Back around when the pandemic started, I had been shaving with an electric razor for years, but got fed up with having to buy expensive sanitizer cartridges for it.. I never liked that the sanitizer cartridge was a big hunk of un-recyclable plastic.
So I switched over to canned shaving cream and disposable razors.
Well that did not last long, because those razors are expensive, so I bought my first ever classic safety razor that takes double edge blades. I still used canned shaving cream. What a difference! I began to enjoy shaving because I simply got a better shave and it costs practically nothing.
Eventually I used up a can of cream and I thought about what a waste to throw this hunk of metal in the garbage, so I looked into and bought a badger hair brush and shaving soap.. ooh... Now I remember watching my father shave when I was a child... I was all set... I got a decent shave and was nice to the environment.
Well as it happened my thoughts turned to straight razors, mainly because I had issues about disposing the used double edge blades... They seem to dangerous to just toss in the trash, so I'd save a few and wrap them in tape before tossing... However I realized, with a straight razor-- there are no blades to buy or throw out... It should last 50 years.
So about a month ago I bought a "Cambridge Cut Throat" razor (aptly named) to learn on.. This is a so-called straight razor that takes a disposable blade. I had watched plenty of videos on how to shave with a straight razor and had no problem just jumping in and shaving with it.. Sure, I got a few cuts the first few days.. and found that the blade does not last more than a shave or 2 before it causes irritation... so I spent a couple weeks with that, felt I got good enough and bought an actual honest to goodness straight razor.
I had my eye on an inexpensive Dovo -- but that was like $180... it's on my christmas wish list now, but I bought a $30 carbon steel no-name straight razor that came with a strop. Complaints in the reviews for it said it was not shave ready.. So I figured... So long as it can be honed, that should not be a problem -- because I fully intended to learn to sharpen and hone my own razor.
It came in, I stropped it, and I checked it out with the "hanging hair test".. it cut nicely through one of my fine head hairs.. so I was good to go.
I would say I got the best shave I've ever had with it. Absolutely no irritation, no nicks or cuts... and I realized it was actually easier and nicer to shave with than the razor I learned on..
After a few shaves my thoughts turned to leaning to hone... I watched a lot of videos, bought a set of stones, and promptly ruined the edge on my nice new razor! So I learned to set the bevel, and hone it up the right way and got it to a better state than it came in..
There is a thread on here about how often do you shave with a straight razor. I found it shaves so well that I really don't have to shave every day, but I do anyway because it is so enjoyable. It's part of my morning me-time.
I'm so happy with this I bought a second cheap razor -- a Gold Dollar, which is coming today, and I also bought a vintage Geneva Cutlery razor -- which looks in great condition in the photos, that I will do any required restoration and use in a rotation with the other two razors.
I've enjoyed reading on these forums for a while, and I thought it was time I joined in!
So I switched over to canned shaving cream and disposable razors.
Well that did not last long, because those razors are expensive, so I bought my first ever classic safety razor that takes double edge blades. I still used canned shaving cream. What a difference! I began to enjoy shaving because I simply got a better shave and it costs practically nothing.
Eventually I used up a can of cream and I thought about what a waste to throw this hunk of metal in the garbage, so I looked into and bought a badger hair brush and shaving soap.. ooh... Now I remember watching my father shave when I was a child... I was all set... I got a decent shave and was nice to the environment.
Well as it happened my thoughts turned to straight razors, mainly because I had issues about disposing the used double edge blades... They seem to dangerous to just toss in the trash, so I'd save a few and wrap them in tape before tossing... However I realized, with a straight razor-- there are no blades to buy or throw out... It should last 50 years.
So about a month ago I bought a "Cambridge Cut Throat" razor (aptly named) to learn on.. This is a so-called straight razor that takes a disposable blade. I had watched plenty of videos on how to shave with a straight razor and had no problem just jumping in and shaving with it.. Sure, I got a few cuts the first few days.. and found that the blade does not last more than a shave or 2 before it causes irritation... so I spent a couple weeks with that, felt I got good enough and bought an actual honest to goodness straight razor.
I had my eye on an inexpensive Dovo -- but that was like $180... it's on my christmas wish list now, but I bought a $30 carbon steel no-name straight razor that came with a strop. Complaints in the reviews for it said it was not shave ready.. So I figured... So long as it can be honed, that should not be a problem -- because I fully intended to learn to sharpen and hone my own razor.
It came in, I stropped it, and I checked it out with the "hanging hair test".. it cut nicely through one of my fine head hairs.. so I was good to go.
I would say I got the best shave I've ever had with it. Absolutely no irritation, no nicks or cuts... and I realized it was actually easier and nicer to shave with than the razor I learned on..
After a few shaves my thoughts turned to leaning to hone... I watched a lot of videos, bought a set of stones, and promptly ruined the edge on my nice new razor! So I learned to set the bevel, and hone it up the right way and got it to a better state than it came in..
There is a thread on here about how often do you shave with a straight razor. I found it shaves so well that I really don't have to shave every day, but I do anyway because it is so enjoyable. It's part of my morning me-time.
I'm so happy with this I bought a second cheap razor -- a Gold Dollar, which is coming today, and I also bought a vintage Geneva Cutlery razor -- which looks in great condition in the photos, that I will do any required restoration and use in a rotation with the other two razors.
I've enjoyed reading on these forums for a while, and I thought it was time I joined in!