Starting over with an open blade

[TBoner]

Well, 11+ years into this hobby, it's time for me to really learn to use a straight. I tried a few times in the first 2-3 years I was involved in this hobby, but as far as I can tell, I last used a straight in 2011 or so.

I like learning new skills; I like tactile experience. I figured out how to make really good shaving soap. There's no reason at all I shouldn't be able to shave with a straight. Besides, learning new skills keeps me more engaged in the hobby than buying more stuff, and I need engagement with the hobby to balance my life generally.

I'm a teacher, and school is out in 2 weeks. This opens up about 65 straight days on which I will shave but not have to look good for work. By the end of that time period, although I won't be proficient, I ought to be beyond the worst in terms of blood, razor burn, etc. This is a perfect window for me.

The Plan
Buy two straights, probably both vintage. I have my eye on a few from reputable eBay sellers but am open to suggestions (I have owned a Joseph Elliot wedge and a Dovo full hollow and a Wapi and a full hollow Clauss with a French point, but that was so long ago I can't tell you much. Reading SOTD posts, it seems I really favored the stiffer feel of the wedge but did okay with the full hollow Clauss).
Buy a paddle strop for pastes. Having read a lot about maintaining an edge without going back to the hones. I have also considered just getting balsa and film, and maybe I should just go that route.
Buy a quality but inexpensive strop. I had a Tony Miller heirloom latigo gifted to me by a family member but sold it a while back. I'm thinking something less luxe to start with here, but I did like having both leather and linen. Suggestions here are welcome.

Shave prep is dialed in - I make good soap, and I keep a couple commercial products on hand that I like (Speick, Palmolive), and I make good lather without a problem. It's going to come down to stropping, blade maintenance, and learning the actual shave technique. I wish I'd learned this much sooner. I used to take short strokes with DEs when I was learning, but I'm proficient enough and the razors good enough now that I will go XTG from nose to ear mouth to ear in one stroke and have no issues. Going to need to relearn some better habits.

I'm really excited, even though it will mean an outlay of cash. I'm selling a bunch of stuff in the next few days anyway, and I will try to keep my expenditures relatively low without compromising on quality. Any input on strops, razors, or even the paddle strop/paste/balsa thing would be very welcome. I'll try to track my experiences here as I acquire items and then begin using them in earnest May 25.

 

[steveclarkus]

After 65 days you will have become pretty competent with a straight razor and on your own. It really isn’t that hard once you get through the initial frustration. As far as honing, I strongly recommend film and balsa. You will learn the basics of honing and produce amazing edges quickly. Glad you are getting on board. It will be a great ride.

 

[Earcutter]

Tim... this might seem like a silly thing to say, but the only way to learn how to use a straight is by using a straight, and only a straight. Sounds like your ready to make that leap. Congrats man, its going to be excellent, you're going to love it!

Congrats on making it as a teacher for another year! Thanks for everything you do.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Sounds like a great direction for your shaving. I have a high respect for teachers. I know you will really enjoy your shaves as you improve your straight razor shaving.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Twelvefret]

Having started in September of '18,

After 65 days you will have become pretty competent with a straight razor and on your own. It really isn’t that hard once you get through the initial frustration. As far as honing, I strongly recommend film and balsa. You will learn the basics of honing and produce amazing edges quickly. Glad you are getting on board. It will be a great ride.

 

[TBoner]

After 65 days you will have become pretty competent with a straight razor and on your own. It really isn’t that hard once you get through the initial frustration. As far as honing, I strongly recommend film and balsa. You will learn the basics of honing and produce amazing edges quickly. Glad you are getting on board. It will be a great ride.

Thanks. Glad to know 65 days will get me competent. I'm hoping I'll also have time spend shaving whittled down some by then, as I know straight shaves will take me longer, especially at first.

Tim... this might seem like a silly thing to say, but the only way to learn how to use a straight is by using a straight, and only a straight. Sounds like your ready to make that leap. Congrats man, its going to be excellent, you're going to love it!

Congrats on making it as a teacher for another year! Thanks for everything you do.

Thanks. I have enjoyed a long career in education, but it's become a very different profession the last several years. It's still fun...most days.

