My first Straight Razor!

[dreka]

I've been talking about getting into shaving with straights with my wife for a couple of weeks now. She was against it and eventually convinced me to give it up and go back to my Mach 3.

Yesterday, we celebrated my birthday (yea...my birthday is on St. Paddy's Day) and while we were eating cake with some Guinness, she pulls out a little package. I open it up and find a Boker King Cutter 5/8 (not sure if its the new production or an NOS) in my hands. I love that woman.

I walk into the bathroom to make room for a new shave den, and I see a hanging strop (with a little bow tied on it). I love that woman.

I open up the medicine cabinet and find some oil for the blade, AoS Shaving Cream and Aftershave Balm. I love that woman.

All this came with one condition. My wife made me promise to watch shaving tutorials on the web at least 20 times before starting. I'll probably wait a couple of days before starting. I'll need a badger brush to get some good lather going.

I've been leaning towards the Savile Row. I've heard a lot of great things about their Silvertip Lineup but how are their Pure Badger brushes? I have sensitive skin so I'm leaning towards a softer brush.

Hope to learn a lot from you guys and hopefully I'll see you guys in the SOTD section as well!

edit: I think I posted in the wrong section... sorry

 

[dancraig]

Sounds like a great set-up. Enjoy.

 

[SJBFIRE]

Welcome dreka. Sounds like you have yourself a very fine women with good taste. I too have been tempted with the straights but haven't taken the plunge yet. I started wetshaving with a double edge last June and have become a bit obsessed. I joined this great forum shortly after. I have experienced only gentleman here who are willing to answer any questions you might have. Search around and you will find endless amounts of reviews and great information for newbies. Check out the BST for some great deals on brushes and other gear.

I also have very senitive skin and use a Shavemac Custom D01, and a Rooney 3/1 in Super. Both are very soft and work great. You can pick up a Rooney for fairly cheap and it would be a fantastic starter brush. Good luck and welcome to the B&B.

 

[southernmail]

I've been leaning towards the Savile Row. I've heard a lot of great things about their Silvertip Lineup but how are their Pure Badger brushes? I have sensitive skin so I'm leaning towards a softer brush.

You definitely want a silvertip if you want softness. I have a Savile Row 3824 that is my go-to brush in everyday use. It is absolutely terrific, and I can heartily recommend it. A somewhat smaller Savile Row silvertip would be just fine if you want to keep it under $100.

My first brush, and the one I travel with, is a Vulfix #374. It's a "super" badger and quite a comfortable brush. A bit floppy as many have noted, but performs quite welll with both creams and soaps.

Happy Belated Birthday!

 

[FiveOhNine]

I have and love my SR. It single-handedly saved me from Brush AD.

 

[LarryAndro]

I very rarely cut myself while shaving with a straight razor. On the other hand, I seem to dumb my way into a cut finger while not shaving on a regular basis. (I'm honing a razor last night, my wife puts on a Facebook video of old time friends singing, and there it is! a nipped finger tip.)

My point is that your wife doesn't need to worry about you cutting your face badly while you shave. (You will cut yourself a little to begin with, but minor stuff because you will naturally be careful.) But, when you are thru, and she sees that smooth, smooth baby smooth face and comes for you... she should make sure you've already put the razor away.

 

[Barbash]

Welcome to B&B. Happy late birthday and sounds like you have a very nice setup and wife.

 

[dancraig]

I very rarely cut myself while shaving with a straight razor. On the other hand, I seem to dumb my way into a cut finger while not shaving on a regular basis. (I'm honing a razor last night, my wife puts on a Facebook video of old time friends singing, and there it is! a nipped finger tip.)

My point is that your wife doesn't need to worry about you cutting your face badly while you shave. (You will cut yourself a little to begin with, but minor stuff because you will naturally be careful.) But, when you are thru, and she sees that smooth, smooth baby smooth face and comes for you... she should make sure you've already put the razor away.

By the way, LarryAndro is a really good guy to get razors from. www.WhippedDog.com:

 

[JPM]

Congrats! That's a nice gift.

 

[DoughBoy68]

I have to agree with dancraig about LarryAndro. I recently bought a real nice shave ready Frederick Reynolds from him at a very reasonable price. Even though I have been shaving with a str8 for over a year he included some very helpful information with the razor. Good man to deal with.

BTW, Welcome to str8 razor shaving. Do like your wife said, watch plenty of videos. Myself I watched all I could for a month before I tried shaving with a str8 and I think that is why I have only had minor nicks to my face and its been a long time since the last one. The worst cut I had was a finger got in the way while stretching my face.....keep your eye on the blade at all times! You might also think about a styptic stick for the occasional nick.

I like the support you wife has given you in this journey. mine supports me but if you ask her what she thinks about her guy shaving with a str8 she will flat out tell you "He's a crazy man!"

 

[danjared]

Wow, reading that story... you are lucky!

 

[Luc]

Watch the tutorial 20 times, that's funny...

It's good to look at it as much as you need but when you need to do it because of someone else, funny

Good work!!

 

[dreka]

Thanks guys! My wife still thinks that I am crazy for wanting to shave with a straight razor but she's playing along. Hopefully a consistent BBS would help sway her a bit that way I satisfy my newly found SRAD. Of course, citing that its necessary in order to maintain BBS.

 

[danjared]

Just hope she doesn't start to like stubble!

 

[JRichmond]

That is an awesome beginner's story. My wife still thinks its weird that I spend weekends talking to my brother about different razors/soaps/etc.

 

[conteins]

a lucky man, indeed!

 

[ofelas]

Those are some great birthday presents!

Unless the razor is "shave ready", you will need to send it off to one of the "honemeisters" available here to give the blade it's first honing. About $20 to $25 including return shipping; when you get it back, just shave a couple times before you use the strop to re align the edge.

Those straights can get addictive.

 

[alabamalawyer]

Congrats on the very nice gifts. Most new straights out of the box are not shave-ready. If it has not been honed yet, I would follow the above-advice and send it to get honed.

The Savile Row silvertip brushes are very nice, and I think one of the best buys around. They have soft tips but still retain sufficient backbone to avoid being "floppy." I certainly think you will be pleased if you decide to purchase one.

You probably also want to track down some videos on stropping the razor. Improper stropping can dull your edge. The best thing is to send it to a honemeister, and upon its return, try it out without any additional stropping. That way you give yourself a good base of comparison for further shaves.

 

[dod.e.ratherwell]

Aren't wifes the best! They love us despite ourselves!

I just started in on straights to, the one thing that lept out at me was the strop in the bathroom...I am sure somewhere i read that the humidity will render a strop useless and is best kept out of the bathroom? Any experienced
confirm this?

Good luck with the straight!

 

[mercury895]

Holy hell man!! Your wife is an amazing woman. You are a lucky man.