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Another beginner question regarding the first purchase and probable damage

realdog4

realdog4

Like other beginners, I have used an aggressive OC razor and want to swim with the big boys by using a straight. I have always wanted to use a straight and used DE razors to work my way up to this point.

The amount of information available is extremely voluminous and my head is spinning.

I have come to the conclusion that I will probably ruin or damage my first straight razor and strop.

If you could do it all over again with your present knowledge...
How would you go about buying your first razor and strop?

The information I have read seems to be a catch-22.

From what I can tell you should buy a decent budget razor and strop but expect it to get damaged.

Please excuse my ignorance. I have a long way to go.

Take care,
Jason
 
M

mshanen

Sounds like we're at about the same point. I ended up with a sight unseen straight and poor man strop kit from whippeddog.com and am expecting it any day now. Also had good references for buca in the hobbiest section for a similar setup. Fairly inexpensive entry point either way to test the waters.
 
inspiringK

inspiringK

+1

I think the best bet is to get your first razor from Whipped Dog and order that poor man strop kit right off the bat.

Alternatively, you could buy an already honed razor from a member here.

The key is to get a ready to shave razor from someone who knows how to get the razor to that point. Maybe having two of them would be nice.
 
realdog4

realdog4

Thanks gentleman.

I wasn't sure I would get too far with my general question but the whippeddog option appears to be an excellent choice for my needs.

I need to read some more how - to information but now I have a truly affordable choice.

I will, of course, keep my eyes on the BST section.

If any other members have some insight, please feel free to share.

Take care,
Jason
 
C

C FrankC

Jason, here's my take on it. I started str8 shaving two months ago, purchased a very nice expensive razor from the BST and the seller a very generous man sent me a badger brush and some soap to get started with when he found out that I was just getting started. I ordered an inexpensive strop and proceeded to trash the edge the first time I tried to strop it. Did that ruin my razor? No I just had to have it re-honed. Did I nick my strop? Sure did. Did that ruin the strop? Nope. So if I had to start over, beginning today, knowing what I know now I would take the $ I spent on that expensive razor and buy two good user grade str8s. Make sure they were honed by a pro or other great honer here in this community and get myself to a meet-up or find a mentor in my area and get some one on one mentoring.
I ended up buying more razors right away and going to a meet-up my first week and I got a mentor, that helped more than all the reading I had done or $ spent on razors and such. IME a guy needs two good razors so that you have one to shave with while the other is out for honing, a boar brush that is inexpensive and an inexpensive strop. Add some Cella or poaso cream and GIVER. Doesn't have to complicated just fun.
FrankC
 
njtnjt

njtnjt

C FrankC said:
Jason, here's my take on it. I started str8 shaving two months ago, purchased a very nice expensive razor from the BST and the seller a very generous man sent me a badger brush and some soap to get started with when he found out that I was just getting started. I ordered an inexpensive strop and proceeded to trash the edge the first time I tried to strop it. Did that ruin my razor? No I just had to have it re-honed. Did I nick my strop? Sure did. Did that ruin the strop? Nope. So if I had to start over, beginning today, knowing what I know now I would take the $ I spent on that expensive razor and buy two good user grade str8s. Make sure they were honed by a pro or other great honer here in this community and get myself to a meet-up or find a mentor in my area and get some one on one mentoring.
I ended up buying more razors right away and going to a meet-up my first week and I got a mentor, that helped more than all the reading I had done or $ spent on razors and such. IME a guy needs two good razors so that you have one to shave with while the other is out for honing, a boar brush that is inexpensive and an inexpensive strop. Add some Cella or poaso cream and GIVER. Doesn't have to complicated just fun.
FrankC
Click to expand...

+100:)
 
Shave_Rat

Shave_Rat

You won't end up damaging your straight razor, most likely. Prematurely dulling the edge? Highly likely while learning, but not really damaging. First strop? Or two, even? High chances you'll nick the heck out of it, possibly even worse. We all went through the learning curve though, it can be done, and it's well worth. :)
 
inspiringK

inspiringK

ChopperStyle said:
I'd be careful repping Whipped Dog. He's been banned for a reason ...
Click to expand...

What are you on about?

Whipped Dog is a vendor that has been highly respected here for years among straight shavers. Did you get a bad razor from them? Or, a bad brush? If you are willing to dissuade someone from using a vendor, at least give some sort of reason or at least a link to put your comment into context.
 
Shave_Rat

Shave_Rat

ChopperStyle said:
I'd be careful repping Whipped Dog. He's been banned for a reason ...
Click to expand...

I missed this one when I was scanning the thread. To the best of my knowledge, Larry, the owner of Whipped Dog, is not banned from B&B, nor ever has been. I think he has let his Vendor badge expire, but his account is still up and active.
 
