Thinking of going straight........
- Thread starter mattlad
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Good luck.
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Good luck.
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- South of France
There are "techniques", lots of them, but in the end, the only technique that counts is yours.
The basics are all the same, then you adapt it to what feels right for you.
I'm not a big fan of tutorial videos (sorry everyone!), maybe watch one just to see, but I think you should *feel* what's right. Maybe also because I'm a bit ADHD, and can't sit and watch someone shave for 10 minutes.
Few golden rules.
The basics are all the same, then you adapt it to what feels right for you.
I'm not a big fan of tutorial videos (sorry everyone!), maybe watch one just to see, but I think you should *feel* what's right. Maybe also because I'm a bit ADHD, and can't sit and watch someone shave for 10 minutes.
Few golden rules.
- Don't rush
- Blade angle
- No pressure
- Slick lather
- Enjoy![/list:u]
I have a *funny* technique, but it works for me, and I only ever cut myself with kitchen knifes, not straights.
The one thing is lather, a DE is a lot less picky on lather, with a straight you need super slick stuff.
My lithmus test is that once I done a stroke, I hold it under a running tap, it should all come off the blade.
Neil should be able to sort you with something, ask for a basic bridle strop, they're nice, and cheap.
Max
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- New Forest, England.
Don't rush - shavings Golden Rule?
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- Berkshire
Dust off the pay pal account 
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A few observations:
You don't need to spend a lot of money to get a very good razor, and the bargains are amongst the vintage ones. Neil Miller will be very helpful if you ask for his advice.
Your first razor must be shave ready, whether you intend to hone your own or not. That way you know what a good edge should feel like.
You need a strop: budget for a decent basic one.
As Max says, decent lather is a must.
Work on the assumption that you will cut yourself: there's a chance that you might not, but it's not very likely.
That said, don't be unduly scared of the blade. A relaxed frame of mind helps a lot.
Don't expect instant perfect results. The learning curve is a steep one, and you won't have given it a proper go until you've put in a minimum of a month's regular straight razor use. There is no dishonour in tidying up with a safety razor whilst you're starting out.
Be aware that there's scope for things to get a little out of hand ... after a year or so you may well come to a sudden realisation that you have acquired an awful lot of razors / strops / hones without being quite sure how it happened.
You don't need to spend a lot of money to get a very good razor, and the bargains are amongst the vintage ones. Neil Miller will be very helpful if you ask for his advice.
Your first razor must be shave ready, whether you intend to hone your own or not. That way you know what a good edge should feel like.
You need a strop: budget for a decent basic one.
As Max says, decent lather is a must.
Work on the assumption that you will cut yourself: there's a chance that you might not, but it's not very likely.
That said, don't be unduly scared of the blade. A relaxed frame of mind helps a lot.
Don't expect instant perfect results. The learning curve is a steep one, and you won't have given it a proper go until you've put in a minimum of a month's regular straight razor use. There is no dishonour in tidying up with a safety razor whilst you're starting out.
Be aware that there's scope for things to get a little out of hand ... after a year or so you may well come to a sudden realisation that you have acquired an awful lot of razors / strops / hones without being quite sure how it happened.