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New Orleans
02-26-2009, 05:30 AM
Having read the posts on the complicated process of preparting a straight razor for use, I feel discouraged. I don't want to spend that much time learning how to do something, or need all sorts of special gear to get it right. Is there a shave ready, high quality, relatively inexpensive straight razor?
mdunn
02-26-2009, 05:38 AM
the BST can provide you with a cheap vintage shave ready razor, just lurk around there for a week or so and several bargains will pass through.
professorchaos
02-26-2009, 05:55 AM
All you need is shave ready razor and a strop. Some patience helps too. Keep in mind that none of us were born knowing how to shave with or hone a straight, we too had to learn it. I assure you that if I did, you can.
tg16
02-26-2009, 06:14 AM
Hey New Orleans, is that just a handle or are you down I-55 from me?
crankymoose
02-26-2009, 06:21 AM
even with a replaceable blade straight there is a learning curve, generally it is not something that most pick up overnight but with a real straight it takes weeks even months before most get consistently great smooth nick free shaves that are better then a DE, once you get there it is great but if you are looking for quick results a straight may not be for you
New Orleans
02-26-2009, 06:49 AM
Just North of the Lake...
New Orleans
02-26-2009, 06:50 AM
All you need is shave ready razor and a strop. Some patience helps too. Keep in mind that none of us were born knowing how to shave with or hone a straight, we too had to learn it. I assure you that if I did, you can.

What about the honing, etc. part of things? Can that be skipped with a shave ready razor?
Bruce
02-26-2009, 06:56 AM
New,

If you get a razor which is truly shave ready - shave tested should be better descriptor to ask about for the new buyer - stropping should be the only thing you need to do for many shaves.
professorchaos
02-26-2009, 06:59 AM
What about the honing, etc. part of things? Can that be skipped with a shave ready razor?

it can be skipped for a while. for me, the hardest part was figuring out what shave ready is. once you decide to tackle that, there are some very informative posts and videos which will help accelerate your learning.
crankymoose
02-26-2009, 07:02 AM
What about the honing, etc. part of things? Can that be skipped with a shave ready razor?

with a real straight-shave ready and pre-honed, you will need to strop every day before the shave, if it is your only straight it may last up to a couple months before it needs touched up, you can get pasted paddle strop for touch ups and to delay honing, of course there are a lot of variables that go into that such as your beard, type of straight, the metal and how good you do or don't strop, figure on average it needing to see a hone 1-2x a year if all you have is 1 straight and use it daily

read this link (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=33718) it will answer your questions better
mparker762
02-26-2009, 09:10 AM
You don't need a hone unless you want to restore vintage razors, or you chip your edge. A pasted paddle will get any factory edge to the point where it shaves well, and between that and your plain daily strop you'll be good to go until your first nick.

There's a guy on SRP that has been using the same Thiers-Issard razor every day for four years using just a 4-sided paddle strop with pastes on three of the sides. He is just now considering using a stone on it to true up the bevel.