I hear you on using only a straight. That's why I wanted to post about it. It makes the commitment to say the course a bit more real. The only way to learn anything is to do it. To quote G.K. Chesterton, "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." It's the only way to move from amateur to expert.

Sounds like a great direction for your shaving. I have a high respect for teachers. I know you will really enjoy your shaves as you improve your straight razor shaving.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Thanks. I appreciate the positive comments and encouragement. I know y'all are eager to help here in this forum, and I'm definitely eager to learn.

 

[steveclarkus]

Straight razors are a very pleasant way to shave. They are more comfortable than a DE. DEs tend to sneak up and, for no perceivable reason, nick you. Straights just don’t do that in my experience. Aesthetically, they are far above any other shaving device. I look forward to shaving every morning.

 

[Dick peck]

Consider short strokes for starting. Also I usually only have 1/3 of the edge cutting. As in toe third,center or heel. With the grain passes to start. In the hot months my shave is two pass with the grain. It took me a long time to bring the spine closer to my skin. It really helps reduce irritation compared to "scraping". One thing to appreciate is that cuts help you learn. Good luck

 

[TBoner]

Straight razors are a very pleasant way to shave. They are more comfortable than a DE. DEs tend to sneak up and, for no perceivable reason, nick you. Straights just don’t do that in my experience. Aesthetically, they are far above any other shaving device. I look forward to shaving every morning.

I agree. Aesthetically, nothing touches a straight. A wedge with a barber's notch is one of my favorite pieces of shave gear, maybe my absolute favorite, aesthetically.

Consider short strokes for starting. Also I usually only have 1/3 of the edge cutting. As in toe third,center or heel. With the grain passes to start. In the hot months my shave is two pass with the grain. It took me a long time to bring the spine closer to my skin. It really helps reduce irritation compared to "scraping". One thing to appreciate is that cuts help you learn. Good luck

Thanks. I will keep the strokes short, and I appreciate the reminder about blade angle.

 

[MurderousCrow]

Good luck and enjoy it!

Luke

 

[TBoner]

Thanks, guys. I'm ready to pull the trigger on a vintage wedge and a vintage Genco full hollow. Very different razors, but I don't know enough to have preferences and would like to see what's what.

I'm also set to pick up a Tony Miller "vanilla" strop unless someone knows why I shouldn't. That gives me leather and linen.

I want paste and a paddle strop for touching up so I don't need to have these honed or learn to hone any too soon. So red and black Dovo pastes and a paddle strop is how I'm leaning. Open to suggestion on that and on a source for crox.

I think that should be sufficient as far as purchases go for now...right?

 

[Twelvefret]

I remember a wedge being

Thanks, guys. I'm ready to pull the trigger on a vintage wedge and a vintage Genco full hollow. Very different razors, but I don't know enough to have preferences and would like to see what's what.

I'm also set to pick up a Tony Miller "vanilla" strop unless someone knows why I shouldn't. That gives me leather and linen.

I want paste and a paddle strop for touching up so I don't need to have these honed or learn to hone any too soon. So red and black Dovo pastes and a paddle strop is how I'm leaning. Open to suggestion on that and on a source for crox.

I think that should be sufficient as far as purchases go for now...right?

Wedges are cool. Like a truck a member once discribed.

 

[TBoner]

Everything is ordered.

Herold 91J paddle strop will get Dovo Red and TomoChromo green pastes
WD Poor Man strop will get Dovo black paste
Tony Miller Vanilla Steerhide strop for linen and leather (already a screaming deal from what I have read, it was on sale for May)
W&B 5/8+ wedge
Genco 5/8 full-hollow spike point

Razors are both coming from pegasusimp, whose reputation seems very good, and are supposed to be shave ready upon arrival.

The Poor Man strop was only available in a kit, so I'll also be getting a balsa strop pasted with red and green pastes as part of that deal.

I want to make sure everything is assembled ahead of the 25th, and I may in fact do a couple of straight shaves during the final week of school depending on time and circumstance.

I'm done reading about hardware for a bit, I think, and ready to start looking at technique for stropping and for the shave itself. I've done it, but not much and not for a long time.

