Thread: NewB Looking for Input

Good evening all. I'm so new to str8 razor shaving that I don't even have my equipement yet, save for a couple of fleabay razors I'm having delivered...lol. Which gets me to my question...I work overseas and may experience some difficulty with getting supplies in a timely manner. So...having said that, aside from the razor, what would be a decent strop for a beginner to use and practice with? I won't say that money is no object as I try to be frugal but again, speding the mortgage on equipemtn isn't my idea of thrifty. I've read just enough on this forum to know that I'll likely have to get the razor(s) honed by a professional and that stropping is an integral part of shave day. I'd be open to ideas on general equipment as well along with any other tips on whatever y'all might deem relevant. Thanks everyone. Rich.

Welcome Rich! The best advice I received when I started shaving with a straight razor was start with an inexpensive strop. Reason being is that you will tend to nick and hack up your first strop as part of your learning process. My first strop was an inexpensive Dovo, leather and cotton. Once you no longer nick your strop you can go for a better one.

Oh and btw, if your razors are honed by a professional all you should need for a while is your strop and a barber hone for touch ups. Check the classifieds here at SRP. You can also find a honemeister that may be close to you in the services section.

thanks for the heads up...I'll have to check that out...

Welcome to SRP Rich ...this is a great forum to learn everything about anything really...not just wetshaving. You're in the right place for sure.

now the whole idea behind cheap versus pricier strops is a matter of conjecture, I think. Most advocate getting a cheap strop to practice on and over time moving onto getting a better one. Although I agree with the premise, I don't think it is entirely necessary to waste money twice...When I started out ~7 months ago, I got myself a Premium IV from SRD...it was ~$90 or so (give or take)....certainly not a cheapo strop. In my experience, if you pay the premium for something of quality, you are bound to treat it differently than if you were to get the same thing with a lower quality. With the Premium IV strop that I got, I made sure that I had the technique right from the getgo and it has paid off for me. It forced me to get things right, think about technique while stropping...your choice will ultimately depend of how you like to approach your purchases, i.e., buy cheap for practice and buy something better later or buy the goods initially and be cognizant of technique.

I am certainly not advocating that my way is the way, but just another way to think about it...for me, it has certainly paid off and saved me from having to worry about what to do with the cheap stuff once done (although you can always PIF to another newbie, etc...)

Also, you may wish to invest in a couple of non-eBay razors that are shave ready...this will give you an idea of what a good edge is supposed to feel and look like.

What kind of razors did you get. A lot of beginners (like myself) have to experiment with different grinds, size, etc to get a feel for what their sweet spot is. For me, I found that heavier (wedge like grinds) worked best. When my technique improved, hollows were the way to go...now, it doesn't matter. I get equally good shave out of any grind...so, experiment. get a few different types/sizes. The size is a preference that will be personal and is more permanent. For me, I found that 6/8"-7/8" are the best size ranges.

There's a lot more to tell you (like lather, brush, soaps/cremes...these can make or break your shave. Especially good prep and lather), but I will end here and chime in later perhaps.

Welcome aboard again.

Desitions desitions ruprazor the Filly will work. It got a good rep here and is the cheapest real option(no fabric side on this one, but some like it that way)

An Illinois strop off ebay is pretty cheap too(can be real good but i have read about ppl getting bad ones)

A premium strop from SRD is recomended by many
And they sell replacement parts so when or if your leather gets beat up enough to replace it wont be that big a deal

Wow...thanks to everyone that has offered up some advice to this point. I was remiss in my opening statement/questions so I'll elaborate. I have been wet shaving my entire shaving life (except for the "field expedient" occasions) and have, within the last 2 years, taken up the brush, bowl, and shave soap methods and ditched the platic razor junk and the cans of goop. Metal is for tools and platic is for toys right. Anyway. I certainly didn't opt for the high end accessories (I currently use a VDH soap, brush and bowl along with a coffee mug) but I currently use the Merkur 1904 safety razor and am growing to favor the Feathers blades. As such, my biggest with concern moving to the srt8's is of course the sharpening and stropping. I've been able to get a razors edge on a Leatherman knife before so sharpening isn't an issue, although I do realize that razors and knives are vastly different tools. Working in the Middle East presents some challenges in getting supplies so that's another concern. I am the type who will research things for some time but when it's time...bam...I make the move and live or die of my own accord. As such, I'm leaning towards getting a good strop and/or barber's hone and forcing the learning curve to adapt. In psychology it's called "flooding therapy" and much akin to bodybuilding or any other sport, sometimes you DO have to just force the issue and jump in...provided you do it the right way, with good mentoring and coaching to start. I've read Lynn's excellent post for "First Time Shaves" (I think that's the title) and call myself scouring this post so...when the supplies arrive, I'll get to moving and will keep y'all posted. Thanks for the encouragement.. Rich.

Well when I started a couple months ago I bought my whole set from SRD. They have been nothing but great to deal with. I got just the latigo strop and the nice thing about it is if you do nick it they have replacement leather so you do not need to get a new strop. I would recommend a 3 inch strop makes it way easier when just learning how to strop so you do not have to use the X pattern.

If you are looking for cheap yet good shave ready razor I have been told whipdog has good ones to get you started and it will not break the bank.

I am not sure how much you are looking to spend but just to give you an idea I got a whole working st8 set from SRD for about $220. That was razor, strop, brush, soap, and soap dish. Sounds like you have the soap and dish but they have good deals on razor strop combos