Newbie tiptoes into straight-razors...
- Thread starter Shangas
- Start date
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Stropping alone, without paste, will keep you good to go for a few weeks up to maybe a couple of months. Stropping with paste on a paddle or balsa could keep you going for months and allow you to get by with sending your blade out maybe twice a year, depending on your technique. Get a barber hone or a 12K or even an 8K to go with your pasted paddle and you could maybe even go a couple of years without a proper multistage honing, if you do it right.
- Thread starter
- #23
Had my third shave today. Finished just five minutes ago.
It's certainly a longer, more intense process shaving with a straight-razor, but I'm both impressed and amazed by the results. I'm figuring out more about blade-angles now and as a result, I'm hacking off more hair in more places and leaving skin alone. No razor-burn! I've figured out how to orientate the razor best to get all the tricky bits without sending myself to hospital and the results speak for themselves. A rinse, a pat-down and a sinkful of whiskers later and I'm ecstatic.
It's certainly a longer, more intense process shaving with a straight-razor, but I'm both impressed and amazed by the results. I'm figuring out more about blade-angles now and as a result, I'm hacking off more hair in more places and leaving skin alone. No razor-burn! I've figured out how to orientate the razor best to get all the tricky bits without sending myself to hospital and the results speak for themselves. A rinse, a pat-down and a sinkful of whiskers later and I'm ecstatic.
Stropping will maintain the edge for a while but eventually you will either need to send it back to the honemeister or get a hone (barber hone or a high grit hone) to sharpen it yourself.
- Thread starter
- #25
Had my fourth straight shave today, just to get rid of some of the annoying whiskers which I didn't remove yesterday before going out for dinner. I find I'm getting progressively better at this and I'm able to get closer and increasingly more comfortable shaves without razor-burn anymore. I still need practice, though. Shaves aren't 100% perfect yet, but the progress from my first shave is promising.
Somebody change Shangas's title...
My vote is for Polynikes of Str8s!
My vote is for Polynikes of Str8s!
Congrats brother....its sufficient to say you are WAAAY ahead of the power curve of B&Bers who have tried str8s....
1) You honed your razor before you ever tried shaving with it
2) You've now shaved with it twice getting decent results.
That deserves ain my book!
Here, here! I have been learning straight shaving for about three months now and have contemplated honing as one of those far off projects I might do some day. In the mean time I am happy to chicken out by having a professional do it for me.
- Thread starter
- #28
I've been wanting to straight-shave for a long time. I don't think there's anything cooler than hacking hair off your face with something that you can also eat dinner with. I did a lot of reading and studying and video-watching about straight-razors and how to use them and look after them for at least a year before I ever joined this place.
It was never the "OMFG SHAAARRRRRP!!!" aspect of the razor that put me off taking the plunge. It was the annoying fact of the MAINTENANCE that made me shy away from it. However, after deciding that I had all the necessary stuff to do it properly, I decided to buy a decent-looking razor, be patient and give it a shot.
I'm really beginning to see why people still shave like this. It's fun. But it's also a hell of a lot more effective than I'd ever thought. I always had this belief: There's no way you could handle such a sharp blade with such skill as to get such a close shave.
On my fourth time around, I was proven wrong. This is my closest shave yet and thusfar; also my most comfortable. And that proved one other thing to me - that I had figured out (through watching almost a dozen videos) how to correctly sharpen and strop a straight-razor. I took the advice I read that the only way to determine if you're doing it right is to shave with it and check the results...and it's worked!
There's something fun about shaving this way that you don't get with a cartridge-razor and which a DE razor only hints at. I think it's at the end of each stroke when I wipe my finger down the blade and look at all the stubble lying in the whisked off lather and think: "This blade hacked all this crap off...and there's no blood". To me it shows how much skill and patience and practice is needed to get a really awesome shave this way. But it's also incredibly satisfying. The other aspect is actually SEEING the stubble on the blade as proof-positive that it's working and that you're doing it right. I was literally stunned the first time I saw all that stubble. I didn't think it'd ever happen. I thought I'd just drag a piece of metal over my face and scoop up the shaving-soap and that'd be the end of that. But the stubble on the blade won me over to keep trying...
It was never the "OMFG SHAAARRRRRP!!!" aspect of the razor that put me off taking the plunge. It was the annoying fact of the MAINTENANCE that made me shy away from it. However, after deciding that I had all the necessary stuff to do it properly, I decided to buy a decent-looking razor, be patient and give it a shot.
