Thread: Disposable razor Blades (Feather Straight Razors?)

Originally Posted by sheajohnw

It is very important to keep water out of the space between the scales and around the pivot of a straight razor. Carbon steel will quickly and easily rust when left wet. It can be difficult to get all the moisture out of the pivot area, so it is far better to never let any water get into this area. It is heart breaking to put ones new razor away and to find it rusted or water spotted when taken out for its next use. Removing any rust on gold wash will probably remove or damage the gold wash. Always wipe the razor dry and closely inspect it for water and lather residue after each use. Wiping the cleaned and dry blade with a mineral oil or Camellia oil dampened patch after each use before it is put away is safer than leaving the blade unprotected.

The least expensive way to get a shave ready straight razor is:
- a new low end DOVO honed by the vendor before shipping (SRD, etc.),
- a classified section sale of a vintage shave ready razor,
- a Whipped Dog vintage razor,

Shaving, stropping, and honing are all acquired skills that need development. Although stropping and honing are not needed with shavette razor systems having disposable blades, the shave experience is not the same as using a true straight razor. The disposable blade system that is reported to come closest to a true straight razor shave is the Feather, but this system costs as much as a new straight razor, then there is the cost of the disposable blades.

A cheap low sided coffee mug, cheap boar bristle brush, and a puck of shaving soap (tabac etc.) are inexpensive but fully effective.

A very very good reply. Many thanks!

I'm a carpenter by trade and sharpen my chisels on a regular basis so I know how to treat the steel to sharpen it.

I think I'll spend £100 or so on a 'all in one' kit and go from there. I'll keep you guys updated.

P.s. Assuming that the razor is super sharp, with the right angle (30*) should I be able to remove all my facial hair in one hit or would I need to rinse and re apply cream and go against the grain the second time?

Originally Posted by dannyboy2005

P.s. Assuming that the razor is super sharp, with the right angle (30*) should I be able to remove all my facial hair in one hit or would I need to rinse and re apply cream and go against the grain the second time?

I've generally found that I get the best shave by doing multiple passes. First pass WTG to remove the bulk, second pass ATG to get smooth and then a third pass XTG in only a couple areas (cheeks and neck just below the chin). This results in a BBS shave that's still going strong 24 hours later.

If I'm in a hurry, I might do a single pass. I still get a good shave but not super smooth.

I am new to Straight razor shaving, having 12 shaves under my belt so far. So for what it is worth here is my opinion. I started with a shavette too. The first shave was ok, no nicks. 2nd and 3rd had several cuts each. Read on this forum that starting with a shavette was not such a good idea for learning which is the same thought I was slowly getting too. Bought the Dovo Best Quality razor and never looked back. However in retrospect, I thnk buying a first razor from Whippeddog is the way to go. A little cheaper and you know for sure it is a shave ready razor. After experiencing a well honed razor from MSorkin there just isn't any comparison. As far as soaps go, I'm still searching for one. Right now I'm using the Bigelow Proraso soap and the Van der Hagen. But I need to experience more before I settle in on any one particular soap. As far as getting around the jaw area, I still have that problem, however getting much better at it after figuring out that making a fist, putting it in the neck/throat area and pulling the skin tight with it helped quite a bit. It seems to pull the skin below the jaw line whear I can get at it better. Doubt this face will ever see a gillette again, but if it ever does it will still be pampered with a brush and a quality soap. It just feels so good when the soap is applied that way.
Good luck with yer new 'venture

Originally Posted by EggSuckingLeech

Off topic but I have wanted to say this so many times. Every time I read your posts, I can't help but try to read it like poetry. Your carriage returns after every 5-6 words makes me read it like is prose

To be honest I can even explain
why I post this way...

Terry

Originally Posted by wvbias

To be honest I can even explain
why I post this way...

Terry

I would not shave it on a boat
I would not shave it with a goat
...

Originally Posted by dannyboy2005

A very very good reply. Many thanks!

I'm a carpenter by trade and sharpen my chisels on a regular basis so I know how to treat the steel to sharpen it.

I think I'll spend £100 or so on a 'all in one' kit and go from there. I'll keep you guys updated.

P.s. Assuming that the razor is super sharp, with the right angle (30*) should I be able to remove all my facial hair in one hit or would I need to rinse and re apply cream and go against the grain the second time?

The WTG stroke does a good job, but I require XTG/ATG passes to get a really close BBS shave. Some skin areas are harder to shave close and need more passes. I rehydrate/relather frequently to keep my hairs as soft as possible, and to maintain good cushion and glide. It is not necessary to rinse before relathering or rehydrating facial lather. Pre shave prep to get the hairs as soft as possible before shaving is very important. If the lather does not rinse off my blade within a few seconds, I consider it as getting too dry and rehydrate/relather. I also relather difficult to shave spots immediately before shaving them to insure that the hairs are still as soft (easy to cut) as possible.

I use a lower blade angle shaving with ATG strokes, and try to generally keep my blade angle low as I get fewer nicks and less irritation that way. I start my stroke with the razor almost laying flat and increase the angle by raising the spine only as needed to get a good cutting of hairs.

I also use the guillotine stroke (blade edge is not perpendicular to the direction of the stroke) and a scything stroke (I rotate the blade a few degrees during the stroke centered from near the pivot area, this rotation is similar to the blade's motion when closing the razor). The guillotine and scything stroke gives a slight slicing action against the hairs making them a bit easier to cut than when using a straight push cut stroke. Be very careful when using these strokes as it is also easier to slice ones skin.

Keeping the razor shave ready is very important. There is a tendency to try to compensate for a dull razor by applying greater skin pressure, and making more passes, but this causes nicks and razor burn.

It is important to keep this journey (learning shaving, stropping, and honing) a fun learning experience. BBS is not really necessary. If one is in a rush, tired, the shave is not going well, or one feels a need to get a really close shave everywhere and it is not yet happening with the straight razor, using ones usual means of shaving as a clean-up/backup will relieve anxiety and keep this a positive experience.

HTH

That thing that started the thread, I have one. If you put it down on a smooth surface on its side, and start tilting the blade up into the cutting position, you'll see that you have to achieve quite a high angle, beyond correct shaving angle, before the blade touches down. I took mine and modified the bevels leading up to the blade (I have a Japanese turntable grinding station, and it did a very nice job), making them flatter angled, right up to the cap, and cutting the whole thing thinner so there's not such a large step just before the blade. I also trimmed it just a hair more blade exposure.

As it is now, it works more properly, but it's still a treacherous device.

Dear Fellow Razorheads-Still learning straight razors myself, so in between straights I use a $30.00 vintage Gillette with quality Feather blades on the "9" setting. Smooth and very close shave My .02-Gearhead