Anyone use a straight razor? Thinking about starting.

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by suaveflooder

Bought a straight razor starter kit today….my poor face

Awesome!


Before you play with the razor, learn how to build a good lather. There are tutorials on YouTube and badger and blade. Then learn how to properly strop your razor. This will keep the edge in shape. And then learn how to hold the thing.

Read the shaving tutorials on badger and blade. Lay the spine of the razor on your face and rotate the blade down until the razor is laying flat. Move in short, restrained strokes. This won't remove much hair because you don't have a good angle on the blade, but it's more important to learn the movement first. You can start to rotate the blade to remove more hair once you get comfortable manipulating the razor.

Straight razors give a LOT of feedback. You'll feel it cutting through the hair a lot more than you would with a cartridge or DE razor. Also, you will cut yourself a few times while you're learning. Such is life. The cool thing is that straight razors redefine the term "razor sharp," so you won't even feel it. You will feel it when you put styptic on the cuts though, that burns like hell. You won't have a really great shave for a while, it takes practice.

Skin prep is most of what makes a good shave. Clean your face with a good soap, work pre-shave oil into the hair, use your brush to really work the lather in. On the post-shave side, an alum block run under cold water feels amazing. Use a styptic pencil to treat any cuts. Then a nice alcohol-free aftershave. Then clean, dry, and strop your razor.

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

I need to get myself a safety razor. My beard doesn't grow out far, but it grows thick, and modern razors just end up yanking the hairs more often than not, leaving fine ones still there, and not at all getting the contours.

You can get decent razors on amazon for pretty cheap. Get a heavier one, so the weight of the razor does most of the work.

Get on a shaving forum and read reviews on blades. I love Feather, because they're incredibly incredibly sharp and they don't pull at all. But they're also incredibly fine, so thick or coarse hair may dull them faster. See if you can find a sample pack with different blades to choose from.

[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

Awesome!


Before you play with the razor, learn how to build a good lather. There are tutorials on YouTube and badger and blade. Then learn how to properly strop your razor. This will keep the edge in shape. And then learn how to hold the thing.

Here ya go: How to Shave with a Safety Razor | AoM Instructio…: [ame]http://youtu.be/KZDPEogOU34[/ame]



On phone I am. Therefore, if mistakes I make, Frank Oz blame you should.

[gramicci101]

It's actually a little more complex than that. Lather is incredibly sensitive to the amount of water on the brush. Too little, and the lather is thin and dry and pasty. Too much, and it's super bubbly and wet and not as lubricating. The difference could be as little as a few drops. I like to start by soaking my brush and giving it a few quick shakes to get excess water out, effectively starting with a brush that's a little too dry. Then add a few drops of water as I lather until I get the right consistency.


Here's a razor sample pack for you. [ame="http://www.amazon.com/DE-Razor-Blade-Sample-Pack/dp/B001PZCJC6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1400600812&sr=8-5"]Amazon.com: DE Razor Blade Sample Pack #2 - 40 Blades: Health & Personal Care[/ame]

www.classicshaving.com has some really nice razors as well. The safety razors are nice quality and pretty inexpensive. The straight razors are gorgeous, especially L.R. Harner razors. On the other hand, you're paying for a custom, one-off razor, and that's kind of pricey.

Pretty.


edit Also, get a decent brush. For badger brushes, you've got three levels. Pure, which is pretty good, Best/Fine, which is very good, and silvertip, which is excellent. The difference between pure and best is huge, while the difference between best and silvertip is not as noticeable. I like best badger brushes. Boar brushes are useful for things like applying polish to shoes, or dusting car interiors or keyboards.

[NWFRS]

When I think of shaving with a strait edge blade, I remember every grisly throat cutting scene from every violent film I've ever watched...

...and I go back to my electric razor. :-(

[OrbitalEllipses]

Let's not forget www.westcoastshaving.com either. Lots of sample packs available there.

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by NWFRS

When I think of shaving with a strait edge blade, I remember every grisly throat cutting scene from every violent film I've ever watched...

...and I go back to my electric razor. :-(

You have to really work at that though. The few times I've actually cut myself, they've all been surface cuts. I'd have to be pushing in hard to get deep enough to cut anything important.

Not saying you couldn't do it, but it would be on purpose. Choose life.

[suaveflooder]

Lol!!


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[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by NWFRS

When I think of shaving with a strait edge blade, I remember every grisly throat cutting scene from every violent film I've ever watched...

...and I go back to my electric razor. :-(

Actually cutting to the juggular takes a LOT more pressure and effort than you would reasonably apply when trying to use a straight blade. With a very VERY sharp knife it's not hard IF you're trying to slice your throat open. If you're not... you're unlikely to do so. At worst, you'll nick the skin. The artery isn't that close (it's not like it's a capillary).

[suaveflooder]

The kit I got has a "practice" blade. Basically changeable blades. Guy explained that they will help me get the tenique down, they are cheap, and they are not as sharp as a true straight razor will be. For $50 and $20 for a YEARS worth of blades, I'll take it. Gonna try it out here in a couple hours and see how I do. I'll find myself an old 1800's blade eventually, get it honed and go for the real thing soon enough.

[King Tut]

Is OP dead yet?

[suaveflooder]

Originally Posted by King Tut

Is OP dead yet?

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Not yet. Gonna try in a couple hours before dinner. I will will my FRS to you if I bleed to death

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by King Tut

Is OP dead yet?

RIP. His tombstone will read "A cut above the rest".

edit Oh, he's still alive. A Dovo shavette, huh? Not bad at all. Did you get the brush and soap?

[suaveflooder]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

RIP. His tombstone will read "A cut above the rest".

edit Oh, he's still alive. A Dovo shavette, huh? Not bad at all. Did you get the brush and soap?

I did! Fairly cheap to start out. We'll see what happens when I buy a "real razor"


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