New To Straight Razors

M

mifty12

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13
Hi Guys

as the heading states I am new to straight razors to the extent that i dont even own one yet. I have been thinking whether it is worth the 'hassle' and i am thinking that yes it is.. Anyway, to the point, i haven't got any kit yet and some seem very expensive, okay i know that the razor could potentially last a lifetime with care but i was wondering if there are any reasonably priced starter kits out there that you could reccomend or even individual items. As you can understand i dont want to spend a lot of money for something that i could possibly not end up using. I currently use a gillette fusion ( ssshhh!!), how does the shaved finish compare with a disosable.

Sorry for the vague questions but i dont really know too much about the specifics so am looking for some time served advice.

Cheers

Justin.
 
The only pieces of kit you will need to get yourself started is a brush, soap, razor and strop. You can either get a vintage or a new razor(stay away from cheap new razors on ebay) also make sure your razor is honed as the factory edge can be quite poor. I would say if you are going the vintage route visit the the strop shop. Ran by neil who is a good guy and member here will help anyway he can. Brush i would personally say a fido or semongue. Soap nearly all good. I would defiently get the brush and soap first as a good lather is really important with a straight. You will also need a ASB and styptic.
 
Welcome to the forum

Have a look at Neil Miller's shop <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.strop-shop.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.strop-shop.co.uk/</a><!-- m --> he sells restored razors, strops and all sorts and is a member here. It would be worth PM'ing him about what you are after he's a good chap and gives great advice.

I started using a straight razor a couple of months ago and its quite a learning curve. I don't know if you have a shaving brush yet but its best to make your own lather with brush and cream or soap rather than using gels or canned foam as it provides a slicker more cushioning lather.

So as a starter kit you want
Razor
Strop
Brush
Soap or cream.

Personally I started off with a double edged safety razor which was a much easier learning curve and cheaper. I still shave that way the majority of the time but use a straight at weekends.
 
Hello Justin, provided you're prepared to put a little time and money into it there are definite rewards to be had. As stated above, avoid cheap ebay razors and undersized strops, and bear in mind that there is a steep learning curve: that much ought to be obvious.

For a first razor, anyone who has had dealings with Neil Miller will recommend that you go to him: his customer service sets the standard, it really does. This implies that you will be looking for a vintage razor as he doesn't generally stock new (although he has had new old stock Revisors fairly recently). He may well post on this thread soon, but don't be shy, send him a personal message.

The alternative is to buy new, and that brings you down to a very narrow range of reputable makers: Dovo, Thiers Issard, and Revisor, the latter being unused old stock. I use a modern Dovo fairly frequently and can vouch for them, others are enthusiastic about TI; equally both firms have their detractors. Vintage generally offers better quality and value for money.

Important: you must make sure that your new razor is supplied "shave ready", ie. honed by an expert. Neil is the only person in this country that I'm prepared to recommend personally, because he's the only UK "honemeister" I've used. Generally I do my own now, but hats off to the master ...

You need a strop, in fact you could do with two. There's a very good sticky in this section which covers that comprehensively. The best all round brush at the moment for my money is the New Forest 2201, available from our esteemed friend Fido - again drop him a personal message. Finally, get some really good soap. My choice is Nanny's in any flavour: you'll generally find her propping up the bar in the lounge or fending off Cheese Dave's amorous advances, in other words, PM again: her username here is SoapAlchemist. Mind you, Palmolive at around 50p from the supermarket is pretty excellent too.

As to the rewards, to start with it's a rather tense, frustrating business, but given time and perseverance you can expect very close shaves with no irritation, and the smoothness will last longer than with a DE, let alone a cartridge razor. You'll also have the satisfaction of having acquired an interesting skill, and the business of shaving will be more of an enjoyable pastime than a chore. I still use a DE from time to time especially when time is short, but by now I'd guess that I use a straight 95% of the time.
 
Another recommendation for neil miller, he honed all my razors over a year ago and other than a bit of heat damage on my wapi all the others still shave great, house fire.
They need a touch up and ill drop them in soon.
Learn to make a good lather with soap and brush, ya can't use goo with a straight.


