Thread: New Member here: A few questions I'd like answered please

I too am a noob. I picked up a good 5/8 Joseph Rodgers SR through the classifieds on this site. I got myself a strop, alum block, and a tub of Proraso (though I am a big fan of AOS products) from classicshaving.com, and was set to go. I've been using a brush for a number of years, so I didn't need to get one. It can all be a little overwhelming, but you don't really need much to get started.

Originally Posted by BlackMamba24

First off, I'd like to say hello to all the wet shavers out there. I came across this website from one of Mantic59's video. I've gone back to traditional wet shaving for about 4 years now. And yes I am a new member. lol

I'm confused on which is needed and which is useless. There are so many kinds out there and all different prices. Are the $35 strops better than the $65+ kind? I'm really confused. Do I really need to spend $50+ for a hone?

Also, what's with these oils and lubricants? i.e, Oils, pastes etc... Are they needed?
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I'd also like ask if anyone has or have used a hot lather machine. What kind of shaving creams can you put in it? Can you use stuff like Art of Shaving, Truefit & Hill, Proraso, etc.. in the machine or do you HAVE to use the creams specifically created for hot lather machines?

First off, welcome!

Second, look at the shopping list for beginners link in my sig for what you need.

A good razor can be had in the classifieds for less than $50.

Whipped dog has razors for 33 and under. They aren't super restored, but that is how he keeps the prices down. There are quality razors on the site with an edge as good as any. He also has a cool deal where you can trade any razor bought on his site for another for the price of a hone. This is a great way to test out different sizes and grinds without spending much money.

The most important thing with a razor is that it be shave ready. Getting good shaves with a straight is very reliant on the technique you use, and since in the beginning your technique will lack, your shave will be sub par for some time. During this time, you don't want to doubt whether or not the razor's edge has anything to do with it.

Ruprazor filly is, imo, the best strop to start out with. Its made of quality material, but without all the fancy frills. Since your first strop is likely to get nicked up, this is perfect.

You want a decent brush too. I got a tweezerman badger hair for 12 bucks.

Quality soap makes a difference as well. The soap lasts quite a while, so don't balk at some of the prices. Mama bear, Mitchell's Wool Fat, and KissMyFace are my personal favs.

The fancy oils and lubes are not needed. Get shaving down first, and if you find you like it, then experimenting with them may or may not be something you want to try.

Skip on hones until you are positive you want to stick with straight shaving AND you want to hone your own razors. Plenty of guys send their razors out to get honed by pros and there is no shame in that. (Also, if you buy from a razor from StraightRazorDesigns right now, you get free honing for life, an amazing deal).

When its all said and done, you can get started with decent equipment for as little as $50 to $70. If you find that straights aren't for you, you can usually resell your razor for about the same price you picked it up for. So even if you don't stick with it, you will only be down 30 bucks or so.

Originally Posted by Shangas

Hey Black Mamba.

A strop is a strop. That's basically all you need and all you need to know. More expensive strops might have two different types of stropping-material on them, or might be wider and longer, but really, if a $35 leather hanging strop is all you can afford, or all you want to pay, then that strop will be fine. A strop is, after all, just a long, smooth strip of leather, so even the most basic leather strop should work fine. In fact, you could even use an old, smooth leather belt for a strop, provided you don't love it anymore (because stropping will strip off the leather as you run your blade over it).

That's like saying a razor is just a razor; or a shaving brush is just a shaving brush; or...a motorcycle just a motorcycle. Of course price matters! A $35 strop compared to most $80 strops is like comparing a Huffy to a Harley, and in my personal opinion, even a newbie should skip the bicycle & start out with at least a Kawasaki if they seriously want to enjoy their shaves. As with almost anything in life, you get what you pay for!

Apparently my point didn't come across.

I merely wanted to say that he needn't spend a fortune on a strop. A simple one will do just fine and would work just as well as a more expensive one. For someone who's just starting out, one of the biggest turn-offs is PRICE. That's why I took so long to start straight-shaving. But once you learn that you can get by with something simpler, you're more likely to warm to the idea. I wanted to show that there is a cheap way into straight shaving that doesn't have to cost the earth.

One can shave with straight razor for virtually no money, *if* they know what they're doing. With enough expertise and patience you can score a $10 razor on ebay that will shave on par with anything else. You won't get a like-new shine, or a big-bucks brand, but you don't shave with those.
Then if you're really short on cash you could probably get somebody to hone that razor pro-bono for you. You can make a fabric strop out of say old pair of jeans and you can get an old paddle strop for probably $10 with enough patience. A sprinkle of chromium oxide is few dollars, and with all this you can be good for several years all for about $25, *if* you know what you're doing.

The problem is that new guys don't know what they're doing, otherwise they won't be new, so trying to get the cheapest option means most of the time they just throw away good money for trash. It's far cheaper to buy something good the first time, and the best way is to find somebody you trust. Yes you'll have to pay more for the expertise and the effort of the person you buy from, but that's precisely the things a newbie lacks and there are no shortcuts to obtaining them, so it's money well spent.

Yes a $35 strop can be perfectly functional and do the job. But as with everything you better make sure that the $35 strop that you will get falls into that category. Same goes for a $65 strop too, not all $65 strops are the same.

While I do agree that one does not need to invest his life savings simply to get started with straight razors, I am constantly receiving messages from guys who have spent money on strops, razors, hones, etc that are junk, such as the Zeepk set. Many lose interest in straights following an attempted shave with a Zeepk razor. That said, I feel it VERY IMPORTANT to offer good solid information & advice to our newbies, less the art of straight shaving be lost forever in the constant confusion brought about by the scamming companies simply trying to fill their pockets by selling empty promises with fancy scales. Many newbies read over these threads searching for info, and trusting this site to lead them in the right direction so they can experience a good straight shave for themselves. Everyone wants a bargain, even myself, but fact is, it does cost money to get started in the right direction.