Straight Razor Noob

[TraderJoe]

Ok, all this talk about straight razors has me interested.

I tried the Feather AC, didn't like it.

I'm more than happy with my DE(s), but I'll be the first to admit that part of the allure of wetshaving is the variety.

So, help me get hooked up.....

Can I get a total rig (Razor, hone, strop) for about $80?

:sad027

[berzerkeleyan]

Ok, all this talk about straight razors has me interested.

I tried the Feather AC, didn't like it.

I'm more than happy with my DE(s), but I'll be the first to admit that part of the allure of wetshaving is the variety.

So, help me get hooked up.....

Can I get a total rig (Razor, hone, strop) for about $80?

:sad027

I'm not sure if you can get a new rig for $80, but maybe one of our veterans here can put together a good vintage set for you. You're also probably able to get away without the hone for a while, provided you get a shave-ready straight.

What was it about the Feather AC that you didn't like? It might portend how you'll feel using a regular straight.

[SSLSTudio...]

You can but in your case I wouldnt advice it.

I went the Tony Miller way and got the Dovo, 4 sided paddlestrops and no Hones. when a straight is that new you wont need to hone it for quite a while.
The Yellow diamond paste on the paddles act as a hone anyways thats the point of the Tony Miller paddlestrops in Theorie you wouldnt need a hone to hone it but use the same stropping technique on the yellow parts. mind you you will need like 60+ strokes to get the same effect a MEISTER will get with a few strokes on stone hones. basically what your doing with the Tony paddlestrops is once there is a good starting edge on it you can maintain it pretty much from there on . for quite a while

I think both compliment eachother and those diamond pastes and for example Norton's or Belgium Coticule all offer different qualities to the end hone result.

in your case you didnt like the Feather AC. which brings me to ,why not get one of Bill's straights I have seen he has a few under your budget. and it will arrive shave ready you could atleast try two shaves to see if you like it.
if you dont then no money overboard re-sell it.

for the amount you are writing here Ebay is the route to go. to get the hone and strops.

As soon as you find out this is something you can enjoy buy the Lynn Abrams DVD as fast as you can...

[TraderJoe]

I'm not sure if you can get a new rig for $80, but maybe one of our veterans here can put together a good vintage set for you. You're also probably able to get away without the hone for a while, provided you get a shave-ready straight.


Good point, I'd be willing to go without a hone for a little while (assuming I can get one shave-ready)


What was it about the Feather AC that you didn't like? It might portend how you'll feel using a regular straight.

I was only very rarely able to get a smooth shave, painless shave....and it always left my skin raw (thin)

[TraderJoe]

why not get one of Bill's straights I have seen he has a few under your budget. and it will arrive shave ready you could atleast try two shaves to see if you like it.


:D I was hoping he might have one availalbe

[Scorpio]

You may also look at some of Joe Chandler blades. You could probably can do it for around 80 including a strop. Until you get more experienced with straights and learn to recognize what to look for when buying a vintage via ebay I recommend either Joe or Tony for a shave ready blade. Then get a strop from Tony. I have several razors honed by Joe. If you get a chance PM joe and get to talk to him on the phone. He helped me choose my first straight and he was very helpful and patient with me and my noob questions. I was very pleased with the razor he recommended and it is stil my best razor. Best of all it was priced very reasonably. Just my 2 pennies.

Raf

[berzerkeleyan]

You may also look at some of Joe Chandler blades. You could probably can do it for around 80 including a strop. Until you get more experienced with straights and learn to recognize what to look for when buying a vintage via ebay I recommend either Joe or Tony for a shave ready blade. Then get a strop from Tony. I have several razors honed by Joe. If you get a chance PM joe and get to talk to him on the phone. He helped me choose my first straight and he was very helpful and patient with me and my noob questions. I was very pleased with the razor he recommended and it is stil my best razor. Best of all it was priced very reasonably. Just my 2 pennies.
Raf

This is the route I would also suggest. But I would recommend a 4-sided paddle strop from Tony, so that you can hone up your razor as needed, rather than a regular hanging strop.

