Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Getting Started

  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    6
    Thanked: 0

    Red face Getting Started

    Hello everyone! My name is Tyler. I joined this forum about a year ago because i was intrested in straight shaving. The only problem was, i still had not developed enough facial hair to shave with a SR. I come to you now a year later, still intrested in the world of SR's. I have now grown sufficent hair on my face to where i have to shave almost every day. I am almost 17 so i am still very young. My question to you is, Where to start? I am currently un-employed so i only make money by doing yard work and helping around the house. I have a tight budget, but would still love to start somewhere. I already know about how to shave and what to use. I have researched alot already. I am going to my local antique store soon to get a few things. If not for use, then at least collection. I am trying to get my hands on a badger hair brush. The only thing is, If i buy one from the antique store, can i use it? How do i go about cleaning or restoring the brush so it is sanitary and ok for use? Also i might get a SR or a DE. There are some pretty good ones at the store for $20. The blades are very nice. But I need to know how i can go about restoring it and all. I need a nice beginer strope too. Im not so sure about honing though. how do i learn? Basicly I need your help to get me going! Thank you all in advance!

  2. #2
    Retired Developer
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Berlin
    Posts
    3,490
    Thanked: 1903

    Default

    Hi there,

    Looks like you will find Buying a beginner's set on a budget - Straight Razor Place Wiki useful. It's part of Straight Razor Place Wiki:Books/Beginners Guide - Straight Razor Place Wiki which you might also find helpful.

    Rather than get a used antique brush, I would go for a cheap supermarket brush. If you want to learn how to hone razors from antique stores, you will have go get more than one hone (if we are talking synthetic hones), and that can get expensive easily. Unless you want to make it a hobby, I'd suggest to save the money for more useful things like shaving creams.

  3. #3
    Senior Member dward's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Germantown, MD
    Posts
    1,686
    Thanked: 245

    Default

    Welcome aboard Tyler! I highly recommend you extend your budget a little and purchase a razor from the classifieds. You will be getting a good razor at a great price. Also, check to make sure the razor is "shave ready" (it will be marked as so in the ad). The reason for this recommendation is that you don't have to sink quite so much money (good hones are not cheap) into your first attempt. Also, you can develop your shaving skills first without the addition of learning how to hone as well. Trying to do so will likely put you in a quandry when your shave doesn't come out so well. Is it your shaving technique? Or is it that you didn't properly hone your razor? The other alternative is to buy your inexpensive razor then send it out to one of our honemeisters to do the right job. However, that's an additional cost (and well worth it). Add things a little at a time...

  4. #4
    Straight Shaver Apprentice DPflaumer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Boone, NC
    Posts
    1,093
    Thanked: 168

    Default

    Tyler,

    I sent you a PM about a brush solution.

    Drew

  5. #5
    The original Skolor and Gentileman. gugi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    17,410
    Thanked: 3906
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    welcome to srp

    as far as brush from antique store goes, it depends. if it looks good i'd say it's very likely to work very well too. for cleaning it you can use shampoo.
    as far as straight razors remember that whatever you get in an antique shop will need to be honed (about 99.3% chance) and you may not be able to spot serious issues with it because you don't know what these are. but it's fun if you don't mind loosing whatever you pay for it.
    DE razors are easier to buy as they are just holders for the blades, so there really aren't much functional issues that you can't notice.

  6. #6
    Wee Whisker Whacker BingoBango's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    760
    Thanked: 177

    Default

    +1 BeBerlin - the wiki has some good ideas for inexpensive strops, brushes, etc.

    As for the razor, definitely go with a shave ready razor off the classifieds or from a reputable dealer. Hones can be expensive and they're going to have their own learning curve. Focus on learning to shave with a straight razor for now. Honing isn't a daily chore. If you get a shave ready razor and don't ding it on the sink, you should be good to go for a few months.

  7. #7
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    6
    Thanked: 0

    Default

    Ok guys, thanks for the advice so far! I went to my local Antique store yesterday, and picked up an old single edge safety razor. Its an Ever-Ready. They had a SR for a resonable price but i think i'll get one from the classifieds. So for my safety razor, i got some blades from walmart. A few questions though. How do i get the razor shave ready? And will the walmart blades work as well as really old blades made by gillette for the razor? Do i need to clean anything before use? As far as a brush goes I found a set at walmart with soap, a bowl, and a boar hair brush. will this work ok to start me out? And finally what would be a cheap and easy way of getting a strope? Thanks!

  8. #8
    Straight Shaver Apprentice DPflaumer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Boone, NC
    Posts
    1,093
    Thanked: 168

    Default

    I don't like the walmart blades myself. I loved the Shark blades I got on amazon though, $17 for 100. If you want to clean the safety razor, you can boil it if it is all metal. That works great for all the old gillettes. The set from Walmart is great for starting, I used that brush and soap for my first few months.

  9. #9
    The original Skolor and Gentileman. gugi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    17,410
    Thanked: 3906
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    I'm bit confused what exactly did you get
    Quote Originally Posted by Kyro98 View Post
    picked up an old single edge safety razor. Its an Ever-Ready.
    ....
    How do i get the razor shave ready? And will the walmart blades work as well as really old blades made by gillette for the razor?
    I think most razor blades nowadays are double-edge ones. Feather makes single edge blades and they fit their razors, not sure if they work with anything else. Breaking a double edge blade in half may or may not work in a DE razor.

    Which razor do you want to make shave-ready? The holder for blades that I think you got likely needs just to be cleaned up - boiling water, scrubbing bubbles, toothbrush that kind of thing. The actual blades that do the cutting dont' need anything except taking them out of the packaging and placing them in the holder(razor).

    Quote Originally Posted by Kyro98 View Post
    And finally what would be a cheap and easy way of getting a strope?
    Buying one of the illinois models, or for a no-canvas version the $20 that ruprazor sells.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •