rattlerviper
Active Member
So you have decided you want to shave with a straight razor? Good welcome to the club! I', going to tell you about my method of changing over that has worked for myself and 2 other gents that I have helped convert.
First your going to need some equipment. The equipment you will need for my method is a razor, strop, balsa strop and some way to lather your face or some non-lathering shave stuff. We will start with the piece your probably most excited about, the razor. Where should you get it? Well it's up to you, but hunting down old razors is a huge part of this hobby. I recommend you buy a razor either from the classified section in this forum or one of the other forums or EBAY. Buying razors off of ebay you can potentially be ripped off however getting a good razor from the bay is part of the excitement of shaving with a straight, as most people here will attest one razor become 10 fairly quickly. If you are planning to buy your first razor on Ebay, don't go by your own inexperienced judgment. Instead, start a thread on Coticule.be, with a public request to be pointed to a few good razors that are up for bidding on Ebay. You'll be surprised by the help you'll receive.
We will assume now that you have razor in hand from whatever source you choose to purchase it. STOP. Don't even try to shave with that bad boy. It needs to be honed and made shave ready. Take advantage of the free sharpening service here or send it out to be professionally honed. Now if your going to pay for it there are people that will charge you ten bucks and others that will charge you more. What do I recommend? Take advantage of the free service for having one razor sharpened or have Ray (straight razor sharp) sharpen it. The price on his website right now is listed at 10 dollars, he's a respected member of this and the other razor forums and he will put a coticule edge on it for you. There are other sharpening services out there but whether you choose the free service here or Ray's you will end up with a coticule sharpened razor...And that's why you are on this forum right? Pack it up in a sturdy container and send your razor off and wait. Meanwhile you have some other stuff to buy.
Your going to need a strop. Purchase a good one but not a expensive one. Plan to spend forty dollars or a bit more to get you a good strop. Do your research and buy the one you want, but make sure it's good quality. Why not buy a expensive one? You may nick or even cut it. You might not, but why spend 100 bucks on one you might nick because you are learning? Watch some videos and read some on how to use it. Be careful when using it until you get some muscle memory going and slowly speed up when it feels 100% natural.
Purchase or make a balsa strop. It will enable you to touch up a slightly less than shaving sharp razor yourself easily and quickly. No hones for you yet! You don't want to be learning how to hone and learning how to shave and wondering whether your shaving technique is bad or you are unable to hone, so make or buy a balsa strop. Tons of info out there on it if you want to make one. They can be purchased for something like 12 to 16 bucks.
Are you already a wet shaver? If you are continue using whatever method and materials you currently use. If not I am going to recommend you use a brushless cream to learn with. You can buy a brush and all sorts of scented soaps and cream later on once you know How to shave with your straight. If you use a brushless cream you can be 100% sure that it's not your lathering technique that is causing you problems. Lucky Tiger Brand, Cremo Cream whatever your choice is buy a quality one (or two) and with proper face prep (once again plenty of info out there) you will be just fine. I love my boar brush and soaps, but learning to use them takes a few tries.
Now you have everything you need, your razor has been sharpened. You have watched videos and read how to shave with your razor. So do it! Work to get a little better everyday. Work on those problem areas. Run your hands over your face on a regular basis and get to know your beard growth. And when you have done your best and really tried working on your problem areas...And it's date night or your 10th anniversary or whatever your big night is...Grab another razor, double edge or whatever you used before picking up a straight and touch up that problem area or two. Don't do it every time you shave, but a occasional touch up for a important event in your life isn't gonna hurt a thing. Heresy I know. You have read that once you start shaving with a straight razor and learning to use it that touching another razor is counter productive. I just don't see how touching up once in awhile why you are learning to use a straight razor is harmful. But like I said only do it occasionally.
So that's how I did it the first time I switched to a straight razor years ago, and what I am going through now coming back to the glorious straight razor. It's also worked for a couple of my friends. If I made this post on another forum I would probably be ridiculed, but I have confidence (even as a newbie here) that this forum embraces that different methods can and do work. Anyways guys enjoy those shaves!
