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Thread: First Razor (Australia)

  1. #21
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    Hey guys,

    Sorry about the delay in getting back to you. I went ahead and bought the 'Hans' below before I saw any of the other posts, but I figure I'll just be extra careful of the tip when I start off

    Vintage 5 8 Otto Deutsch 'Hans' Straight Razor | eBay

    Anyway the razor came in the mail today and really struggles to cut a hair when I try to do the hanging hair test. I actually have to apply a reasonable amount of pressure to cut a tense hair at all. Does this mean it isn't honed properly? The ebay auction said it was honed and stropped and the seller was recommended to me on here, so I hesitate to think it might not be properly honed. I've noticed there's a layer of oil on it as specified in the ebay auction ('It will be given a light coat of oil prior to being shipped'); do I need to wash the oil off or something before it will cut properly? Or is it just not honed at all and I need to send it off for honing?

    Mick, that would be great if you could point me in the direction of a good guide to making my own strop. I wouldn't mind giving it a go if it's not too tricky, since I haven't ordered one yet.

    I'm a bit confused about pre-shave balms, creams, after-shave lotions and stuff too. At the moment when I shave with a cartridge razor, I've been applying a layer of coconut oil and just using that, but I don't know if this is enough for straight razor shaving. If I need other creams and stuff, could somebody point me towards decent ones on mensbiz.com.au?

    EDIT: Just nicked myself within a minute practising with a junky disposable straight from DAISO. Good start
    Last edited by AusNewbie; 01-03-2014 at 06:25 AM.

  2. #22
    The original Skolor and Gentileman. gugi's Avatar
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    Should be a good razor. Mine's very smooth, dublduck-like. I'd have suggested the c-mon since it looks virtually not restored (also the point is slightly muted), but you liked this one better and they should be pretty comparable. Or the heljestrand because I can't get enough of them.
    You should try shaving and not waste time and get confused with hair test. Keep the spine about 1.5-2 spine widths from your skin and shave just the flat part of your face from the sideburns down. That should be fairly straightforward. If the razor doesn't shave increase the angle just little bit but don't push it - if it doesn't stop.
    If all goes well then you expand the area you shave with each shave and gradually tackle the curves of your face. It may seem slow and methodological but that's the shortest way to getting proficient.
    You need to strop the razor between shaves though, so until you get a strop you can only do one shave presuming that the razor was stropped before it was sent.

  3. #23
    Truth is weirder than any fiction.. Grazor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AusNewbie View Post
    Thanks, I wouldn't have known to be so careful of it otherwise. Is there anything a beginner can put over the tip to reduce the likelihood of nicking themselves with it? Like a piece of chewie, without, you know, actually being a piece of chewie haha
    If you gently rub just the tip of the razor on a piece of glass a couple of times it will take the point off while you learn. Very nice razor BTW
    Into this house we're born, into this world we're thrown ~ Jim Morrison

  4. #24
    May your bone always be well buried MickR's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AusNewbie View Post
    ...Mick, that would be great if you could point me in the direction of a good guide to making my own strop. I wouldn't mind giving it a go if it's not too tricky, since I haven't ordered one yet...
    This is easier than me trying to explain it. I made mine a little differently to this, but I've got some more dedicated tools for leatherwork than my good friend James, and it was his ideas that gave me my ideas anyway.


    Making a (very) home-made strop - Straight Razor Place Wiki


    As to balms and stuff, use whatever aftershave balm you currently use. With regards to the shave cream, you can do it cheap with a trip to Coles or Woolworths and pick up a shave soap stick or tube of 'SHAVE' cream by Fauldings or Palmolive shave cream, also in a tube. You'll need a shave brush (I forgot whether or not you said you had the gear or not), razor, which you have, and a strop. That is essentially all you need for a decent shave. Everything else is just icing on the cake.


    Mick
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  5. #25
    Senior Member Havachat45's Avatar
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    G'Day Ben and welcome to the fold.
    Sorry I'm a bit late saying 'Hi' but, as Mick will tell you, I'm a bit slow.....hehehe.
    Glad to see things are going well
    Hang on and enjoy the ride...