You mention the Feather AC leaving you raw. Straights -- at least the ones I own -- are nowhere near as sharp. So you should be fine there. However, I've been at straight razor shaving now for six weeks, and I still can't get a shave equal in quality and comfort to a DE. I'm sure it'll take me another four months before that happens (though I am really close with the Feather AC). I write that just to reinforce the need to exercise patience when learning to use a straight.

[msandoval858]

Or you can do like I did and just go to Raf's house and make him show you all this stuff :rofl

[Baron]

I've got to get into straight shaving... I almost went straight to a straight but decided to start with DE instead... cheaper cost of entry

[Joe C]

You can but in your case I wouldnt advice it.

I went the Tony Miller way and got the Dovo, 4 sided paddlestrops and no Hones. when a straight is that new you wont need to hone it for quite a while.



You will, however, have to hone it initially. Most razors don't come from the factory shave ready, no matter what their advertising says.

[berzerkeleyan]

You will, however, have to hone it initially. Most razors don't come from the factory shave ready, no matter what their advertising says.

And that's why Tony Miller is one way to go. He has his razors honed prior to shipping them to customers. So they're shave ready out of the box. His was my first straight razor. It was quite sharp and poppin' hairs the moment I took it out of the case.

Of course, you could have Joe C hook you up with a nice vintage. :)

[crackstar]

it's a little over a year and a half that I'm using a straight, but my barber still hones it for me.

Jeff

[SSLSTudio...]

You will, however, have to hone it initially. Most razors don't come from the factory shave ready, no matter what their advertising says.

Tony had it honed by a guy that is better at honing straights then he is so you already pay a bit more for the straights at his website but they all come shave ready.

I have bought a straight razor that needs to be send to Lynn, he will hone it for me as im sure there is no shave ready edge on it been sitting since 1922 in barbers talc.

[LX_Emergency]

You could send it to me as well. I'm a bit closer if you're in the Netherlands or anywhere else in europe. I don't think I'm as good as Lynn though. Simply don't have the experience he does.

[Joe C]

You could send it to me as well. I'm a bit closer if you're in the Netherlands or anywhere else in europe. I don't think I'm as good as Lynn though. Simply don't have the experience he does.

I was going to suggest that, actually.

[coolsimon]

well sending them out is great, i may have to do more of that...seeing im in the right continent now..lol
Last night i did hone a couple and i was moderately pleased with the outcomes, im sure the only reason I do it myself is that my tight nature..lol..:rofl ( its a scottish thing)
In respect to the honemeisters around they do an awesome job, but there is a satisfaction level when you find that your efforts have paid off

;) simon

[Smedley]

I'm thinking about getting into the straight shaver world as well. Don't know if it would work out for weekdays, I am not a morning person and all that stropping time every morning would kill my time to get to work. I have everything except the strop, the four-sided paddle is the option I am going to go with for starters. Also sending my razor to Lynn to be honed up first.

[madmedic]

I've got to get into straight shaving... I almost went straight to a straight but decided to start with DE instead... cheaper cost of entry



Big Mistake.... I have one of Bill's razors.....an absolute work of art. My problem is that I started with DEs and I now have become used to the shave achievable with a Futur/Feather combination....hard to beat. I also have a new Dovo (unused) and another vintage shave ready (also unused) straight. If I want to use these...I will have to take time off, and accept what I now consider to be sub par shaves...until I reach an acceptable standard.

[Scorpio]

Brian,

I started much the same way with the ultimate goal to be able to shave with a straight. Well, now I only shave with straights and the shaves are exceptionally close, much closer than with a DE. Of course it did not happen in a day or two but when it did happen it was exhilarating. I never looked back. Everything I did before was with this goal in mind. I was right. The shaves are great. So I wake up a few minutes earlier just so I can shave this way, it is worth every minute. I still make it to work on time every day.

Raf

[Mottern Man]

Joe,

I hope you like Str8 shaving but if not I will probably buy your rig of you anyway. Go for it bud.

[PalmettoB]

Alright, y'all. I have taken the plunge. I found a nice little 4/8 Garantie/Solingen spike point on eBay. Of course I already have the brushes, soaps, creams, etc. Now I need a strop.

