Thread: New to straight razor shaving and loving it!!!

Muamero, you strike me as someone with more than just a passing interest in straights. If you like the shavette I really think you'll love a straight razor and I think you will enjoy the process of keeping it clean and sharp.

For me, it was a practical matter. The department store fare was irritating my face and not giving me the results I thought I deserved for the prices they were charging. The double edge razor solved my problems but I wanted to use straights, and I love them.

For me it's the ritual of it. The idea of the razor and strop the brush the soap the scuttle etc and waking up and pressing sharp well forged steel against your throat to start the day.

Well I really do love shaving wit Shavette. I find it hard to believe that it will be easier to shave with the razor. I love the control you get with it, and its an awesome way to start the day. You have to slow down and concentrate. I find it a perfect compliment to a morning run. Its a great contrast, going from huffing and puffing and your heart rate out of control to going to standing in front of mirror and slowing your heart rate down and taking a deep breath. Being able to use different strokes, rinsing the razor with cold water and feeling the cold steel it on the skin.
I am a knife enthusiast and have dabbled in making a few for friends, I know how to sharpen a knife and understand that it is not a same procedure. But I cant wait to start honing my own razors, in its own time I guess.

This being my first post in over a year i think i would first like to say hi to all. I have been straight shaving for about 7 or so years now and love it very much. I would say if you have any left over money, go ahead and buy some stones for straight honing! I would say you likely already have a bevel setter if you sharpen knives so you might only need something like a norton 4k/8k. You can get a good shave if you come straight of the 8k to a Crox strop or get a better one off a chinese nat for only $20-30 more. You seem like they type of person who might enjoy honing if you enjoy slowing down and enjoying a fine art. Also another tip i can offer is buy a 9 dollar diamond hone from ebay and 2 gold dollars, im not promoting these, for about 4 dollars each. You should be able to set the bevel with the diamond hone before going to water stones and since these are cheap no loss if you mess them up but at the same time the steel has a fair enough quality so show you where your at with honing. Anyways this is only my opinion since you already have a good shaver thats easy on the eyes.

I am really fighting the urge to buy a hone right now. I am bidding on a couple cheap razors on e bay that need cleaning up and a hone. If it works out ill use them for honing practices. I have no intention of ruining the Red Point. I will hang on a safe side and have it professionally honed when time comes. Yes I do have DTM diamond hones of which the finest is 1200 grit. Now Ill keep my eyes peeled for a bargain on 4k/8k Norton. I learned how to sharpen with a wet stone when I was not more than 12. I still have that piece of stone my grandfather gave me. I dont use it but I still have it. Poop now I have to order honing DVD, its a vicious circle I tell Ya.

Ohh Boy, it came in mail. Got to say it looks better in person than it does on Bobs website.!!!



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Congratulations looks so nice. Bob is sharpening mine right now I can't wait. Let us now how it shaves.

I intentionally did not shave today. Saving whiskers for morning ritual. I am practicing stropping with my Shavette. Definitely have to strop in between shaves right?. It looks so sharp I am afraid to strop it.

That's a nice looking razor!! I'll add a little something to CaliforniaCajun's comment. The safety (double-edge) razor IS a nice throwback addition to your eventual vintage razor obsession and one does not necessarily need to pick one over the other. Solution? Start shaving your head, as I have, with the safety and save the straight for your face. Problem solved. Case closed.....until the bug for more razors, strops, soaps, creams, aftershaves, restoration projects, and flea market quests become more than you originally bargained for.

Question!

As far as I’ve read, you haven’t said if the razor came ‘shave ready’! There are many definitions of that term!

Those Pro’s whom I’ve dealt with have always said: Just rinse the oil off and only shave the sideburn area. This advice is intended for those just starting out!

When I’ve honed for others, I offer the same advice about just rinsing the oil off and having a go with it as they are usually at least a few shaves in!

You mentioned honing. Wait! Learn the basics, making lather, stropping, and of course learning to use a straight properly to get a good shave!

I like to put it in perspective as “You need to learn to walk before you can run”!

Once you’ve learned to walk and walk well, learn to run and don’t stop running!