I'm really beginning to see why people still shave like this. It's fun. But it's also a hell of a lot more effective than I'd ever thought. I always had this belief: There's no way you could handle such a sharp blade with such skill as to get such a close shave.
On my fourth time around, I was proven wrong. This is my closest shave yet and thusfar; also my most comfortable. And that proved one other thing to me - that I had figured out (through watching almost a dozen videos) how to correctly sharpen and strop a straight-razor. I took the advice I read that the only way to determine if you're doing it right is to shave with it and check the results...and it's worked!
There's something fun about shaving this way that you don't get with a cartridge-razor and which a DE razor only hints at. I think it's at the end of each stroke when I wipe my finger down the blade and look at all the stubble lying in the whisked off lather and think: "This blade hacked all this crap off...and there's no blood". To me it shows how much skill and patience and practice is needed to get a really awesome shave this way. But it's also incredibly satisfying. The other aspect is actually SEEING the stubble on the blade as proof-positive that it's working and that you're doing it right. I was literally stunned the first time I saw all that stubble. I didn't think it'd ever happen. I thought I'd just drag a piece of metal over my face and scoop up the shaving-soap and that'd be the end of that. But the stubble on the blade won me over to keep trying...
Good to see that you like it! I was hooked on my first shave!
- Thread starter
- #30
I'll be honest, I wasn't hooked after my first shave. But let's say that I was patient enough to give it a trial-period. I didn't expect perfection first time around when using a totally new shaving-method. On my third attempt I started making some serious headway and learnt how to handle the blade more effectively to get off more stubble than the previous two attempts combined...with the added bonus of no razor-burn!
My fourth attempt has shown me that I can actually get a decently close and smooth shave if I do it carefully and pay attention.
I'm gonna leave my face alone for a few days to let it relax after this and then give it shot #5 and see what happens then.
My fourth attempt has shown me that I can actually get a decently close and smooth shave if I do it carefully and pay attention.
I'm gonna leave my face alone for a few days to let it relax after this and then give it shot #5 and see what happens then.
You had the right expectations! The first shave shouldn't be perfect. I think it took me 20 shaves before It started looking like a decent shave...
- Thread starter
- #32
The razor was certainly shaving on the first attempt, but it was shaving really terribly. I sharpened it on and off over the next few days and stropped it and I think I finally have a shave-ready blade since I'm not getting razor-burn and my shaves are definitely improving.
Dude I'm telling you...you are a testament to why this place is great!
Without all the info/vids/wikis you might not have even attempted it...but you're kind of "one of a kind" in that you tried this all at once and it worked and its getting better in under 10 shaves...thats simply amazing!
Congrats!
- Thread starter
- #34
Hey Chris.
I don't know about me being a "one of the kind" or a "testament" to this or any other shaving site. But I reckon I'm a testament to good learning.
I love history. I'm crazy about it. Half the crap I own is over 50 years old (at least) and I'm only 23. I think shaving with a straight-razor is just one of the most awesome things in the world. But I never took the plunge for two reasons.
1. Cost. The razor, the strop, the honing-stone...*yawn*
2. The maintenance. Honing, stropping, cleaning, honing, stropping...Neeeeugh!
I started with a DE safety-razor and that gave excellent shaves. I used to (before I started shaving regularly) shave with a cartridge-razor...thoes things are the spawn of the devil. I don't care what my dad says, those things give as much shaving-satisfaction as a butterknife.
I was always interested in straight-shaving, so I did a lot of reading and video-watching about it, until I was well-up on my theory. But I refused to go into the practical side of it because I really wasn't sure if I could do it all.
But then I reasoned - We already have a honing-stone in the house and I've got a crappy old belt which I never use (which will stand in until I find a strop. I actually did see one at the flea-market, but I didn't buy it at the time because I wasn't into this stuff yet. Damnation!)...all I need is the razor. I've already seen how to sharpen and strop it in at least four or five (by now probably twice that number) videos on YouTube. If they can do it, I sure as hell can hone my own razor.
So last Sunday I stopped at the local flea-market and went hunting. That place almost literally overflows with straight-razors. On ANY given market-day, I could go there and come back with at least two, that's how common they are. The only thing was finding one that was in good condition. One that was clean, rustless, which had a good blade and with good scales. Some which I saw looked like they'd been used to kill someone and then buried under the house for 70 years. Others had cracked scales. Others had too much rust for me to want to bother cleaning them.
I finally stopped at one stall held by a guy who is a regular seller at the market. If it's been killed, or if it can kill you...he has it. Knives, daggers, pocket-knives, switchblades, scrimshaw, ivory and bone carvings and decorations, handcuffs, keys...If it's metal or bone, he has it.
