Thread: thoughts for newbie shaving sucess

Hi filmecyan

Since you have a brand new hanging strop, it shouldn't need anything for awhile. Most good strops are ready to go out of the box and don't need a pumice stone or any treatment with dressing.

From reading your post, it sounds like you might be a bit confused on terms. There is strop dressing that is applied to a strop and is used to help keep the leather itself in good condition. Then there is the paste, which is a mild abrasive applied to a different strop than the one you use on a daily basis to prepare the razor for shaving. This second strop with the abrasive paste is used only periodically to freshen up a razor's edge. For the pasted strop, many folks get a 4-sided paddle strop so you can apply different pastes with varying degrees of abrasiveness. Once you put an abrasive paste on a strop, it gets embedded into the leather and then can only be used for that purpose. That's why you have one strop for daily stropping, and another one (or more) for the pastes.

So for daily shaving, you would strop the razor first with the linen side and then with the leather side. After a couple of weeks or so, when you notice the razor starting to pull when you shave, then that's the time you would get the pasted strop and freshen the edge. I usually get about 10-12 shaves before I have to use the pasted strop, but my beard is on the lighter side, so your experience may differ. I hope that answers your questions.

Ed

Well I'd like to put a monkey wrench into this discussion and maybe play devil's advocate but think about it, we all have to start somewhere and universally we buy the razor and the soap then the brush then the strop and then duh how do I sharpen this thing or keep it sharp or isn't it shave ready when I buy it or well I'll send it to lynn for sharpening and then what as it becomes dull?

Don't we all approach this thing from a backwards approach? Isn't honing one of the (if not the) most important and difficult things to master?

Maybe, just maybe we should worry about mastering honing before we think about actually using a straight. maybe we should recommend that newbees get an eboy special and a hone and go at it until they master the skill and then buy the real razor and all the other paraphanelia.

What do you all think about that eh?

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Well I'd like to put a monkey wrench into this discussion and maybe play devil's advocate but think about it, we all have to start somewhere and universally we buy the razor and the soap then the brush then the strop and then duh how do I sharpen this thing or keep it sharp or isn't it shave ready when I buy it or well I'll send it to lynn for sharpening and then what as it becomes dull?

Don't we all approach this thing from a backwards approach? Isn't honing one of the (if not the) most important and difficult things to master?

Maybe, just maybe we should worry about mastering honing before we think about actually using a straight. maybe we should recommend that newbees get an eboy special and a hone and go at it until they master the skill and then buy the real razor and all the other paraphanelia.

What do you all think about that eh?

I know, I know, ... put that in my pipe and smoke it ... LOL

Another view: In response to thebigspendur's opinion on a newbie obtaining a clapped out razor and investing in pricey hones and strops in order to master the honing process as a preliminary to learning shaving technique, I must opine that such a scenario strikes me as a form of aversion therapy.

The steep learning curve of honing, which is portrayed here and most places as an arcane art requiring zen-like concentration and hours of practice, would send me back, well, not to a M3, but at least back to the relative ease of DE usage. I have sent my only straight razor to Lynn for preparation and personally think that getting intrigued by straight shaving and experiencing successful shaving will provide the impetus to acquire the requisite skills for honing later.

This opinion may be worth exactly what you have paid for it: nothing

Ya see in this age of instant gratification everyone wants it now. But with some things in life thats not the way it works or maybe not the best way. I realize what I'm saying here isn't exactly standard fare around here but learning how to use a straight involves numerous skill sets. They do not come fast and for most not easy either. You could be like the guy who buys a mechanical contraption and when it needs maintainance just trashes it and buys a new one instead of learning how to care for it. yea just keep buying another straight every dozen shaves or so and by the time you have a dozen or so hopefully you will have mastered honing.

In a way buying a straight and using it without knowing how to hone is like...buying a car and not having a license (or being able to drive). You can just leave it in the garage and go out and sit in it every day and wash and wax it. Sure, you can hire someone to drive you around until you get your license and you can pay someone to hone your razors until you learn to do it yourself. Of course people get that pretty straight and just want to pick it up and use it right away not stare at it for weeks while they master some dumb skill like honing.

Just think about it guys, just think about it. Almost all the posts from newbees involve problems with getting the razor shave ready or questions wanting to know how to tell if its really sharp enough. If that was removed from the equation of straight shaving then shaving technique could be concentrated on 100%.

Well I've said my piece and now I'm going to smoke my pipe!

Ok, I'm almost ashamed to post here, but I have never used a straight razor but have always wanted to. At 54, I don't grow a heavy beard, but would like at least the very basic instructions if someone would be kind enough to post them.

Where to get my first razor - who do I have sharpen it? What do I do first? I am confused on the terms, strop, paste....etc.

Would someone be willing to provided the ABCs for a "true" newbie?