Gotta look and see what Tony has. Raf recommended a wide hanging strop, so that is what I am looking at. I will hold off on the honing for now. If the straight isn't as shave-ready as advertised, I will be looking for one of you hone-capable folks for a little help. :D

This is definitely a weekend thing for me for a while. I teach eight o'clock classes, so I don't want to commit hari kari before I even get to Spring Break!!

[SSLSTudio...]

I'm thinking about getting into the straight shaver world as well. Don't know if it would work out for weekdays, I am not a morning person and all that stropping time every morning would kill my time to get to work. I have everything except the strop, the four-sided paddle is the option I am going to go with for starters. Also sending my razor to Lynn to be honed up first.

Smedley, here is a thought why not strop the razor before you go to bed then its ready for you the next morning that would save some time ?
certainly in the beginning you would not want to do it on weekdays the learning curve is quite steep. what you can do for starters is for example only shave your cheeks/neck to get the feel going for a Str8. but finish up with a DE. you dont want to do this for too long or else you will always have a poor technique.

Strongly advice to get the Lynn straight razors DVD excellent info there.

[Smedley]

Smedley, here is a thought why not strop the razor before you go to bed then its ready for you the next morning that would save some time ?
certainly in the beginning you would not want to do it on weekdays the learning curve is quite steep. what you can do for starters is for example only shave your cheeks/neck to get the feel going for a Str8. but finish up with a DE. you dont want to do this for too long or else you will always have a poor technique.

Strongly advice to get the Lynn straight razors DVD excellent info there.

You can strop the night before? Don't the angry stropping elves take offense and kick the edge out of alignment again if you don't shave with the razor immediately after? :D But seriously, thanks for the tip.

I have had the DVD for a month now. :cool:

[moviemaniac]

@Rene: Stropping at the evening is a bad idea if you have only one razor. After shaving you should give it at least 24 hours of rest, in that time the edge will realign itself for a certain part. If you strop after only ~12 hours this will have an impact on how long the edge will stay sharp and how often you'll have to hone.
Instead, you could strop after lathering up in the 2-3 minutes you let the lather rest on your face to soften the whiskers - this actually is what most guys do (except for me as I don't keep my strop and razors in the always-humid bathroom ;) )

Also, the chome-paste is ONLY for refreshening the edge and NOT a replacement for the hone. As soon as the razor starts to get a bit dull, hone it, don't use the chrome-oxide-paste (or at least only once). Believe me, I've seen razors that have never seen a hone in their entire lifetime and have only been kept sharp by the green paste - their edge is misaligned, they have a curved edge - in short: they're hell for someone restoring straights. So, learn how to hone your razors, it's NOT difficult and it's much better for the razor than using the green paste.

[coolsimon]

I have to agree with moviemaniac tosome extent but starting off is a really daunting prospect, however my first dovo has never seen a hone,even though i have quite a few...all i got was a four sided paddle strop from tony with 3 sides of leather and one of balsa, coated with 3.0,1.0,0.5 and 0.25 paste,it came with instructions which were easy to follow.
I do agree with honing a new razor but i havent actually done it ( chicken out..lol) but with a bit of care and the right technique on a new razor the padle works great. An ebay razor for the most part will need the hone.

These are just my experiences and opinions at the end of the day you will figure most of it out for yourself and what worksbest.

regards,simon::

[moviemaniac]

Sure, Simon, use whatever suits you best.
But, just as a thought: This might work well for a coupla years, but after treating a straight like that for 10 or more years it'll require a SERIOUS hone job, i.e. removing quite a bit of material to get a good, flat edge once again. Using the paste-strop for 10 years in fact does the razor much more harm and removes more material in the end than honing it twice a year only slightly. Believe me, honing isn't hard to learn (well, for most straights, that is ;) ) but in the end you'll get better shaving and longer lasting razors than with the strop-paste.

Many of those ebay-straights only require the serious hone-work they do because they've been treated badly (only the 4-sided paddle-strop and no hone) for years and years - they wouldn't require much work at all had they been taken care of properly, meaning being honed and not stropped on the paste. Everyone restoring straights will be able to confirm this.
Give it a thought, it's better for your shaves as well as for the life-span of your straights.