Of course...he also had a selection of straight-razors. So I asked him to haul them all out and I went through them. I picked the Aesculap one because it looked easy to use, it looked clean and the blade looked to be in good condition. It didn't have *quite* the same shine as the other, carbon-steel razors, but I read that stainless steel is easier to clean and sterilise. I got a $10 discount on it because the seller knew I was a regular customer. I took it home and over two days, honed it rigorously and stropped it on my stand-in strop.
They said the only reliable way of knowing if you're doing it right...is to shave with it. So that's what I did, continuing to sharpen and strop in between shaves. By my 3rd and 4th shaves, I was getting off more whiskers and getting increasingly smaller and smaller areas of razor-burn. In fact I got absolutely none on my 4th shave. So I'm convinced I've done it right, since they said that razor-burn will happen if you have a crappy blade.
I don't know if I'm 'special' or something, but this wasn't as hard or as scary as I ever thought it would be...
I don't know about me being a "one of the kind" or a "testament" to this or any other shaving site. But I reckon I'm a testament to good learning.
I love history. I'm crazy about it. Half the crap I own is over 50 years old (at least) and I'm only 23. I think shaving with a straight-razor is just one of the most awesome things in the world. But I never took the plunge for two reasons.
1. Cost. The razor, the strop, the honing-stone...*yawn*
2. The maintenance. Honing, stropping, cleaning, honing, stropping...Neeeeugh!
I started with a DE safety-razor and that gave excellent shaves. I used to (before I started shaving regularly) shave with a cartridge-razor...thoes things are the spawn of the devil. I don't care what my dad says, those things give as much shaving-satisfaction as a butterknife.
I was always interested in straight-shaving, so I did a lot of reading and video-watching about it, until I was well-up on my theory. But I refused to go into the practical side of it because I really wasn't sure if I could do it all.
But then I reasoned - We already have a honing-stone in the house and I've got a crappy old belt which I never use (which will stand in until I find a strop. I actually did see one at the flea-market, but I didn't buy it at the time because I wasn't into this stuff yet. Damnation!)...all I need is the razor. I've already seen how to sharpen and strop it in at least four or five (by now probably twice that number) videos on YouTube. If they can do it, I sure as hell can hone my own razor.
So last Sunday I stopped at the local flea-market and went hunting. That place almost literally overflows with straight-razors. On ANY given market-day, I could go there and come back with at least two, that's how common they are. The only thing was finding one that was in good condition. One that was clean, rustless, which had a good blade and with good scales. Some which I saw looked like they'd been used to kill someone and then buried under the house for 70 years. Others had cracked scales. Others had too much rust for me to want to bother cleaning them.
I finally stopped at one stall held by a guy who is a regular seller at the market. If it's been killed, or if it can kill you...he has it. Knives, daggers, pocket-knives, switchblades, scrimshaw, ivory and bone carvings and decorations, handcuffs, keys...If it's metal or bone, he has it.
Of course...he also had a selection of straight-razors. So I asked him to haul them all out and I went through them. I picked the Aesculap one because it looked easy to use, it looked clean and the blade looked to be in good condition. It didn't have *quite* the same shine as the other, carbon-steel razors, but I read that stainless steel is easier to clean and sterilise. I got a $10 discount on it because the seller knew I was a regular customer. I took it home and over two days, honed it rigorously and stropped it on my stand-in strop.
They said the only reliable way of knowing if you're doing it right...is to shave with it. So that's what I did, continuing to sharpen and strop in between shaves. By my 3rd and 4th shaves, I was getting off more whiskers and getting increasingly smaller and smaller areas of razor-burn. In fact I got absolutely none on my 4th shave. So I'm convinced I've done it right, since they said that razor-burn will happen if you have a crappy blade.
I don't know if I'm 'special' or something, but this wasn't as hard or as scary as I ever thought it would be...
Great write up...thanks!
So many dont get involved because it can be daunting or "too complex" to try. Your story is better than a hundred videos because it shows how easy it can be!
..."If its been killed...or can kill you...he has it"
So many dont get involved because it can be daunting or "too complex" to try. Your story is better than a hundred videos because it shows how easy it can be!
..."If its been killed...or can kill you...he has it"
- Thread starter
- #36
People who I've shown my razor to all go:
"DON'T TRY IT!!"
"OMFG SHARP!"
"Dude, those things are like, super-sharp! Be careful!"
"Have you killed yourself yet?"
and other such wonderful and varied compliments regarding my foray into straight-shaving.