Lmarkow

Lmarkow

Nothing wrong with a sight unseen from WD, a vintage from a member off BST, or a Gold Dollar made shave ready by one of the hobbyists. But if you know you want to do this, and if the lowest cost to dip your toes in the lather isn't a goal, then poke around for a bit, close your eyes, and picture yourself shaving with one of these razors. What do you think you'd enjoy the most? Buy that one, if you can, and go for it. Get the WD or GD as a back up. Or if you find you really like this, close your eyes again . . . .
 
dgreene120

dgreene120

I'm in the same boat as you and Shane. Won a generous PIF from EMT88 and am expecting a shave-ready Gold Dollar, strop, etc. from Buca to arrive tomorrow. :w00t: The amount of info is overwhelming, so I plan to take it slow and continue to get as much advice as I can. I'm in the GRU-Fall, so I won't be purchasing a back-up straight for the next few months and will need to make sure that I don't screw up the edge before then! :scared:
 
cleanshaved

cleanshaved

I’m stumped
Get a vintage razor of modest price. Whipped Dog & BST as recommended. Don't forget to look in the Hobbyist/Vender section.
Strop: I believe the chances are high of nicking so get a cheap strop just to be sure. If you practice prior to putting a razor to the leather the risk may reduce. When I started I practiced without a strop (air stropping), focusing on the turn. Then I used a butter knife on the strop for a few goes before actual stropping. No nicks on my first strop. Folding a newspaper to make a strop and hanging over a towel rail, will also give you a practice strop.
If you go with Whipped Dog get his strop kit. The balsa wood and Crox will help with edge maintenance
 
realdog4

realdog4

Thanks for all the comments. Perhaps I have the wrong impression about damaging your first straight. My view was that the damage was permanent rendering it useless or beyond repair.

Also - I am familiar but not inflicted with RAD. That, however, appears to be a safety razor term.

Is owning more than one straight the norm?

Right now I have two nice brushes, plenty of MWF and a few septic sticks. So thankfully I am not starting from scratch.

Thanks to all. Your comments and insight have been helpful. As always, if you have something to share . . Please do.

I check threads often and try to get as much feedback as possible.

Take care,
Jason

PS - I realize I just mentioned razors. I am not; however, under valuing the need and use of a strop.
 
inspiringK

inspiringK

realdog4 said:
Thanks for all the comments. Perhaps I have the wrong impression about damaging your first straight. My view was that the damage was permanent rendering it useless or beyond repair.

Also - I am familiar but not inflicted with RAD. That, however, appears to be a safety razor term.

Is owning more than one straight the norm?

Right now I have two nice brushes, plenty of MWF and a few septic sticks. So thankfully I am not starting from scratch.

Thanks to all. Your comments and insight have been helpful. As always, if you have something to share . . Please do.

I check threads often and try to get as much feedback as possible.

Take care,
Jason

PS - I realize I just mentioned razors. I am not; however, under valuing the need and use of a strop.
Click to expand...

I assume owning more than one straight is the norm (here at least!). Having multiple straights is great for me personally. They all tend to shave differently and I can maintain them in bulk. Typically, when I hone one razor, I also hone at least two others. It makes maintenance easier and also means that when I have gotten all I can out of the edge from one razor I still have others ready to go. So, I don't "need" to hone as often.

I'd go so far as to say that, eventually, having at least two razors will become a must.
 
Shave_Rat

Shave_Rat

About the only way you'll damage a straight beyond repair is if you drop it onto something hard, or really ding it against a sink/faucet, either one can crack the blade or take a huge chunk out of the metal, too large to be honed back out. Those cases are pretty rare to happen, over all. Anything else you do, small dings, roll the edge with bad stropping, dull the edge with beginning technique... those are all easily fixed by someone good at honing. Even if you completely mess up the scales somehow, those are completely replaceable.

Having more than one straight is the norm for most that shave with them often, not even due to plain old SRAD, but due to the convenience of having one or two with good edges as back up when you have to send one or two out for honing. Or if you do ding an edge as you start your shave, you can set that one aside, grab another from the rack, and (carefully) finish that shave without really missing a beat.
 
Lineman

Lineman

Shave_Rat said:
About the only way you'll damage a straight beyond repair is if you drop it onto something hard, or really ding it against a sink/faucet, either one can crack the blade or take a huge chunk out of the metal, too large to be honed back out. Those cases are pretty rare to happen, over all. Anything else you do, small dings, roll the edge with bad stropping, dull the edge with beginning technique... those are all easily fixed by someone good at honing. Even if you completely mess up the scales somehow, those are completely replaceable.

Having more than one straight is the norm for most that shave with them often, not even due to plain old SRAD, but due to the convenience of having one or two with good edges as back up when you have to send one or two out for honing. Or if you do ding an edge as you start your shave, you can set that one aside, grab another from the rack, and (carefully) finish that shave without really missing a beat.
Click to expand...
1+ shave rat said it all lol
I tried DE's didn't really like them so all I use is a straight I have 4 in my rotation. Mainly because every once in a while I get carless stropping or bad angle and roll the edge and that gives me a back up to finish the shave and shave till I can go back and fix the edge. And that gos double if you you have to send it out to get rehoned.
 
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