[Scorpio]

I'm by no means an expert but it would seem that paste stroping a ebay razor would not remove enough of the old metal to get to the new where it can be given a new bevel and a new edge. I am not saying it can't be done but it would take a lot longer.

Simon, your new Dovo was probably pretty close to shave ready so a few laps on the pasted strop was all it needed to get it ready.

Raf

[Smedley]

@Rene: Stropping at the evening is a bad idea if you have only one razor. After shaving you should give it at least 24 hours of rest, in that time the edge will realign itself for a certain part. If you strop after only ~12 hours this will have an impact on how long the edge will stay sharp and how often you'll have to hone.

Like I said, the angry stropping elves jump out and wreak their vengeance. ::sesel

Instead, you could strop after lathering up in the 2-3 minutes you let the lather rest on your face to soften the whiskers - this actually is what most guys do (except for me as I don't keep my strop and razors in the always-humid bathroom ;) )

This is a possiblity, but I see these messages like "I stropped 40 times on the linen side, then 60 times on the leather with my Frau Bluchner 6/8 Damascus steel every morning," which to me is more than 2-3 minutes.

[moviemaniac]

Hi David,
a razor that needs 40 times on the linen and 60 times on the leather side is either a very special and hard to get shave-ready blade or simply a nealy dull one. Any good everyday-razor (and especially your new Dovo) just needs 10-20 full rounds on the leather strop. I use 15 for all my straights, that's all they need.

[bg42]

well sending them out is great, i may have to do more of that...seeing im in the right continent now..lol
Last night i did hone a couple and i was moderately pleased with the outcomes, im sure the only reason I do it myself is that my tight nature..lol..:rofl ( its a scottish thing)
In respect to the honemeisters around they do an awesome job, but there is a satisfaction level when you find that your efforts have paid off

;) simon

Are you coully from the srp ,if so good to hear from you ,I remember you said you were going to jump ship and reside in the US good to see you have moved forums as well , if it is a different Simon good to talk to you as well
Kind regards Peter

[coolsimon]

Moviemaniac,I fully agree with you on the pasted strop, my point was that for a newbie with a new razor it is a less terrifying prospect .I have been to busy lately with my move to the usa to get back into it and this week has seen me honing more, i now use my pasted strop more for finishing after honing, but is nice to have the info from others to make this an excellent discussion. My knowledge of honing is ok and i think the biggest part of it, to me anyways, is confidence and self belief,that you can do the job and then shave after it......

Bg , yes its me..lol...good to hear from you...got skype yet?..if not why not...lol, we made it safe and sound, now a domestic technician,so more time to indulge.....hehe

regards to you newbies, simon::

[moviemaniac]

Oh, yeah, you've got a point there, Simon. For a newbie it's good to know he doesn't have to hone the razor, he can just use the paste-strop for some time. But, then again, for ME I was never afraid of honing, I even looked forward to it, to learn how to keep my razors sharp by myself without needing to send them away. It's a process of learning, but it's fun too, at least for me :D
Oh, and I fully agree on using the paste-strops _after_ honing to get the edge even sharper that you can get with the hones. ::

[Smedley]

OK, what about those posts where guys talk about taking divots out of their face when they shave? And these are experienced str8 users, not newbies.

I mean, I'm as muy macho as the next guy, but when it comes to using Crazy Glue to put flaps of skin back down, I kinda have to draw the line. :eek:

[Scorpio]

I think the key is to always know where the edge is and what it is doing. Complacency is an ever present enemy so focusing is key. This is what actually relaxes me in the morning. All is quiet, just me the stubble and the blade. Listening to the stubble being cut is the only sound I hear.

Raf

[moviemaniac]

I think the key is to always know where the edge is and what it is doing. Complacency is an ever present enemy so focusing is key. This is what actually relaxes me in the morning. All is quite, just me the stubble and the blade. Listening to the stubble being cut is the only sound I hear.

