Want to get my first straight razor, what good advise can you give

[Jason smooth]

I started with electric, went to the Mach shavers to a Merkur Futur with feather blades with a nice silver tip badger. Now I am ready for the next and final step.

I assume alll the blades are pretty much the same with quality. It's more of a size of blade and handle. Thinking about watching some YouTube videos and perhaps just go down my checks and use the Merkur safety on my chin and neck until I become more comfortable with it. How often do you think I should sharpen the blade with a leather strap? Will need to check what angle to sharpen the blade too.

What are the the big no no's in starting out with a straight razor? Thanks

 

[seattleshaver]

Cheeks are easiest to start with as you say. Regarding the angle, to hone and to strop you keep the blade flat.

Don't slash with the razor, that would be a big no no. Keep in motion up and down or side to side. Use little to no pressure. The blade is either sharp or it's not. If it's not, don't shave with it.

 

[chagovatoloco]

Not all blades are the same quality, there are major differences. I would say start out with a 5/8 and strop before and after every shave. Buy a good blade from someone who specializes in straight razors and take your time.

 

[Lmarkow]

Hi. We use the strop after each shave. If the strop is clean (i.e., no honing pastes have been applied), it does not actually "sharpen" the razor. Rather, it cleans and prepares the edge for the next use, so we do this after each shave, if not before too. The way these razors are designed, the angle is "set" by resting the spine on the hone. But for your first razor, you should make sure you get one from a reputable seller who is known for providing "shave ready" razors. Good luck!

 

[RedsFan75]

5/8 round point is considered a good one to start with. I echo the advice about reputable seller and shave ready blade. The marketplace has some shave ready ones frequently, or an Aust from Maggards, or... The options are wide open. You can practice taking lather off your face using a butter knife to get a feel of angles, etc...

 

[NittanyGator]

I would recommend vintage, the thicker grind the better (close to wedge), round point, may 5/8, professionally honed by someone reputable.

I think thicker grinds are less intimidating and the extra heft is easier to control for a newbie. Thinner blades are easier to control (5/8). Using a blade that is not sharp would make for a terrible experience.

 

[SirChangalot]

I would recommend vintage, the thicker grind the better (close to wedge), round point, may 5/8, professionally honed by someone reputable.

I think thicker grinds are less intimidating and the extra heft is easier to control for a newbie. Thinner blades are easier to control (5/8). Using a blade that is not sharp would make for a terrible experience.

Some solid advice this. But remember that shave ready is the most important part. Don't get completely hung up about a particular grind or size.
Good luck with your SR journey!

 

[seattleshaver]

I will add that IMO most newer shavers wouldn't like to learn with something as small as a 4/8. 5/8 and 6/8 round point would be the best I think.

 

[NittanyGator]

I think something like the whipped dog setup would be the right way to go, as I posted on a similar thread, but I would still lean towards a heavier grind vintage than a full hollow modern razor for starters. Generally these go hand in hand, as used razors are usually vintage and they are heavier grinds and less expensive, new razors are generally full hollow and more money. Maybe ask larry at whipped dog for a heavier grind and get an inexpensive strop to massacre. Larry also has nice brushes at a good price point.

 

[sarimento1]

Lots of good advice so far!
My 2c...does not matter a lot about size, toe, grind.
What matters most, IMHO, is to get a blade that is truly sharp and smooth, from a skilled honemeister!
Also, learning how to strop, whether on newspaper or leather.
Get your edge to be correct, then work on technique.
From there, you can go to trying various geometries, brands, etc.!
Enjoy the journey!!

 

[Jason smooth]

5/8 round point is considered a good one to start with. You can practice taking lather off your face using a butter knife to get a feel of angles, etc...

I will go with the 5/8 round.

Butter knife practice? What a good Idea.

Thanks

 

[Jason smooth]

http://www.theartofshaving.com/Blac...t,pd.html?cgid=razors-straight-razors#start=1

I am thinking about this straight razor for the following reasons.

1. Quality
2. It looks great
3. 5/8 round
4. I won't have to upgrade and I can just learn on the this blade.

I went to the Whipped dog web site and this one is nice too but I hate the name. http://www.whippeddog.com/products/view/dovo-504b

 

[RedsFan75]

Another good option. http://www.maggardrazors.com/product/new-ralf-aust-58-round-point-black-handle-professionally-honed/

 

[Acmemfg]

Check Straight Razor Design, The Superior Shave, and a few of the other recognized vendors on here. They can hook you up with either of those blades (they are a rebranded Dovo Best and Thiers-Issard 1937) for less than the prices you are looking at now. Plus, it's
A nice, new ready to go razor you will have...not a "homely as sin but shaves well" blade which you will most probably be stuck with if you decide straights are not for you. Just one person's opinion.....

PS...do check out the Ralf Aust razors. Arguably the best production razor ontje market today

 

[Luecke2326]

Great advice about starting with a razor and strop from whipped dog. I was PIFed a straight, strop, and balsa strop from whipped dog and it really got me started! Best wishes and good luck. We are here to help.

