Advice you wish you'd been given when you started.

[Ashtoruin]

As a newbie who recently acquired a straight razor for Christmas and will soon be attempting my first shave with it, what are some things you wish you would have been told/shown when you started?

Also, what are your opinions on stropping and oiling your razor? It seems like there are a lot of differing opinions. Some people don't oil, some do, some say strop before and after the shave, some say just after, etc.

 

[Mr Brian]

Shaving is like gambling. Before you get get good, you're going to lose some blood.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Advice I wish I had received? All of it! I started with no mentor, no books and no internet, which Al Gore had not invented yet. But specifically,

Dont expect to shave with a razor bought in a knife shop, without honing.

Dont believe the "Best" part on a Dovo Best.

Your knife sharpening stones are not gonna give you a shave-ready edge.

Dont buy a razor from someone who does not actually shave with a straight razor, especially if you dont know anything about straight razors.

Keep the shave angle low. If you have to raise it up to much over one spine thickness, it isn't sharp enough.

Shaving arm hair doesn't mean it is ready to shave your face. If it were, we would simply shave with our pocketknives.

Wait until that internet thingie gets invented. Then you can teach yourself how to do this, and practically anything else, too.

As for the oiling, I use motor oil for short term storage and petroleum jelly for long term storage. Some guys use fancy stuff like camelia oil and that is good because you are more likely to always use "magic" oil that costs more, than what you saved from that last partly used can the last time you did an oil change on your truck or car. Some guys dont use oil at all. Some pay the price, in rusty blades. Some have zero problems. Some have zero problems until that surprising day when they do. Up to you. It is not all that necessary but you may be glad that you did. Or, at least not sad that you didn't.

Stropping before the shave is the main stropping and is most important. Stropping after shaving only requires a few laps, just to ensure that the edge is clean and dry at the microscopic level before putting the razor away. They are two different things that accomplish two different purposes.

 

[mikewood]

Don't think you have to shave your whole face the first day or even the first month. Strop before.

Have your razor professionally honed if it will not catch and cut arm hair that is free hanging or above the skin.

Multiple passes are better. WTG first.

 

[ouch]

Advice I wish I had received? All of it! I started with no mentor, no books and no internet, which Al Gore ouch had not invented yet.

+1

 

[jimmy538]

Welcome to B&B! All the above advice is great. I was told to use petroleum jelly, still do for long term storage. I prefer using gun oil if that's something you have around, never thought of motor oil. If you plan on keeping your razor in the bathroom I would definitely oil it. I moved mine because I found some spots on a razor that was neglected for a while.

 

[Avenolpey]

Dry your razor and inside of scales with tissue and then strop. Oil if you like. Store out of the bathroom. Even in a bathroom drawer they can get splashed with little drops of water that turn to rust in hours. Give yourself time to enjoy your shaves. It is not something to rush. It is concentration time.

 

[racc]

One important bit of advice that I can share , get ready! You'll end up with more products than most peoples wife's put together, you'll have to sell your clothes so you can store all your razors, it doesn't save you money (not sure my £1000's of razors can justify that) you will have more than enough soap/cream to pass down 3 generations of your family, at one point you will ask yourself are 5 brushes enough?
You have started a journey my friend enjoy

 

[Lmarkow]

Don't forget to stretch your skin!
Don't move the razor sideways!
Watch where you're stretching! Is it where you're shaving?
Monsel's solution stops all blood letting.
Witch hazel and aloe are your friends, use them at night when you wash up for the evening.
Even the really really bad mistakes fade. Eventually . . . .

 

[Ashtoruin]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm hoping to have everything I need to shave by the end of the week.

Don't think you have to shave your whole face the first day or even the first month.

Well, considering its the only razor I own, I'd look pretty stupid walking around half shaved, half unshaved.