Raf
'xactly. I too find it relaxing to shave with a straight in your morning. Your mind is focused to the blade and your face alone, you forget about troubles, about unsolved problems, it's really like a form of meditation for me.

[Bill]

OK, what about those posts where guys talk about taking divots out of their face when they shave? And these are experienced str8 users, not newbies.

I mean, I'm as muy macho as the next guy, but when it comes to using Crazy Glue to put flaps of skin back down, I kinda have to draw the line. :eek:
Hey... what's wrong with super glue? It works great...

http://home.comcast.net/~cherylellis01/bill/wrist.jpg

:D

[bg42]

Hey... what's wrong with super glue? It works great...

http://home.comcast.net/~cherylellis01/bill/wrist.jpg

:D

Ihope thats not your adams apple Bill
kind regards Peter

[Bill]

Ihope thats not your adams apple Bill
kind regards Peter

Naw... it's my left wrist. It's what convinced me not to be too lazy about shaving the left side of my face with my left hand instead of crossing over with my right. The cut went into the bone as well. That was several years ago. Never even went to the emergency room. Had a BBQ to start and didn't have time to waste sitting with a bunch of people who would be coughing on me for a couple hours. Super glue... worked like a champ.

[Mottern Man]

Bill,

Next time come over to my house, I can sew you up here and you can just bring the Barbie! :D ::

[PalmettoB]

Geez, Bill. I had to see that right before I try my first str8 shave! :rofl Seriously though, glad you survived!

[bg42]

being a knife maker one of my favorite medical utensils is a stick and electricians tape,helps to keep the afflicted digit still and out straight for a few days .
last time I used it was about 2 months ago when I promptly stuck my finger in the prop of one of my model planes, I know super glue works but bugger me it stings
kind regards Peter



Naw... it's my left wrist. It's what convinced me not to be too lazy about shaving the left side of my face with my left hand instead of crossing over with my right. The cut went into the bone as well. That was several years ago. Never even went to the emergency room. Had a BBQ to start and didn't have time to waste sitting with a bunch of people who would be coughing on me for a couple hours. Super glue... worked like a champ.

[proFeign]

being a knife maker one of my favorite medical utensils is a stick and electricians tape,helps to keep the afflicted digit still and out straight for a few days .
last time I used it was about 2 months ago when I promptly stuck my finger in the prop of one of my model planes, I know super glue works but bugger me it stings
kind regards Peter

They have Band-Aid brand glue for cuts that's like the stuff they use in hospitals called Dermabond. It's money, though, and it doesn't have a very long shelf life. But unlike superglue it's some other kind of cyanoacrylate that stays flexible. It's no good on fingers or places that stretch a lot or get abraded.

It does sting but it's an easy fix. It breaks off too fast for me though.

Main thing, though, is, clean the cut out SUPER thoroughly before you glue it, also if it hasn't stopped bleeding it's just going to build up and squirt out a few minutes later. Seriously, make sure it's clean or you'll trap all kinds of nasty xxxx in there and it'll get infected bad.

Anyway anybody use a feather AC blade in a shavette-style handle? That's what I'm using while waiting for my 4/8 dovo and man is it sharp. Does using a shavette style handle eliminate part of the AC experience? I use the black box feather "professional" blades.

[rick]

Greetings pF !!
Thanks for dropping in :signs021

[C utz]

I was only very rarely able to get a smooth shave, painless shave....and it always left my skin raw (thin)


The feather razors (a fresh one at least) will be pleanty sharp to give you a clean shave and comfortable. The discomfort that you expereinced might have been for a number of reasons:

- There is a tendency to push down on the razor when shaving, which is not necessary for a straight razor (if it's sharp enough, and I'm, again, assuming that the 'feather' was - their new/fresh blades are pleanty sharp too). This will cause you to get a razor burn (or basically remove a few layers of skin). You might have to hold back when shaving with these (versus push down), and let the edge do the work. Light and easy....

