Thread: Another n00b has arrived

Hey guys....came across the site from a search. I have a lot to learn. I am now getting into the classic shave. I decided to fire gillette and the rest of those crooks that make disposables. What a rip off.....20+ bucks for a few refills that last a couple days.

Ill be reading thanks gentlemen

Welcome to SRP.
Note that straight shaving is not an instant gratification though (you'll find out soon). But it's very rewarding. A good place to start is to check the sticky posts in this section and the links in the wiki.
Don't hesitate to ask questions.
Enjoy

Welcome aboard there signal it's nice to see another SoCal in the fold. If you need any help I'm around the seal beach area once in awhile.

welcome!

+1 on it not being instantly gratifying, but i know that i really enjoy learning something new and getting good results from the practice. another common thing people enjoy about it is the relaxing effect of concentrating on the technique and details of the shave and forgetting everything else for a bit. i know that may be looking to deep but it is true for me.

+1 for SoCal shavers!

Good luck and enjoy. Takes a bit of learning, but worth it! Be prepared for addiction!

Welcome!

Definitely agree that it's not instant gratification, but certainly gratifying if you are willing to stick to it and do it right. Once you know the basics you'll LOVE the hobby.

Dave

Originally Posted by kenneyty

Be prepared for addiction!

Shhh. He's supposed to be under the assumption that he will somehow save money by using straights. Little does he know about RAD, HAD, SAD, and all the other AD's...

Personally I have no respect for the bolkes at Proctor and Gamble, I fired them long ago. Once you fire them you have two options: straights and double edge razors. Straights have a high up front costs and learning curve but no re-ocurring costs what so ever. Double edges have a smaller up front costs and easier learning curve but have a small re-ocurring costs so you need to determine which is best for you. A straight can go for $50 new and perhpas $15 for the needed strop, you can put off a hone for a while until you learn to use the straight. A double edge can go for $20 plus the needed blades - typically up to $2 for a pack of ten. So take your pick which is better for you. I chose the straights because they have no re-ocurring costs. Once you decide which is better then select a place toget what you need, both straights and double edges are available new and used. Here are some places to get both:

razorandbrush.com - double edges only
classicshaving.com - sells both
ebay.com - never offer more than $50 plus shipping to anyone for a straight classic shaving will sell for that price.

Originally Posted by signalsoldier

I decided to fire gillette and the rest of those crooks that make disposables. What a rip off.....20+ bucks for a few refills that last a couple days.

Straight razor shaving is very satisfying and if you get hooked you probably won't want to shave with anything else. I'm not sure the money savings will be as much as projected, unless you have an iron will and don't start collecting vintage razors,strops and assorted paraphernalia.

Well as far as the savings go, here are the numbers as far as I have been able to figure them:

Bic Senditive $3.49 for a pack of 12 at CVS $.29 each*4 assuming one razor per week = $1.14 per month * 12 (12 months a year) = $14 per year. Straight costs $50 for the razor plus $15 for the strop = $65. $14 per year * 5 years = $70 for disposables. So a straight will start saving dollars between 4 to 5 years. Assuming one uses one Bic Sensitive per week at CVS's January 2009 price for them.