. and use A LOT of it. since i use william's mug soap at 99 cents a bar, i don't worry about wasting it.

Don't need a lot. Don't use a lot either...so I'm not worried about wasting it anyway. But I do want the best for my money. That means no 3t's but TGQ instead...or Mammabear's. Good stuff that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I think it's all about finding a balance between costs and quality.

6. GENERIC JOJOBA OIL. this is the effective ingredient in other aftershave moisturizers, just buy it on its own for $2 a bottle and use sparingly.

I've begun using Sweet Almond oil mixed with Aloe Vera and a little bit of Glycerine (plus some eo's and some alcohol.) Best stuff I ever had.

7. SHAVE MUG == OLD COFFEE MUG. who is paying $20 for a shave mug????

HAH...Mugs are for rich people. I've got a Burgerking Brownee bowl. The cheap plastic kind that they throw away.

8. ITS OK TO USE A MACH3 ON SOME PARTS. i realize i will never get the steady hands needed to do just underneath my bottom lip.

I do have that steady hand....so I'll just use my straight. It's NEVER ok to use a Mach three for me since they irritate and are expensive.

9. NORTON8k == USELESS. COTICULE == EXPENSIVE USELESS. PASTES == MESSY USELESS. with the norton 4k, my old oilstone, and the swaty, i can put a "HHT" edge on anything i get from ebay.

Coticule=cheap and VERY versatile, Norton=expensive.

Give me my coticules anyway. I got mine all together for less than €20

10. THE RAZOR IS A TOOL, NOT AN HEIRLOOM. obsession with pretty things is the domain of the small-minded.

Jut because it's an heirloom doesn't mean that it's obsession with pretty things. You ever think that it's just a matter of gettign something that'll last and taking good care of it? If you want your steel to last it needs to be kept blemish free.

11. SMELLY STUFF IS FOR WOMEN. when you put on your fave aftershave/cologne, the rest of us on the bus, subway, or office meeting room are gagging.

You're right. But in this case Smelly stuff is for THE women. I find myself wearing scents that my wife loves and I love that she loves that. Besides....if you're "gagging" people then you're either using a cheap cologne and using too much of it.

in conclusion - use cheap stuff, heap whatever abuse you have to on it to get it working, and throw it away when it fails or wears out.

Interesting and good that it works for you. But for me how I think about it is in RED

Its really great your willing to share. Some very caustic ideas here. Good for you though. Makes for a lively thread.

Can I assume you keep three layers of tape by the sink? That seems kind of like the only part of the regime I couldn't deal with, and then you strop with all that tape on the blade?

Let us know when the blade wears out, that would be interesting to know too.

I also don't extend honing to keep the blade pretty though. For me its just an unneeded extra step for atleast a few weeks.

Very decisive post though!

Originally Posted by b7j0c

10. THE RAZOR IS A TOOL, NOT AN HEIRLOOM. obsession with pretty things is the domain of the small-minded.

I still use a number of my grandfather's depression-era hand tools. A couple of his older electric tools as well. Why can't it be both.

Some of your advice is great for people who aren't using straights because they have a tough beard. A Mach 3 won't cut my hair and I definitely notice a difference between Colleen's Soap and Col. Conk and Williams. But, hey, whatever works for you.

I found number 4 funny and number 10 a bit offensive, though I was not offended.

While I have come to 'old school' shaving for its function, I also enjoy its luxurious pleasures, something which you will not find in today's commercial products. As they say, shaving for me is no longer a chore. It is more of a hobby.

Originally Posted by Ernie

I found number 4 funny and number 10 a bit offensive, though I was not offended.

While I have come to 'old school' shaving for its function, I also enjoy its luxurious pleasures, something which you will not find in today's commercial products. As they say, shaving for me is no longer a chore. It is more of a hobby.

I agree with Ernie.

To each his own of course, and I appreciate the thread. I must say though, if all I wanted was a quality utilitarian shave on the cheap, I'd use a DE.

Jordan

Awesome thread!

While I don't agree with all of it, I salute the spirit of it!

I do agree somewhat with the tenent of #1- get your razor as sharp as you can before shaving. For me, this doesn't mean honing every time, but maybe a few laps on a pasted strop perchance.

Why put up with pulling and a lousey shave when you can simply throw a real nice edge on there?