Thread: Thank you.

So I'm a slacker that finally registered but I have read and lurked here for a little while trying to learn about straight and DE razors.

What brought me here initially was a search for a way to get off the cartridge bandwagon. The prices of replacement cartridges was just killing so my first thought was to explore the DE safety razors. Then I found this site and was drawn by the idea of a classic straight razor wet shave. I've already been a fan of a good prep with soap and brush as foam and gels just don't cut it on my face.

After searching this site (and others) for a while, I took the plung and bought both a Dovo straight razor and Merkur DE...what the hell, jump in with both feet headfirst ( ).

I've shaved with the DE a few times with great success. My first shave was nick free and equaled my best cartridge shave.

Well today, I tried the straight razor for the first time with decent success. By success, I mean all protrusions are still attached. I had one small cut under my left ear as I am right handed and couldn't get the feel of left handed manipulation of the razor. I had a couple of minor nicks around my mouth on the left side for the same reason.

I had a pretty thick beard after not shaving for a few days, so not allowing it to grow as much would make it easier (As will the experience). Overall, it was almost as good as my DE shaves so I'm very happy with the first attempt.

Anywho, this long winded post is to thank all that have posted their experiences and allowed me to learn from you and have a successful first experience.

Lynn, especially, as the DVD was critical to me feeling comfortable tackling this venture.


Thanks, All.

Sounds alot like my story, started with DE to get away from cartridge, next thing you know i find this site and now shave with a ST8.

Mostly everyone on this site is super helpful. Never feel embarrassed to ask a question here

Welcome to SRP! Glad you decided to join. I looked at the bottom of the screen and noticed that there were 98 members logged in and nearly 400 'guests'...ie lurkers.

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Hello lurkers, I thought I would take a moment to address the hundreds of you over the course of the next few days...JOIN....Hello? You're missing all the fun.

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Seriously though, my story was a bit different as I was in school all last year and money was tough...three kids, wife working extra just to pay the rent. I was down to my last thirty dollars and had I had run completely out of shaving supplies for the month. Let's see, a month's worth of M3 razors and canned goo would come out to nearly that thirty dollars. As I was thinking about the situation, I was perusing an antique store when I happened onto my first razor. For that $30, I got the razor, brush and conk soap. I used a piece of 2k grit sandpaper that I use on my pocket knife and honed it up. I didn't even have a strop, but I did have something similar...a scrap piece of leather pasted for my knives. I learned on that razor! The reality is that that one razor could have probably lasted me my entire life, but we'll never know since I have ten razors now <doh> I share your sentiment in that the first shave was completely anticlimactic. After the second week I was getting as good a shave as a M3 had ever given me and tossed my last one into the trash forever.

and tossed my last one into the trash forever.

I'll keep the Fusions around that I have as my wife uses them to shave her legs and I don't mind the small trimmer blade for getting the uppermost part of my lip.
Consider a cartridge will last her a few months, I can live with that...

Welcome to SRP and getting away from cartridges. Since starting straight shaving, I used up only 1 cartridge as I was learning. It has been 1.5 years since then and the M3 is used just to clean off a minor rough spot I may have missed after putting aways my shaving gear. This happens once in a while, but it is very minor work for the M3. So minor that it is only the 2nd cartridge that is still being used since I started Straight Shaving.

The M3 use to pull hairs, cut them and leave it below the top of my skin and this caused unsightly in-grown pimples that took a long time to run its course. I could always count on this to happen once every 10 days and what a drag it was.

Going to Straight shaving, this has never happened to me. My shaves last longer and my face looks so much better shaved and unshaved.

Keep up the effort on the learning curve. Straight shaving pays big dividends to those who invest in it. Its also nice to have a DE on hand

Pabster

Originally Posted by red96ta

Segue...

Hello lurkers, I thought I would take a moment to address the hundreds of you over the course of the next few days...JOIN....Hello? You're missing all the fun.

End Segue...

I am guilty as charged.

Great initial post, I am the same way. Excited to get better at both the stropping and shave.