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The Minimalists Requirements For Traditional SR Shaving

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
There are times when a DE/SE shaver wants to try traditional SR shaving but may be put off by the gear they think they will need. Here I am trying to list the minimum requirements in both number of items be cost to experience SR shaving.

Assuming the shaver has brush and software, here are my suggestions:

Razor
1 x Gold Dollar 66 truly shave ready and finished off on 0.5u, 0.25u & 0.1u pasted balsa strops. Cost about $25(?).

Strop
1 x cow-hide about 60mm wide. This is used to strop the razor before each shave. Can be purchased on AliExpress for about $10 and includes an integrated denim strop.

Balsa Strop
1 x 300mm x 75mm x 6mm to 12mm thick balsa wood glued to a similar sized but 20mm to 25mm thick non-warping flat substrate (e.g., cast acrylic) using rubber glue. This is used with diamond paste to refine the blades edge after each use. Cost $10 to $20.

Diamond Paste
1 x 5g 0.1um tube. This is applied to the balsa Strop. Cost about $8.

Sandpaper
1 x 120 grit sheet & 1 x 320 grit sheet wet & dry. These are used on a marble tile to flatted the balsa strop surface. Total cost about $1.

Marble Tile
At least as big as the sandpaper sheets and at least 6mm thick. This is used as a perfectly flat backing for the sandpaper. Cost about $1.

There you have my minimalist traditional SR shaving setup. Total cost is about $50 to $60, not included shipping.

If you cannot get a suitable truly shave-ready razor, you will need additional equipment like sheets of lapping film, a lapping film substrate, two more balsa strops and two more diamond pastes (0.5um & 0.25um).
 
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being a newbie, I will still declare "dont cheap on the strop"

there are worlds of difference between the $15 one I have and the Miller one I have now.

camo
guess I should also throw in......

extra fine blk Arkansas Stone

12k stone

14k 3M lapping film/with glass or marble.

camo
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
....
Miller strop, extra fine blk Arkansas Stone 12k stone, 14k 3M lapping film/with glass or marble.
You can always do with more and/or better but then that is not being a minimalist.

I started out with SR's trying to be a minimalist but that didn't last long at all after my first few SR shaves. There was just too much enjoyment to be had SR shaving.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
Many people go for years with just clean strops and an occasional pasted hanging strop. Would that be advisable for a current DE/SE shaver in today's world? I don't know enough to make that judgement.

I would also add that the word traditional rules out modern diamond pastes.
True, using a clean and a pasted hanging strop could be even more minimalist. Would this be a recommendation to a shaver coming of DE/SE razors today? I don't know and do not have the experience to make that judgement.

I used the term "traditional" to rule out shavette type SR's, not to rule out more model materials. I couldn't think of another way to do so.
 
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You can always do with more and/or better but then that is not being a minimalist.

I started out with SR's trying to be a minimalist but that didn't last long at all after my first few SR shaves. There was just too much enjoyment to be had SR shaving.

true.....but this list of items I feel like i could easily go "off grid"......disappear into the Appalachian Mnt. range and still be a refined gent!!!
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
You can get by with the minimum, but I hope your face is worth more to you than the minimum.
So, how much is your face worth to you? $100, $500, $1,000 ...

Pick a figure and spend it. It is not what your face is worth to you but rather how much you are willing or able to spend. Not everyone has a lot of excess funds.

In the Philippines $50 is a week's salary for many full-time workers.
 
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rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
true.....but this list of items I feel like i could easily go "off grid"......disappear into the Appalachian Mnt. range and still be a refined gent!!!
Ahhh, for that you really need a matching seven-day set. They can be had new for about $2k or more.
 
A coticule, a newspaper, a razor, hair conditioner.

That's the minimum I have got away with in the past whilst travelling.

I have fixed a chipped razor and brought it back to shave ready with a travel coticule whilst travelling.
I have happily stropped many times in my life on newspaper.
It's not fun but I have shaved using hair conditioner instead of brush, soap etc.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
For me the bare minimum would be a vintage straight, a Nani 12k and a strop. If my equipment were anything less than that I’d just use a DE/SE.
The Nani 12k alone costs about $80. Not really for the minimalist. Perhaps you should just use DE/SE.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
A coticule, a newspaper, a razor, hair conditioner. ....
Is that what you would suggest to a DE/SE shaver who wants to just try out SR shaving for a few months on a limited budget?

That's what I'm looking for here.
 

Ridpath

FIGHTER!
Glad to see my question lead to such a useful thread’s genesis - many thanks OP and everyone who contributed to the discussion. I’m still interested in trying SR shaving, but must admit I’m intimidated by the range of options and tools available.

Being space challenged as well, might be hard to get/setup some of these; so I definitely appreciate the minimalist approach to equipment.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
That’s my minimalist approach. Yours may vary.
Your minimalist approach is better than mine from a space-saving point of view. It would be good for those who wish/need to save space and have an extended budget.
 
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Is that what you would suggest to a DE/SE shaver who wants to just try out SR shaving for a few months on a limited budget?

That's what I'm looking for here.

Misunderstood the question. But still stand by most of what I proposed:

I have started several guys off in person stropping on newspaper. By far the best way. Get your stropping technique right first before moving to leather. Saves a lot of money.
Start with a shave ready vintage razor. Less chance of wonky geometry.
Use paste on the paper when the edge starts to drag. Flat strop, always at first - less chance to roll the edge. This should get you to a point where you are shaving and know if you want to continue.
Then:
Either refresh the edge for them, or point them to welsh slate or a small coticule. As long as you support them in how to use them.

If they are learning online, then I always point people to the Method first. Not because it's necessarily the best way but because Slash's instructions are just the best and easy to follow online.
 
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rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
Misunderstood the question. But still stand by most of what I proposed:

I have started started several guys off in person stropping on newspaper. By far the best way. Get your stropping technique right first before moving to leather. Saves a lot of money.
Start with a shave ready vintage razor. Less chance of wonky geometry.
Use paste on the paper when the edge starts to drag. Flat strop, always at first - less chance to roll the edge. This should get you to a point where you are shaving and know if you want to continue.
Then:
Either refresh the edge for them, or point them to welsh slate or a small coticule. As long as you support them in how to use them.

If they are learning online, then I always point people to the Method first. Not because it's necessarily the best way but because Slash's instructions are just the best and easy to follow online.
Good idea about the newspaper and shaves about $10 off the cost. Better to cut up newspaper than leather.

The cost of a truly shave-ready vintage SR is more than often well above $25 and may not be readily available. A truly shave-ready GD 66 is readily available and being properly honed initially, would not have any wonky geometry problems.
 
Good idea about the newspaper and shaves about $10 off the cost. Better to cut up newspaper than leather.

The cost of a truly shave-ready vintage SR is more than often well above $25 and may not be readily available. A truly shave-ready GD 66 is readily available and being properly honed initially, would not have any wonky geometry problems.

Recently I have found the steel temper a bit variable.

I would also recommend a razor with a good starting geometry over one that has been honed that way. I think it stores up problems for the future otherwise. Just my view.
 
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