Thanks
Michael

Originally Posted by mljoshua

Ok, I'm almost ashamed to post here, but I have never used a straight razor but have always wanted to. At 54, I don't grow a heavy beard, but would like at least the very basic instructions if someone would be kind enough to post them.

Where to get my first razor - who do I have sharpen it? What do I do first? I am confused on the terms, strop, paste....etc.

Would someone be willing to provided the ABCs for a "true" newbie?

Thanks
Michael

Read everything in this, Category:Beginners - Straight Razor Place Wiki.

Then read the rest of the wiki and watch the videos.

/ignore the sections on honing and restoration for now though Concentrate on one thing at a time.

Originally Posted by mljoshua

Ok, I'm almost ashamed to post here, but I have never used a straight razor but have always wanted to. At 54, I don't grow a heavy beard, but would like at least the very basic instructions if someone would be kind enough to post them.

Where to get my first razor - who do I have sharpen it? What do I do first? I am confused on the terms, strop, paste....etc.

Would someone be willing to provided the ABCs for a "true" newbie?

Thanks
Michael

The link to the Wiki is a good idea.

Terms is something you pick up, but the ones you mentioned:
1. a strop is a length of leather, you run the razor up and down it before you shave and it restores the edge. It doesn't sharpen, more reshapes.

2. paste is something that can be applied to strops, to give them polishing and sharpening properties. You still need a normal, unpasted strop. A pasted strop can be used as a final honing stage, or to refresh an edge.

What should you do first? Well, if I were you I would get down to Walmart and pic up the brush, bowl and soap kit they do, I believe it is $10. The general consensus is it's not GREAT stuff, but it does work. You might want to invest in a better soap, perhaps tabac or the straight razor designs (google them), as I understand the soap is the weakest link.

This will allow you to learn how to lather, and use the lather with your mach 3 or what ever, while you read up on the other stuff and choose what you want to purchase.

There are vendors on here who comes highly recommended for strops, Kenrup and Tony Miller both produce high quality, good value strops. Links to their websites are available in the vendors section on this site, at the bottom.

For a razor, buy one shave ready. There are links to sites in the vendors section that sell shave ready razors, if you're not sure CHECK ON HERE - don't email the site as they may not have any idea what they're talking about. The Art of Shavings razors are not shave ready, for example, even though they say they are.

Alternativly, the classifieds section on this site gets a plethora of razors sold by members every day, and you will be able to find some very good deals on there. Again, the adds say if they're shave ready.

So, to sum up - the walmart set, a strop and a razor are all you really need, nivea aftershave balm is a good idea - you will more likely than not need it. Very soothing, very cheap.

Another option, one I did not take and I'm not sure I would now, is to buy a starter kit like Straight Razor designs sell. It's all good quality stuff and is good value. I don't really have a good reason not to go down this route, it's just not something that appeals to me. The razors from their are all honed by Lynn Abrams who runs this place, he is a bit of an authority on honing and you will have no worries about shave readiness if you order from there.

Either way, it doesn't make much odds how you get the kit, just that you get it!

When you've got all that, look on youtube at the videos on there. There is a section in the general section for videos, there are stropping, shaving and even lathering vidoes. Personally I found Jockeys (a member) videos helpful, as they cover everything and he gives a good commentary.

I hope this is useful, do not be ashamed to ask. Far as I know, no one popped out knowing everything there is to know about straight razor shaving, or shaving in general, we all started from nothing - as you are!

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Well I'd like to put a monkey wrench into this discussion and maybe play devil's advocate but think about it, we all have to start somewhere and universally we buy the razor and the soap then the brush then the strop and then duh how do I sharpen this thing or keep it sharp or isn't it shave ready when I buy it or well I'll send it to lynn for sharpening and then what as it becomes dull?

Don't we all approach this thing from a backwards approach? Isn't honing one of the (if not the) most important and difficult things to master?

Maybe, just maybe we should worry about mastering honing before we think about actually using a straight. maybe we should recommend that newbees get an eboy special and a hone and go at it until they master the skill and then buy the real razor and all the other paraphanelia.

What do you all think about that eh?

I am just beginning and bought a dovo tortoise,an apprentice strop,a norton 4k/8k and a belgian( maybe a little too much). I honed my razor right away because it would pull instead of shave and I have it giving me a decent shave. I feel it may be better to have a razor that is not deadly sharp right away. I have made a few mistakes shaving(like not pulling my skin tight) and am glad that my razor did not grab me and give me a good cut. Now if it was deadly sharp I would probably have an 1 1/2 inch cut on my cheek right now.So, maybe learning slowly how to get a deadly sharp razor can be a good thing. As long as it is shaving you.

Hello there!

I just don't strop anymore...

But BBS every blessed morning...