 

[gvw755]

I started with electric, went to the Mach shavers to a Merkur Futur with feather blades with a nice silver tip badger. Now I am ready for the next and final step.

I assume alll the blades are pretty much the same with quality. It's more of a size of blade and handle. Thinking about watching some YouTube videos and perhaps just go down my checks and use the Merkur safety on my chin and neck until I become more comfortable with it. How often do you think I should sharpen the blade with a leather strap? Will need to check what angle to sharpen the blade too.

What are the the big no no's in starting out with a straight razor? Thanks

If you like, take a half step and sign up for my PIF:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/508282-1000th-post-SR-PIF

Just cut and paste and expand your statement a little. My Weck hair shaper was my gateway into straignts. No bothering with honing or stropping and compact enough to concentrate on your technique.

 

[dmatcuk]

At that $160 price point, you may be able to find something better if you look around. Something that I had read before was that hollow grinds are a little more forgiving, thus easier for new shavers. The sight unseen are nice from Larry at Whipped Dog. That is what I started with. To be honest, I wish I would have just bought something nice to begin with. At the time I wasn't sure if I would stick with it though, so $40 was a easier loss to swallow than $150+. Unless you know how to hone and have the supplies to do so, you may want to get a second razor. That is where the sight unseen are really nice. You may round your edge stropping and new straight users are tough on the edges. You will need to send it out to be honed, and it is nice to have a back up on hand to keep shaving. I do my own honing and still like to keep a back up ready to go just in case I do not have time to hone my daily shaver. Have fun shaving and ask lots of questions. Take your time and learn from every shave.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I would vote for a Whipped Dog setup, but there are a lot of other options. There are shave ready Gold Dollars out there, for around $20, sometimes. There are cheap shave ready blades for sale on BST once in a while. There are a couple of ebay vendors who can be trusted... see if the vendor has a store with a bunch of razors, and a good feedback rating, and ask on this board if he is known. If you want to splurge on a new, good quality razor, I suggest a shave ready Dovo Bismarck, probably the most ergonomically designed razor in production today. Jarrod at TheSuperiorShave.com sometimes has them.

It is a good idea to start out with two razors. You shave with one until it is dull, then send it out for honing and you still have the other for shaving. Or try your hand at honing, which will likely have your dull razor out of action for a few days as you learn to put a proper shaving edge on it. Either way, the backup is a good idea. If you get one new one, get another, backup razor, from Larry.

You could try your hand at straight shaving this very night, if there is a Sally's Beauty Supply near you. Get a shavette. That is a razor that is sorta shaped like a straight razor, but instead of a permanent blade that you use for 200 years, it has a blade holder that accepts a disposable blade. Get the type that uses half of a DE blade. Blades are waaaaaay cheaper. Sallys also sells Personna blue pack blades for a reasonable price. While you are there, get a big bottle of Clubman. Or a jug if they have it in gallons. Can't go wrong with the club. It is a bit different than using a proper straight, but if you can shave with minimal blood loss with a shavette, you can certainly shave with a straight without slicing your face to bits. Keep your skin stretched tight, pressure light on the face, and the shave angle dead low, where the spine of the blade holder is practically dragging on your face. So a shavette will get you in the game while you are waiting for your new straight to arrive. It could even serve as your backup razor, or travel razor, since no strop is needed and you can get blades at most drugstores. I have two of them, so when I snap a blade in half I have a place to put both halves. They are cheap as dirt. Magic Razor is the brand name on them.

Too bad you missed Doc47's passaround. I understand he is considering doing it again in the future, though. And there are frequent one-off PIFs on the board, so you could get lucky.

 

[Jason smooth]

At that $160 price point, you may be able to find something better if you look around. Something that I had read before was that hollow grinds are a little more forgiving, thus easier for new shavers. The sight unseen are nice from Larry at Whipped Dog. That is what I started with. To be honest, I wish I would have just bought something nice to begin with. At the time I wasn't sure if I would stick with it though, so $40 was a easier loss to swallow than $150+. Unless you know how to hone and have the supplies to do so, you may want to get a second razor. That is where the sight unseen are really nice. You may round your edge stropping and new straight users are tough on the edges. You will need to send it out to be honed, and it is nice to have a back up on hand to keep shaving. I do my own honing and still like to keep a back up ready to go just in case I do not have time to hone my daily shaver. Have fun shaving and ask lots of questions. Take your time and learn from every shave.

Based on videos I have seen, to sharpened the blade you should have a smooth action going back and forth on the strap for 50 times and not press too hard. Is there something with the technique I am missing? Is it that hard to sharpened the blade correctly?

 

[Cambouis]

Based on videos I have seen, to sharpened the blade you should have a smooth action going back and forth on the strap for 50 times and not press too hard. Is there something with the technique I am missing? Is it that hard to sharpened the blade correctly?

I think it is important to remember that when one strops a razor, one is not "sharpening it"; one is merely refining the edge - and cleaning it too. Sharpening, strictly speaking means honing and/or bevel setting.

C.