The sharpness or the inherent lethality of straight-shaving is not whatever deterred me. I could deal with that. After all...ALL razors have to be that sharp to do a good job anyway! What always deterred me was the maintenance and the cost. But when I realised I already had so many other shaving-pieces (scuttle, brush, soap, hone-stone, strop etc) I decided that I might as well complete the experience and buy the razor.
Most people are horrified of straight-razors...but I just find them interesting. I love history. I have a million and one antiques in my room and I thought: "How cool would it be to shave like they did a hundred years ago?" It couldn't be that hard if there are still people doing it today, with companies still churning out 100-year-old technology! If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it's been around this long, it must be good! Straight-razors are one of the ultimate in long-term investments. You buy ONE...and it lasts you your whole life. The initial investment is high, but when you consider how many damn cartridges you buy for a crappier shave...it's worth it. Plus, it's cool to shave this way. It may take a little longer, but it's cool.
A friend of mine shaves with a straight-razor. The difference is that he has three younger sisters in the house with him. To protect his razor from their stupidity, he installed a lock on his. It's now a spring-loaded razor. Press a button and the blade flies open. Then close it by pushing it back between the scales and locking it in place.
I guess it was just curiosity that made me take the plunge in the end. I wanted to try something new and exciting and interesting. As I told one friend: "I wanna try this at least once in my life". And if it didn't work out, I could just sell the razor. So far, though, it's working out wonderfully. I may just continue doing this until I die.
Which...given the equipment...could be next week.
"DON'T TRY IT!!"
"OMFG SHARP!"
"Dude, those things are like, super-sharp! Be careful!"
"Have you killed yourself yet?"
and other such wonderful and varied compliments regarding my foray into straight-shaving.
The sharpness or the inherent lethality of straight-shaving is not whatever deterred me. I could deal with that. After all...ALL razors have to be that sharp to do a good job anyway! What always deterred me was the maintenance and the cost. But when I realised I already had so many other shaving-pieces (scuttle, brush, soap, hone-stone, strop etc) I decided that I might as well complete the experience and buy the razor.
Most people are horrified of straight-razors...but I just find them interesting. I love history. I have a million and one antiques in my room and I thought: "How cool would it be to shave like they did a hundred years ago?" It couldn't be that hard if there are still people doing it today, with companies still churning out 100-year-old technology! If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it's been around this long, it must be good! Straight-razors are one of the ultimate in long-term investments. You buy ONE...and it lasts you your whole life. The initial investment is high, but when you consider how many damn cartridges you buy for a crappier shave...it's worth it. Plus, it's cool to shave this way. It may take a little longer, but it's cool.
A friend of mine shaves with a straight-razor. The difference is that he has three younger sisters in the house with him. To protect his razor from their stupidity, he installed a lock on his. It's now a spring-loaded razor. Press a button and the blade flies open. Then close it by pushing it back between the scales and locking it in place.
I guess it was just curiosity that made me take the plunge in the end. I wanted to try something new and exciting and interesting. As I told one friend: "I wanna try this at least once in my life". And if it didn't work out, I could just sell the razor. So far, though, it's working out wonderfully. I may just continue doing this until I die.
Which...given the equipment...could be next week.
Last edited:
Shangas,
You are doing quite well. Congratulations, and welcome to the Badger & Blade!
You are doing quite well. Congratulations, and welcome to the Badger & Blade!
- Thread starter
- #38
Thanks DavyRay.
I think I really surprised myself. I never thought I'd get it this good within a week. Maybe next week I'll screw it up once my beginner's luck runs out. But I am well and truly sold on this, I'll say that much.
I think I really surprised myself. I never thought I'd get it this good within a week. Maybe next week I'll screw it up once my beginner's luck runs out. But I am well and truly sold on this, I'll say that much.
You better screw up! You're making me look bad!
The blood, the pain, the burning, oh straight razor shaving is tough!- Thread starter
- #40
No it isn't!
If a clueless idiot newbie like I, can sharpen, strop and shave with my very first straight-razor and get good results...you can! I had no idea what I was getting myself into! I just thought - I'll follow the easy-to-read visual, IKEA-like instructions online...and hope for the best! And so far, the best has been yielding itself to me most generously...
If a clueless idiot newbie like I, can sharpen, strop and shave with my very first straight-razor and get good results...you can! I had no idea what I was getting myself into! I just thought - I'll follow the easy-to-read visual, IKEA-like instructions online...and hope for the best! And so far, the best has been yielding itself to me most generously...
