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What is minimum kit?

I am not a straight shaver but I thought to myself; If I was isolated from society because of war, natural disaster or the like, what would it take to keep shaving? I currently use a safety razor but I’m thinking I would want something like a straight setup because I would be unable to order supplies and I don’t want to carry a bunch of DE blades.

So here is my question, if I had to bug out what would be the minimum straight razor kit?

Please keep in mind that I know nothing about straight shaving but I can certainly see it’s value.

Thank you!
 
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I have been working on this for travel purposes. I have got it down to one straight razor and one coticule (with slurry stone). I have been experimenting with using the coticule as both hone and strop. - stropping spine leading under water.
 
I have been working on this for travel purposes. I have got it down to one straight razor and one coticule (with slurry stone). I have been experimenting with using the coticule as both hone and strop. - stropping spine leading under water.
Interesting.

To really show my ignorance on this subject could you please elaborate on honing versus stropping?

I’m thinking that stropping is putting the final edge on after sharpening (honing) and then strop to maintain the edge unit it needs resharpening. Is this close? If not, I am wide open to being educated. :)
 
Interesting.

To really show my ignorance on this subject could you please elaborate on honing versus stropping?

I’m thinking that stropping is putting the final edge on after sharpening (honing) and then strop to maintain the edge unit it needs resharpening. Is this close? If not, I am wide open to being educated. :)
Honing removes steel to sharpen the edge. Stropping realigns imperfections of the edge caused by shaving. Stropping is is done by moving the razor on a flat surface away from the edge, typically on leather, and is carried out between shaves. Honing is traditionally done by moving the razor flat on an abrasive surface (traditionally a fine stone) in the direction of the edge (although a few mavericks take a different approach) and is carried out less frequently. The process of honing generally requires the progressive removal of less and less metal through finer and finer abrasions to polish and perfect a very fine and uniform cutting edge.

The advantage of a stone like a Belgian Coticule is that you can create a rough abrasion by producing a slurry with a slurry stone, and gradually dilute this with water to produce progressively finer abrasions. Otherwise you might need a number of sharpening stones.

In order to remove the need for a strop I have been using the stone for this.
 
Honing removes steel to sharpen the edge. Stropping realigns imperfections of the edge caused by shaving. Stropping is is done by moving the razor on a flat surface away from the edge, typically on leather, and is carried out between shaves. Honing is traditionally done by moving the razor flat on an abrasive surface (traditionally a fine stone) in the direction of the edge (although a few mavericks take a different approach) and is carried out less frequently. The process of honing generally requires the progressive removal of less and less metal through finer and finer abrasions to polish and perfect a very fine and uniform cutting edge.

The advantage of a stone like a Belgian Coticule is that you can create a rough abrasion by producing a slurry with a slurry stone, and gradually dilute this with water to produce progressively finer abrasions. Otherwise you might need a number of sharpening stones.

In order to remove the need for a strop I have been using the stone for this.
Seveneighth,

Thank you for your kind and thourogh explanation.

Ike
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
It is by far the easiest way to get started without spending a lot. Also, great results are easily obtained.
 
I am not a straight shaver but I thought to myself; If I was isolated from society because of war, natural disaster or the like, what would it take to keep shaving? I currently use a safety razor but I’m thinking I would want something like a straight setup because I would be unable to order supplies and I don’t want to carry a bunch of DE blades.

So here is my question, if I had to bug out what would be the minimum straight razor kit?

Please keep in mind that I know nothing about straight shaving but I can certainly see it’s value.

Thank you!
Not being flip, but I would probably grow a beard. Facial hair protects your face and that would be of concern more than shaving.
 
Not being flip, but I would probably grow a beard. Facial hair protects your face and that would be of concern more than shaving.
I understand your thoughts, it occurred to me as well. This is more of an academic exercise right now.
 
I understand your thoughts, it occurred to me as well. This is more of an academic exercise right now.
I am new to using a SR. If I had one that had been honed, I could probably maintain by palm stropping for a while. My concern would be rust and edge degrading over time. I could probably find leather of one sort or another for stropping, but if I damaged the edge, I am screwed. In an emergency I would be carrying a bevel setter.
 
I am new to using a SR. If I had one that had been honed, I could probably maintain by palm stropping for a while. My concern would be rust and edge degrading over time. I could probably find leather of one sort or another for stropping, but if I damaged the edge, I am screwed. In an emergency I would be carrying a bevel setter.
In an emergency I would carry a 357 Magnum - lol!
 
Not being flip, but I would probably grow a beard. Facial hair protects your face and that would be of concern more than shaving.

True, that. Mountain men usually cleaned up for spring rendezvous, right? In the movies anyway.

Bearded men tested had way more beneficial bacteria on their faces, that are able to take out bad bacteria, which was higher in numbers on shaven men’s faces. There is a published study on this. I haven’t run across it here but haven’t looked either. I did read it about a month ago.

Possibly:
Small Kai ladies eyebrow razors/derma-planes (ten pak-about the size of a cell phone) and one full size straight, a couple stones, medical kit including styptic, travel strop, small dive signaling mirror, though I can shave without it. It’d be for checking wounds. Antiseptic, and an oil and soap, and ballistol and gun cleaning patches.
I would probably cut the two stones in half, or downsize them anyway, or use smaller than the typical larger size.
 
True, that. Mountain men usually cleaned up for spring rendezvous, right? In the movies anyway.

Bearded men tested had way more beneficial bacteria on their faces, that are able to take out bad bacteria, which was higher in numbers on shaven men’s faces. There is a published study on this. I haven’t run across it here but haven’t looked either. I did read it about a month ago.

Not surprised.
 
Minimal kit... out in the wild after a catastrophe? While hygene will matter, straight shaving won’t be high on the list.

Kentos did a minimal kit for a year straight years ago just to do it. A GD 66, coticule and ark (then dropped the ark), a 12 pack of Arko I think, a strop and a brush.
 
Not being flip, but I would probably grow a beard. Facial hair protects your face and that would be of concern more than shaving.

I understand your thoughts, it occurred to me as well. This is more of an academic exercise right now.

I was thinking the same. Perhaps just have the addresses for different shave mecca's across the USA, blades would be way down everyone's lists of things to get. And if your not picky about brands. They would be what's left in grocery stores :)
 
I was thinking the same. Perhaps just have the addresses for different shave mecca's across the USA, blades would be way down everyone's lists of things to get. And if your not picky about brands. They would be what's left in grocery stores :)
So true. The end of the world will arrive and all that will be left in grocery stores are DE blades and some moldy tofu. Lol!
 
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