One important bit of advice that I can share , get ready! You'll end up with more products than most peoples wife's put together, you'll have to sell your clothes so you can store all your razors, it doesn't save you money (not sure my £1000's of razors can justify that) you will have more than enough soap/cream to pass down 3 generations of your family, at one point you will ask yourself are 5 brushes enough?
You have started a journey my friend enjoy

Hmm... I actually don't have that many clothes, I can fit most of them in a single laundry basket (I hate clothes shopping). I also don't shave currently so I figured that it would be more expensive than nothing. Though I may need a bigger bathroom to store everything...

 

[alx gilmore]

When I am done shaving I blow out the water from the scales and then boil a coffee cup of clear clean water and with the scales hung over the outside of the cup put the only razor's blade in the water for 30 seconds or longer, when you take it out the steel will be about 180 degrees, wipe it down and dry it with a towel and if you are really picky store it in a lidded wooden box with a small piece of charcoal wrapped in a piece of paper in the corner of the box.

P.S. Monitor, I am sick of that "I FOUND A DEAD BADGER" avatar logo, please change it.

Alex

 

[Ashtoruin]

Well, I finally got my brush/soap and strop in today and attempted my first shave, I definitely need to figure out how to make better lather. The moustache, chin and near my ears was pretty brutal, but hey! I did it and walked away with only a handful of nicks. Yeah. I'm never going back to a cartridge again.

 

[jimmy538]

Sounds like a great start!

 

[Brandon1978]

Welcome Ashtoruin, to the brotherhood of straight razor shaving, I to am new to it all, glad your going to stick with it. Today will be my second use with a straight razor. My first attempt yielded some pretty good results, but like you I failed on the lather (to much water) some advise that I got was to load up your brush for 60 seconds and that if there is not enough water you can always add more, whereas if you have to much water to start you might as well start again.
Good Luck with your future shaves

 

[alpster]

Keep at it. It's a learning process, but you will do fine. Welcome aboard!

 

[Greg S]

Shaving is the easy part. Wear the real curve is knowing where you edge is at (sharpness wise) and what it takes to maintain it or when to touch up.

Figure out what maintains your edge best. Had to try a few linens before I found what works best for me. I also use the flesh/suede/backside of the strop. I can now get 30+ off a touch up with maybe 1/2 chromium renews on a linen strop. Still need to try a balsa pasted with chromium after 10 + years.

If you gotta go steep to cut hairs or its pulling your blade is dull. The spine should be real low to prevent discomfort.

Nivea sensitive aftershave balm is your friend.

I only oil my blade when travelling. Baggage going from a 65 degree interior to freezing humid temps outside causes the blade to sweat. I only keep one razor and can't really see using more than two, a backup. I only need to shave every other day with a st8, so it gives me time inbetween shaves to perform the required maintenance. If using a razor with a replacable blade I need to shave every day. I can understand experimenting with different styles but first you need to master technique (i.e. be wary of the guy with one gun). My back up is the same style.

Don't oil your strop. If its getting alittle dry, paste it down with some glycerin shave soap after your done shaving before you clean your brush. Let it dry and polish with a clean dry towel before next use maybe 1-3 times per year.

Your gonna bleed reguardless. Don't panic, pay arrention to what your doing and don't turn the blade while it is touching your face without it moving.

 

[stoop]

If my first razors could talk and give advice, they both would have said:

"Don't know what a tragus is? Here, let me 'point' it out to you. Ha ha! Get it? Oh stop whining and find the styptic pencil."

Once on each side. Twice on one.

 

[Fizzyhair]

Dont skip the preshave routine

Strop technique is paramount to a good edge.

Dont skip the preshave routine

Buy a decent soap or cream

Dont skip the preshave routine

Dont be afraid to experiment with grips. Theres tons of different ways to hold a razor once you have the basic western grip sorted. Some will give you better access to your neck but need practice to master.

Oh and i nearly forgot.... dont Skip the preshave routine.

 

[Graybeard57]

No Pressure!

Oh wait, you all told me that; I just didn't believe it.

 

[stoop]

"Know when to call it a night."

Seriously, or the way I usually phrase it to myself when tempted to do "one last pass:"

"Quit while you're ahead."