Thread: Traveling with the straight razor

Gentlemen,

The travel straight razor requires two essential companions: strop and barber hone. For me, anyway. Many shavers might include some type of paste, especially those traveling with a paddle strop one side of which might be pasted. I am not much for pastes, nor do I have a paddle strop — although I am tempted to get one just to give it a try. My current travel strop is the small Illinois 835 which I have fitted with a tether to wrap around a door knob. (I had a small Tony Miller strop with a tether that I gave up, for which I still kick myself in the tokhus.) I have two barber hones, a King Midas, a sweet little stone from the King Razor Manufacturing Co. of bygone years. The other one is a big name — not a Swatty — which I can't remember now, thanks to a senior moment.

I have been away from home about 10 days now, shaving daily with a 13/16 Henckels Friodur INOX round point. (The Gillette Fatboy backup in my wet pack has not been used yet.) Midway through the first pass this morning I realized the razor's edge weakening a bit. I don't remember when I had honed the razor last. For this shave, the blade had been stropped after I lathered. So I stopped the shave, lathered the stone and gave the razor five or six strokes then proceeded to shave. The edge felt better. When using the barber hone in the middle of a shave, I don't strop it afterward. If I do use the barber hone before the shave, a good stropping follows on leather only, about 100 or 150 strokes — I love to strop. Other gentlemen might have a different routine, but this works for me.

The essential element I have discovered in traveling with the straight razor is to make it a stainless steel blade. It is easier to take care. Not that I have not traveled with carbon steel blades. Taking care of a razor is not that much of a chore, especially since it is another part of the straight razor shaving ritual. In the old days I used to travel with two or three razors. These days one razor is plenty, with a DE backup, in case I need a quick shave. I don't subscribe to the notion of resting a blade 48 hour or more. Nothing wrong with using the same blade many days in a row. Or if you have just one blade. At home sometimes I use the same razor a week, two weeks and more just because I feel like it. So traveling makes no difference.

Well anyway, gentlemen, thanks for reading. Any thoughts?

When I used to travel much I would normally take two straights with me. I would have preferred stainless however most of my stainless are newer razors and I didn't want to travel with really good razors. I would take a couple vintage plain looking pieces so if they were stolen it wouldn't be a disaster. Also, when I traveled I was usually in the same place most of the time so I had the luxury of allowing brush and razor to stay out and dry thoroughly. I took a small paddle strop with me which had leather on one side and CrO on the other so if need be I could refresh an edge but I don't think I ever had to use it.

The very few times I moved around from day to day I took a DE with me. It uncomplicated things.

If I travel, I take my Dovo Master's, as Obie points out, it is a little easier to look after a stainless blade. I don't like to leave it out in the open position to dry, particularly in hotel bathrooms. It is not so much that it may get damaged, but it could present a danger to Hotel staff.

I do make sure it is honed before I leave home, so I do not need to take any hones with me, but I do have a TI 3" paddle strop that comes along for the ride, as does a small Omega Boar brush and a Palmolive Stick.

If I am only traveling for a couple of days and really do not wish to take checked baggage (traveling always involves a flight, from Qatar), then I take a DE instead of a straight. (I have also been known to make do with a disposable).

I carry 2 vintage straights & a strop/hone; the one below.

Last time I traveled I brought 3 razors, my strop, 2 soaps and a cream and 4 different kinds of aftershave. Oh I also brought my alum, witch hazel and aftershave balm. Overkill? Maybe. Great shaves while on vacation for 2 weeks? YUP!

I generally take a seven day set with me if I have to be away for any length of time. Overseas conferences, for example. My sister very thoughtfully bought me a retractable strop some years ago, and that is my staple travel strop.

I always pack a badger brush and a tub of whatever soap/cream I am using - I don't worry about trying to pack downsized versions.

If I am at all concerned about the edges on the razors I hone them before leaving. It is very unlikely that they would all need a touch up while away, and I refuse to take hones with me when I travel as I think it would be quite easy to break them.

James.

Usually I'm afraid to take SR with me or any other expensive shaving stuff:
a) because I already lost my baggage, thanks to the Air France.
b) because usually while diving I travel to the country with very hight humidity and live in bungalow and didn't really know how to maintenance razors in such climate.
So, usually I take Shavette razor, some cream or soap and cheap Tweezrerman

Since I as much as possible travel with carry-on luggage I am stuck with less exciting options. Namely a Gillette Mach 3. Applying all the acquired skills in preparation, a good soap and a good brush, it is still possible to maintain a good clean business look. Although, I haste add before I get accused of heresy it is nowhere near as satisfying a start of the day.

And yes, I throw in an alum block there too and some Nivea After Shave lotion. I like that nice and smooth feeling.

On short trips I take a yellow Bic, if I'm flying with carry-on. I've only been using a straight for a couple of months, but I'm starting to think that a shavette-type thing might be the easiest thing for longer trips. I've been using one on and off, so it won't be a big surprise. The other up side of that is that if something happens and it becomes missing, it will be easy to replace, since I've been using a home-hotrodded $5 Chinese version of the Parker. I don't really want to be leaving/losing my Dubl Duck in a hotel or airport, and since I travel light, the idea of dragging a hunk of honing stone along isn't appealing, either.

Unless you're gone for months there should be no need to bring any kind of honing equipment! If anything your finisher should be good enough!