- Also, the angle of the blade is not the same as that of a DE razor (the DE shaves almost like a rake across the skin, perpendicular...at least that is what you see - despite the angle of the blade that the holder bends the blade). The blade should be held at about a 30-45 degree angle from the skin (in that, holding the blade flat against the skin, lift the spine away - keeping the edge on the skin - so that the spine is 30 degrees away...I don't recommend doing this, since, if you have slightly shaky hands, that edge on the skin will be slightly shakey too!:eek: This description of 30 degrees was for referance purposes...I know, I drink too much coffee and have slightly shakey hands).

- AND, the technique of pulling the skin tight, and being familiar with the straight razor (angle/pressure(or lack of)/etc...) takes a little time to learn. It IS a little different from shaving with a DE, even if there are the same considerations.

- Plus, from what I have heard, every blade has a different seration pattern along the edge (especially for straight razors that were honed by different people on perhaps different hones, there will be different score patterns forming the edge of the blade....this might not matter for the 'feather' blade, but it may in that 'feather' might make the blade edges in a slightly different manner than the blade in your DE razor you are use to). You skin has to get use to this edge, and will over time.

Don't give up on the straight razor with just one sore shave. With a little practice it will surpase the DE. HOWEVER, there IS mantinence with a straight razor that you might not want to deal with. This is where the DE might be for you, since you can just slap in a fresh edge and not have to deal with strops and hones....(however, the 'feather' will also be the same mantinence though as a DE, so there would be NO excuse :mad: ).

Anything worth learning takes a little practice (I'm told :))

Good luck!! ::
C utz

[C utz]

I've got to get into straight shaving... I almost went straight to a straight but decided to start with DE instead... cheaper cost of entry

You can go 'straight to a straight', and from what I hear you don't have to be straight to use a straight, so I guess that is good news...if you are not straight. Did I get that straight? :confused:

:rofl

C utz

[TraderJoe]

Mr. Utz - Thanks for the suggestions/recommendations/encouragement.....You have motivated me to try a straight razor again.

However, I told myself less than 24 hrs ago I was done buying stuff.

NOW what :confused: :D

[C utz]

Mr. Utz - Thanks for the suggestions/recommendations/encouragement.....You have motivated me to try a straight razor again.

However, I told myself less than 24 hrs ago I was done buying stuff.

NOW what :confused: :D

"Nice and easy does it everytime"
If you have the Feather AC, give her another whirl. Go slow, and maybe just work on the the sides of the face (everything but the 'goat-tee' area). Those are the easiest to shave with a straight...then finish of with your DE. When you get the hang of it, start to work in the chin and mustach area. You'll get the hang of angle and pressure, and also develope a pattern of 'attack'. When you finally get that total shave/comfort....it's time for the real straight razor. (Note: This is assuming that you have already worked out how to properly 'prep' before shaving...a very important aspect of a comfortable shave)

Get a 'shave ready' razor from a 'known honemeister'. You'll also need a strop to learn on... If it gets to this point PM or email me (taztu at hotmail), I think I have one kicking around that you can cut up learing ;) When the razor arrives, try it. Since you know how a 'shave ready' razor should feel (remember all that time with the Feather AC?), this one should perform the same (sometimes even the 'honemeisters' are a little off though). If it's on, you need to concentrate on stropping. Since you will now have 2 bench marks for 'shave ready' (the Feather AC and your new straight razor), you will be able to determine how well you can strop (this is why you should try the razor before you strop it....). If the razor worked well before you stropped, and the next time around (after you stropped it) it pulls, well, you need to practice your stropping technique. Now, this seems obvious, but often times, people get to this point and think they need to hone the razor....(this is also why you should start with a 'shave ready' razor...so that you are not chasing your tail trying to get that edge back...is it the strop, is it the hone, where did I lose that damn edge!). Once you strop that edge in tune and get those shave to comfort again...Hone time!

We'll leave it at this point. The hone is a whole 'nother can of worms to worry about when you get there....

It takes some time and patience, but the mark of a true champion is the one that gets up after they fall...not one that stays down. Now, go find that Razor and get back in the ring! We are here for ya if you need a hand!

C utz

[Scorpio]

However, I told myself less than 24 hrs ago I was done buying stuff.