  6. #26
    Plausibly implausible carlmaloschneider's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AusNewbie View Post
    Hey guys,

    Sorry about the delay in getting back to you. I went ahead and bought the 'Hans' below before I saw any of the other posts, but I figure I'll just be extra careful of the tip when I start off

    Vintage 5 8 Otto Deutsch 'Hans' Straight Razor | eBay

    Anyway the razor came in the mail today and really struggles to cut a hair when I try to do the hanging hair test. I actually have to apply a reasonable amount of pressure to cut a tense hair at all. Does this mean it isn't honed properly? The ebay auction said it was honed and stropped and the seller was recommended to me on here, so I hesitate to think it might not be properly honed. I've noticed there's a layer of oil on it as specified in the ebay auction ('It will be given a light coat of oil prior to being shipped'); do I need to wash the oil off or something before it will cut properly? Or is it just not honed at all and I need to send it off for honing?

    Mick, that would be great if you could point me in the direction of a good guide to making my own strop. I wouldn't mind giving it a go if it's not too tricky, since I haven't ordered one yet.

    I'm a bit confused about pre-shave balms, creams, after-shave lotions and stuff too. At the moment when I shave with a cartridge razor, I've been applying a layer of coconut oil and just using that, but I don't know if this is enough for straight razor shaving. If I need other creams and stuff, could somebody point me towards decent ones on mensbiz.com.au?

    EDIT: Just nicked myself within a minute practising with a junky disposable straight from DAISO. Good start
    Hi AusNewbie, welcome to the forum. You know, a year from now you'll wish you picked another name

    Don't rely on the HHT to determine if the razor is shave ready, IMMHO the only test is to shave with it.

    The oil won't really make much of a difference, but you would probably want to wipe it off gently on a hand towel anyway.

    You can't really shave with just a layer of coconut oil; you need a nice lather which will give glide and cushion. It's the tiny bubbles that provides cushion. You can use a pre-shave cream (I highly recommend Proraso pre/post cream). You can buy that from Men's Biz, the Shaver Shop or Himage. I found the Proraso pre/post cream really helped me as a beginner in providing extra glide (slickness).

    Be sure to read the forum posts and Wiki (library) articles on the first shave. Ensure you prepare well, go VERY lightly and don't try and have a full shave on the first go (though it's hard not to, I know I did!).

    That's a very nice razor you have there, remember (as others have said) to respect that spike point!

    Good luck.

    Carl
    Stranger, if you passing meet me and desire to speak to me, why should you not speak to me? And why should I not speak to you?
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  7. #27
    Senior Member kevinred's Avatar
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    HI I'm in Queensland.

    May I suggest a sight unseen razor from Larry at Whipped Dog Straight Razor Shaving Equipment as well as a poor mans strop kit. Very cheap start and lots of included information. Fast delivery and great communication from him too. It may not be the worlds prettiest razor but it will be sharp and it will give you a good shave straight out of the box.

    Getting a professionally honed blade from a professional is the best way to start as you will understand what a sharp blade feels like.

    Guaranteed you will cut your strop, I did several times, but it doesn't matter so much while your learning. An expensive strop will end up damaged so start cheap, Larrys strop is a great starter strop (which I'm still using) I have also managed to maintain a sharp edge with all the information he initially sent.

    I have just had a new DOVO Bismarch razor for Christmas, I was able to bring it to shave ready using a cheap 12K barbers hone also from Larry which I subsequently ordered within a few weeks of practice.

    I can really recommend Larry from personal experience, and he really helped minimise the learning curve.

    If I can be of any more help, please feel free to PM me.
    AndrewJM likes this.

  8. #28
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    hey ausnewbie

    im from melbourne too. mensbiz is a good place to get shave supplies, they are really helpful and have a good range.
    im pretty new too and they help me a lot.

  9. #29
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    Cheers, guys!

    Just tried a first shave today and I'm convinced the razor isn't sharp at all. Every time I try to pick off a hair with it, it feels like it catches on the hair and pulls it instead of cleanly cutting through. I can also run the blade across my skin softly without any sort of cut. Surely that isn't right? Does that sound like it's not correctly honed or just not correctly stropped? Should I talk to the ebay seller about it? :S

  10. #30
    There is no charge for Awesomeness Jimbo's Avatar
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    Well the auction description did say it was honed and stropped, so I suppose you could try contacting them.

    If that doesn't pan out, send me a PM.

    James.
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