First your going to need some equipment. The equipment you will need for my method is a razor, strop, balsa strop and some way to lather your face or some non-lathering shave stuff. We will start with the piece your probably most excited about, the razor. Where should you get it? Well it's up to you, but hunting down old razors is a huge part of this hobby. I recommend you buy a razor either from the classified section in this forum or one of the other forums or EBAY. Buying razors off of ebay you can potentially be ripped off however getting a good razor from the bay is part of the excitement of shaving with a straight, as most people here will attest one razor become 10 fairly quickly. If you are planning to buy your first razor on Ebay, don't go by your own inexperienced judgment. Instead, start a thread on Coticule.be, with a public request to be pointed to a few good razors that are up for bidding on Ebay. You'll be surprised by the help you'll receive.
We will assume now that you have razor in hand from whatever source you choose to purchase it. STOP. Don't even try to shave with that bad boy. It needs to be honed and made shave ready. Take advantage of the free sharpening service here or send it out to be professionally honed. Now if your going to pay for it there are people that will charge you ten bucks and others that will charge you more. What do I recommend? Take advantage of the free service for having one razor sharpened or have Ray (straight razor sharp) sharpen it. The price on his website right now is listed at 10 dollars, he's a respected member of this and the other razor forums and he will put a coticule edge on it for you. There are other sharpening services out there but whether you choose the free service here or Ray's you will end up with a coticule sharpened razor...And that's why you are on this forum right? Pack it up in a sturdy container and send your razor off and wait. Meanwhile you have some other stuff to buy.
Your going to need a strop. Purchase a good one but not a expensive one. Plan to spend forty dollars or a bit more to get you a good strop. Do your research and buy the one you want, but make sure it's good quality. Why not buy a expensive one? You may nick or even cut it. You might not, but why spend 100 bucks on one you might nick because you are learning? Watch some videos and read some on how to use it. Be careful when using it until you get some muscle memory going and slowly speed up when it feels 100% natural.
Purchase or make a balsa strop. It will enable you to touch up a slightly less than shaving sharp razor yourself easily and quickly. No hones for you yet! You don't want to be learning how to hone and learning how to shave and wondering whether your shaving technique is bad or you are unable to hone, so make or buy a balsa strop. Tons of info out there on it if you want to make one. They can be purchased for something like 12 to 16 bucks.
Are you already a wet shaver? If you are continue using whatever method and materials you currently use. If not I am going to recommend you use a brushless cream to learn with. You can buy a brush and all sorts of scented soaps and cream later on once you know How to shave with your straight. If you use a brushless cream you can be 100% sure that it's not your lathering technique that is causing you problems. Lucky Tiger Brand, Cremo Cream whatever your choice is buy a quality one (or two) and with proper face prep (once again plenty of info out there) you will be just fine. I love my boar brush and soaps, but learning to use them takes a few tries.
Now you have everything you need, your razor has been sharpened. You have watched videos and read how to shave with your razor. So do it! Work to get a little better everyday. Work on those problem areas. Run your hands over your face on a regular basis and get to know your beard growth. And when you have done your best and really tried working on your problem areas...And it's date night or your 10th anniversary or whatever your big night is...Grab another razor, double edge or whatever you used before picking up a straight and touch up that problem area or two. Don't do it every time you shave, but a occasional touch up for a important event in your life isn't gonna hurt a thing. Heresy I know. You have read that once you start shaving with a straight razor and learning to use it that touching another razor is counter productive. I just don't see how touching up once in awhile why you are learning to use a straight razor is harmful. But like I said only do it occasionally.
So that's how I did it the first time I switched to a straight razor years ago, and what I am going through now coming back to the glorious straight razor. It's also worked for a couple of my friends. If I made this post on another forum I would probably be ridiculed, but I have confidence (even as a newbie here) that this forum embraces that different methods can and do work. Anyways guys enjoy those shaves!
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