NOW what :confused: :D

Yeah right!!!! Next you will be giving up menthol!!!:rofl

Raf

[qhsdoitall]

Yeah right!!!! Next you will be giving up menthol!!!:rofl

Raf

Heck no, they'll be pulling a bottle of Aqua Velva from his cold dead mentholated hands. :D

[TraderJoe]

Heck no, they'll be pulling a bottle of Aqua Velva from his cold dead mentholated hands. :D

Little do "they" know, but there's a secret stash hidden inside the coffin :cool: :happy001

[qhsdoitall]

Little do "they" know, but there's a secret stash hidden inside the coffin :cool: :happy001

:rofl:rofl Can you use Aqua Velva as embalming fluid?

[TraderJoe]

:rofl:rofl Can you use Aqua Velva as embalming fluid?

I don't see why not :D

[fritz]

Anyway anybody use a feather AC blade in a shavette-style handle? That's what I'm using while waiting for my 4/8 dovo and man is it sharp. Does using a shavette style handle eliminate part of the AC experience? I use the black box feather "professional" blades.

I have a Dovo Shavette, and I didn't realize the Feather AC blades could be used in it. I presume from just looking at the pictures on classicshaving.com that they must fit into the black holder? Do you have a link that gives their dimensions, or could you measure one?

[qhsdoitall]

Well, this was the first time I really shaved with a str8. :D I had only scraped my cheek a little with a not so sharp Dovo 4/8 before. Someone felt sorry for me and was very generous and gave me a Shumate Razor Co Shumate's Barber 5/8 Straight Razor w/Black Plastic Scales for my razor pleasure. I thank them very much. I made one stupid mistake with the point under my nose which called for the styptic. My neck on the right got roughed up. I should have stretched the skin more. In all, I called it a success. (No one had to dial 911) I finished the passes with a Merkur Slant w/Feather. Between the str8 and the slant I got a very smooth but roughed up, need to heal, shave. I gave myself a weeper at the bottom of my neck with the slant. I will say though, the slant with a feather is one heck of a smooth cutter and I will be using the str8 more. I need to do some homework. OK, time to put a little more Aloe 99 on. :D

[TraderJoe]

OK, time to put a little more Aloe 99 on. :D


:happy001

Glad to hear it went [relatively] well, Rich....gives me encouragement :D

Keep up the good work!

[Mottern Man]

Looks like I will have to pre order the Aloe. :D

[Scorpio]

Glad to see you guys jumping in the pool!!!!!! Keep at it and be patient. It takes time to learn.

Raf

[qhsdoitall]

Ya, I know, Rome wasn't shaved in a day. :D I'll keep at it. I'm waiting on my strop to arrive to go round two. And I will be talking to my saddlery makers to see if they can match up quality red latigo/natural leather to have a custom strop made for me. :D

[PalmettoB]

Cool! More str8 shavers!! Rich, make sure to post pics when you get this custom strop.

[qhsdoitall]

So, I've been picking up some of the lingo for straight razors.

Round point, French point, Spanish Point, Spike Point.

4/8, 5/8, 6/8...

1/4 Hollow, 1/2 Hollow, Full Hollow, Wedge, "Singing"

carbon steel, stainless steel, damascus, silver steel

Is there a good reference source for learning about str8 geometries and so on?

[Bill]

And barber's notch, and dish point, and Irish tip, and square point, and...

All that info is on my CD (http://www.billysblades.com/Straight%20Razor%20Book.htm)... ;)


But this will answer a few questions for the time being...
http://www.en.nassrasur.com/razorcentral/grind.html

Some straight razor shaving info here (http://www.premiumknives.com/How_to_shave_with_a_straight_razor_and_mug_soap_an d_brush.htm), as well

[qhsdoitall]

And barber's notch, and dish point, and Irish tip, and square point, and...

All that info is on my CD (http://www.billysblades.com/Straight%20Razor%20Book.htm)... ;)


But this will answer a few questions for the time being...
http://www.en.nassrasur.com/razorcentral/grind.html

Some straight razor shaving info here (http://www.premiumknives.com/How_to_shave_with_a_straight_razor_and_mug_soap_an d_brush.htm), as well

Which I just got in the mail yesterday. Guess I have some homework to do. :rofl