Take ya time, don't expect perfect shaves for a while, I'm 12 months in and getting amazing shaves 50percent of the time and good shave the other 50percent. Its a learning curve, stick with it and you'll get there.

Colin
 
wow, what can i say, thanks for all the excellent replies to a first post. :eek:

What would you guys say is a fair budget for a razor as they do vary wildly in price, seen some vintage from £30 to upwards of £100, would the lower end of this range see me through my ' early years' ?

Cheers

Just.
 
Neils website is: strop-shop.co.uk

I bought my 1st (and currently only) straight and strop from him. Mine was all in for around the £50 mark. Email/PM him and when he gets back to you he will give you a number of options varying on the price you can afford.
 
mifty12 said:
also, Neil Miller, is the invisible edge his web site ?
Click to expand...

The invisable edge is run by steve he is quite a good guy also.
What you are really looking for in a straight is a width of 5/8 or 6/8 genarlly found much better for a beginer as middle range of size. size the price value ranges greatly on straight due to how rare the size is and maker, But nearly all vintage straights will work wonderfullt.
 
Something like this would be suitable for starters. It ticks the main boxes: 5/8; round point; full hollow; affordable, sharpened by The Man.

Vintage razors vary considerably in price, but that one would certainly do for learning with. Some people chase desirable brands like Dubl Duck, Wade & Butcher, Filarmonica, Puma and so on, but names like these generally mean a lot more money.
 
thanks again for the replies. I have now spoken to Neil and he said he can sort out a basic strop and and vintage shave ready razor for my modest budget of £60, hes going to mail me through pics of my options, hopefully all is good.

Justin.
 
Okay next thing I need to sort out is a half decent brush and soap, i have trawled through the site and to be honest i am even more confused than when i started, who'd have thought the choice could be so extensive !!! What would be suitable for getting started with, my mind is open to cream or soap.

I have a badger brush at home which was bought as a gift a few years ago from crabtree and evelyn, would this not be suitable?? Also any hints on soaps/crams, which have to be easily available and not cost a fortune.

Thanks

Justin.
 
mifty12 said:
Okay next thing I need to sort out is a half decent brush and soap, i have trawled through the site and to be honest i am even more confused than when i started, who'd have thought the choice could be so extensive !!! What would be suitable for getting started with, my mind is open to cream or soap.

I have a badger brush at home which was bought as a gift a few years ago from crabtree and evelyn, would this not be suitable?? Also any hints on soaps/crams, which have to be easily available and not cost a fortune.

Thanks

Justin.
Click to expand...

I'm sure that the C&E brush will be good. I'd certainly use that to start with no point in spending out until you have! TBH you can spend a lot on creams and soaps and pamper yourself or you can spend a little and still get great performance but they may not smell as nice.... Palmolive shave sticks at about 50p from Tesco etc offer fantastic value and performance, the best way to use them is to use a cheese grater to grate them into a bowl then squidge it down.
 
No reason why the brush shouldn't be fine. I'm going to give Nanny another shameless plug, simply because I find her soap more protective than anything else, (plus you could probably get it to lather with a stick, never mind a brush). Another one which seems well adapted to shaving with an open razor is Cella, a mildly almond scented soft soap which lathers up exceptionally slick.
 
mifty12 said:
wow, what can i say, thanks for all the excellent replies to a first post. :eek:

What would you guys say is a fair budget for a razor as they do vary wildly in price, seen some vintage from £30 to upwards of £100, would the lower end of this range see me through my ' early years' ?

Cheers

Just.
Click to expand...

Hi Justin,

You don't seem to be getting my emails for some reason, although the first ones got through. Perhaps the pic attachments are being blocked? Anyhow, PM me if you see this.

Regards,
Neil
 
Arrowhead said:
No reason why the brush shouldn't be fine. I'm going to give Nanny another shameless plug, simply because I find her soap more protective than anything else, (plus you could probably get it to lather with a stick, never mind a brush). Another one which seems well adapted to shaving with an open razor is Cella, a mildly almond scented soft soap which lathers up exceptionally slick.
Click to expand...

+1 for Nanny's - excellent stuff, fair price and smells grand & won't be dragged around with you all day like a chemical fart in a nylon shell suit.
 
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