 

[Dick peck]

I watched a lot of stropping videos for using a hanging strop. I'm sure I can use improvement even after three years. Most of this is all about adding to the next try. The balsa set up will come in handy.

 

[TBoner]

Back to the straight this morning. i used the Genco 5/8 full hollow spike point for reasons I'll detail in a moment. The plan was this weekend, but I couldn't wait after receiving my razors yesterday. Very good shave. Slight irritation in a couple of spots and one weeper. No real blood and a pretty close cut. I am very pleased as it's my first time with an open blade in years. Even using the left hand was not as awkward as anticipated. Promising results for sure.

I did not strop the blade, but will do so before tomorrow's shave.

I am a bit unimpressed with the honing of the wedge: I can see that the bevel is not uniform across the length of the blade. I will see if I can get pics that capture it. Anyway, I thought about returning the blades, but the whole thing has been a hassle already: I ordered them on the 10th, got them on the 21st, and had to sign for them even though I did not request this option when ordering. Fortunately, I happened to take the day off yesterday and so was home when they were delivered. I decided it wasn't worth the trouble of a return given that I'd pay return shipping, probably spend a good amount of time on communication, and still need to order another razor. I can always have it honed by someone else. Besides, the edge on the Genco looked better.

Tony Miller plain vanilla strop tomorrow. 25 laps on linen and 50 on leather is the plan, as I recall this yielding good results previously.

Time to sell some brushes and look at hones.

 

[Twelvefret]

Back to the straight this morning. i used the Genco 5/8 full hollow spike point for reasons I'll detail in a moment. The plan was this weekend, but I couldn't wait after receiving my razors yesterday. Very good shave. Slight irritation in a couple of spots and one weeper. No real blood and a pretty close cut. I am very pleased as it's my first time with an open blade in years. Even using the left hand was not as awkward as anticipated. Promising results for sure.

I did not strop the blade, but will do so before tomorrow's shave.

I am a bit unimpressed with the honing of the wedge: I can see that the bevel is not uniform across the length of the blade. I will see if I can get pics that capture it. Anyway, I thought about returning the blades, but the whole thing has been a hassle already: I ordered them on the 10th, got them on the 21st, and had to sign for them even though I did not request this option when ordering. Fortunately, I happened to take the day off yesterday and so was home when they were delivered. I decided it wasn't worth the trouble of a return given that I'd pay return shipping, probably spend a good amount of time on communication, and still need to order another razor. I can always have it honed by someone else. Besides, the edge on the Genco looked better.

Tony Miller plain vanilla strop tomorrow. 25 laps on linen and 50 on leather is the plan, as I recall this yielding good results previously.

Time to sell some brushes and look at hones.

My experience with sellers, great sellers, is they don’t put the edge I want/need. Others may disagree as I am new and inexperienced, but sending out for honing is buying a “pig in a poke”.

 

[TBoner]

Twelvefret, I hear you. That's why I'm looking at hones. May as well learn to sharpen my razors (and kitchen knives and pocket knives and other tools) myself.

 

[Twelvefret]

Twelvefret, I hear you. That's why I'm looking at hones. May as well learn to sharpen my razors (and kitchen knives and pocket knives and other tools) myself.

My pocket and outdoor knives have benefited from me taking up straights ....lol. What hones are you thinking about?

 

[TBoner]

I have a friend on another forum who offered me a set of Naniwas, unused, at half retail.

Aesthetically, natural stones appeal to me, so I'm also looking at Arkansas stones from Dan's.

Of course coticules will always have appeal to me as they were THE stone when I tried a straight in 2010-11 and I think they're just beautiful stones. I had a really nice 2x6 coti/bbw that I sold several years ago...like to have that back, but I'm sure I can pick up a good one now.

To be honest, I was looking at buying the Naniwas because they are inexpensive and an easy progression to go through and then possibly snagging a combination stone from Dan's. But I will probably buy a coticule eventually, or three, because it's just how my curiosity works.

 

[Dick peck]

Bevel can be uneven and be alright. As in hone what's there without correcting anything. Bevel follows spine and sometimes it's not perfectly even. Wedges have been a pain for me. Also if you strop on linen after shave that may help. I put away a blade that I only wiped. Later it was corroding at edge. Sounds like its going well so far.