Taken the plunge - my 1st straight

Leslie145 · Jul 18, 2014

After saying for ages they scare me, I finally decided to take the straight challenge... after a bit of negotiation on ebay, picked this little beauty up for £25:

Just waiting for delivery, then to a member of another forum for honing... will be spending the intervening time wisely checking out YT videos & tutorials.

Looking forward to losing my straight cherry - wish me luck

Lakebound · Jul 18, 2014

Good looking razor and a very smart approach to straights IMO. Congratulations and welcome to the darkside and to the addiction. You will never be the same once you tame the straight.

Regards,

Frank

Leslie145 · Jul 18, 2014

Thanks Frank - I know the strop will probably be a cheapie, but a Kropp in that condition is worth more than the £25 I paid alone.

Note to self - have the emergency services on speedial

Winchester38 · Jul 18, 2014

Welcome to SRAD! I picked up my first about two months ago, and have only touched a DE once or twice since. I'm hooked!

Leslie145 · Jul 18, 2014

Thank you sir...

...incidentally, always wanted to visit your part of the world; only ever passed through on my way to Newfoundland

Oscroft · Jul 18, 2014

Yep, Kropps are great shavers - and that one is in lovely condition.

photodork · Jul 18, 2014

Leslie145 said:
Thank you sir...

...incidentally, always wanted to visit your part of the world; only ever passed through on my way to Newfoundland

you wont find a friendlier place than newfoundland!! congrts on the new blade and the upcoming addiction.

Steve56 · Jul 18, 2014

Congrats! You'll enjoy it. Learning to shave with one is a bit like riding a bicycle, takes some practice for the coordination to get where it should be.

Cheers, Steve

Leslie145 · Jul 18, 2014

photodork said:
you wont find a friendlier place than newfoundland!! congrts on the new blade and the upcoming addiction.

That'll be why we've visited on 5 occasions then... Beautiful place, friendly people & great beers (QV 1892... yum!) - mind you, your own Pumphouse beers are well worth it, too

eezee · Jul 18, 2014

Welcome to the club! I hope you love it!!

Nice looking set up. Be sure to keep us posted as to how things go.

BSAGuy · Jul 18, 2014

That's a nice razor. Good luck on your journey.

danlaw · Jul 18, 2014

As a guy recently returned to straight shaving after 30 years of wasting money on electrics and cartridges - ******* here - may I make a couple suggestions?

1. Before you ever use it once be sure to get it fully and professionally honed - I use Lynn Abrams here in US but find somebody who is a pro. Nothing will make your life more miserable than a dull or uneven edge.

2. I would pick up a second razor because you will dull/roll an edge and require rehoning probably from stropping. You will be rotating them back to your honer at least a few times over the first month or 2

3. I have found hanging strops that are long are easier to use without rolling edges than paddles, particularly short paddles. Paddles, particularly short encourage neophytes to lift at end of stroke and roll edges. Also do not really use any pressure on the razor as counterintuitive as that may be or you will roll edges. Finally, best advice I received was to rub hand over leather about 50 times fast and hard to warm up strop prior to using.

4. Map the direction of beard growth and follow that with your initial pass

5. Prep the hell out of your face! Wetshaving means just that WET. Leave your face wet after a shower and use a quality preshave between each lathering be it noxema, proraso &c. Start with a forgiving easy soap - none more so than Cella in my experience. Build lather with water and work into face in sections so lather stays wet.

6. Hold the razor firmly BUT don't exert pressure on the face - let the blade glide

7. Stretch each section of you face as you go along - critical

8. Don't get crazy trying to get perfect shave at first - be happy doing with grain pass maybe lateral second pass and finish with a cartridge razor until you get to speed.

cubancigar2000 · Jul 18, 2014

Those old cheaper razors can shave as well as the new expensive ones if honed right and you get the technique down pat. Don't give up, keep at it until you get past 100 shaves and do not hesitate to ask questions. It will be worth it. It may not seem so at first but read, listen and practice until you find that it is a simple thing if all is correct

Oscroft · Jul 18, 2014

Steve56 said:
Learning to shave with one is a bit like riding a bicycle...

Yep, you'll get punctures :lol:

RSP1 · Jul 19, 2014

Nice purchase. Follow up with progress.

Leslie145 · Jul 20, 2014

danlaw said:
As a guy recently returned to straight shaving after 30 years of wasting money on electrics and cartridges - ******* here - may I make a couple suggestions?

1. Before you ever use it once be sure to get it fully and professionally honed - I use Lynn Abrams here in US but find somebody who is a pro. Nothing will make your life more miserable than a dull or uneven edge.

2. I would pick up a second razor because you will dull/roll an edge and require rehoning probably from stropping. You will be rotating them back to your honer at least a few times over the first month or 2

3. I have found hanging strops that are long are easier to use without rolling edges than paddles, particularly short paddles. Paddles, particularly short encourage neophytes to lift at end of stroke and roll edges. Also do not really use any pressure on the razor as counterintuitive as that may be or you will roll edges. Finally, best advice I received was to rub hand over leather about 50 times fast and hard to warm up strop prior to using.

4. Map the direction of beard growth and follow that with your initial pass

5. Prep the hell out of your face! Wetshaving means just that WET. Leave your face wet after a shower and use a quality preshave between each lathering be it noxema, proraso &c. Start with a forgiving easy soap - none more so than Cella in my experience. Build lather with water and work into face in sections so lather stays wet.

6. Hold the razor firmly BUT don't exert pressure on the face - let the blade glide

7. Stretch each section of you face as you go along - critical

8. Don't get crazy trying to get perfect shave at first - be happy doing with grain pass maybe lateral second pass and finish with a cartridge razor until you get to speed.

Thanks Danlaw, some great tips there. Mapping beard growth pretty much done by way of mistakes with aggressive DE razors. Honing wise, there's a couple of guys on TSR in the UK with very good reputations... As soon as the Kropp's received, it's going straight to one if them for a hone & full check over.

Watch this space for updates/obituary...

Brianskeet · Jul 20, 2014

Congratulations! Sounds like you are off to a wonderful start.

Leslie145 · Jul 22, 2014

Hah - my colleagues know me so well. It's my birthday in a couple of days so we went to lunch today where I was presented with 2 gifts:

Steve Hackett's new album (huzzah!!)

A shavette!

They've been looking over my shoulder at lunchtimes, haven't they!

Leslie145 · Jul 25, 2014

Well to be on the safe side & as it failed the HHT, this has now gone to be properly checked out, cleaned & honed, so watch this space for updates on its return.

Also, looking at other threads, got myself a tub of Noxzema for pre-shave - I understand this guarantees a very slick lather.

What could possibly go wrong?

Leslie145 · Aug 1, 2014

eezee said:
Welcome to the club! I hope you love it!!

Nice looking set up. Be sure to keep us posted as to how things go.

Well now back with me after being given a good going over & full hone by a friend on TSR & if I thought it looked good before, it now looks brand new.

All being well, 1st shave this weekend

Search

Taken the plunge - my 1st straight

Leslie145

Lakebound

Leslie145

Winchester38

Leslie145

Oscroft

photodork

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!

Leslie145

eezee

BSAGuy

danlaw

cubancigar2000

Oscroft

RSP1

Leslie145

Brianskeet

Leslie145

Leslie145

Leslie145

Similar threads