Thread: Traveling with the straight razor

Bar soap. Believe it's been around since the '20's. most large supermarkets have it(health/natural products section) ~5$us. Peppermint is the only one that tastes good.

Originally Posted by Johnus

Bar soap. Believe it's been around since the '20's. most large supermarkets have it(health/natural products section) ~5$us. Peppermint is the only one that tastes good.

I found it today at a local Sprouts that I had to visit for a work project...
Not sure about the toothpaste thing....but since I've eaten Bat my judgement is suspect...

So this just hit me the other day. A perfect way to solve our traveling strop issues.

A mountain climbing Carabiner (clip). Can attach it to all those wall mounted things in the hotel room. Easy on easy off.

I travel quite a lot because of my job and to me the idea of shaving with something being not a straight razor is not easy to take.
Whenever I can, I always bring with me a Dovo 101 Special (the very first straight razor I bought) as I would not bring any of my vintage razors because in case my baggage would be lost, I can stand to the tragedy.
After that, I have a short strop which can easily fit in my case as well as a Swaty hone, useful to keep the edge of the razor even in case I am going to be away for a couple of weeks or more. Of course, also a small brush and some soap.
I don't usually bring any backup razor with me as I am confident the straight razor will always do its job!
In the past, I used to bring a shavette or a DE razor, however this is a solution I never liked that much.

When I travel I take a DE, a badger brush, and a cake of shave soap. I have tried taking everything needed for a straight shave, but it is too much stuff. Also when I travel back to Australia I want to travel lite so that I can bring more stuff back with me.

I recently spent a week in Hong Kong and a week in Taiwan. I thought about taking a straight or two plus strop but ended up settling for a Merkur 1904 DE and Astra blades. For lathering I took my badger and a nearly empty pack of Cella - which I finished on the last day and tossed in the hotel bin before leaving. None of these items was irreplaceable if the luggage went missing but the razor and brush would have been regretted. I was ultimately pleased with my choices but very much enjoyed the first straight shave when we got back

I only have straight razors, so that's what I take when I travel. I don't have a travel strop or a barber's hone, so I strop the razor before the trip. I also take a Mama Bear or Arko shave stick and a Semogue boar brush that I pack in a tube that a pharmacist gave me, perfect fit. I pick any of my razors for no particular reason. I pack one razor for each day. The longest I've been gone is a week, and I took 5 stropped razors. I keep them in leather pouches; they take very little space in my luggage.

Originally Posted by Johnus

Bespoke travel set
1. Dr Bonner's Peppermint Soap - bath, hair, shave, tooth paste.
2. Tooth Brush
3. Parker clone Shavette
4. Pack of Derby 1/2 Blades
5. Alum. For face and Deodorant

I use the Bronners peppermint soap also, never tried it as toothpaste...how's that go over for you?

I switched to Shea Moisture "utility soap" for shower, shampoo, shave while traveling then bring some Monkey Brand black tooth powder for toothpaste. Makes security a breeze.

Since I carry on most times (130k miles a year), I either use a single blade Bic metal or a Wilkinson Sword disposable razor. Also pack my WeeScott and a shave stick of the week in case I want variety.

I travel often for work and pleasure and I've got my routine down. I am gone for work for up to 3 weeks if I'm stateside, longer if overseas. my basic kit is pretty sparse- If I'm flying myself (I'm a pilot by profession), I take my DOVO shavette since I don't like packing a strop or hone, (and there is no TSA to worry about), enough shark half blades, my DE, Omega Wee Italian 11047 brush in a simpson travel case, a stick of Tabac/Mama Bear, and a travel bottle of ogalalla bay rum AS splash. If I'm flying commercial, I forgo the shavette. Actually never had a problem getting a DE through security, strange enough.

I really like my straight razor routine when I'm home, but there is too much involved for the road, like ndw76 said. I'm also a bit surprised that there aren't more shavette travelers, I only think I saw one other person that said they bring theirs...

When on a car trip I duplicate my routine at home as much as possible. REI sells little containers so I can put preshaves, creams or soaps, after shaves, cologne, etc in them. I have a container for a shaving brush to protect the bristles. I put my straights (usually I take 3 max) in DOVO plastic razor "coffins" and if I have room I take a SRP paddle strop (a newspaper on the edge of the sink counter works rather well and probably better than your leather belt if you didn't bring a strop, blue jeans work too- just be careful) I see absolutely no need for bringing any type of hone (unless I was traveling for several months- also; see below) since my razors leave home very well honed. But I realize that sometimes we bring things along for having an added sense of security (like me bringing along an actual strop and, for that matter, bringing a shaving brush).

When on a plane trip, if I'm checking luggage I will bring along my 'beater' razors that may look a bit crappy but shave wonderful. If I'm doing all carry on (which is more often on shorter trips) I bring a new single blade disposable and when I shave I usually only do 1 pass as I don't trust them- I don't want to come home with ingrown hairs. I definitely then bring a brush then as it somewhat assuages my grief that I don't have a straight razor with me, lol.

If I'm traveling to a city that has a good shop and have the time: (ex; NYC, London, Paris) I may then be tempted to bring a 4/8K hone so that I can buy a razor(s) there, give it an OK honing, use it and then ship it back home- just for fun.