RGTorque Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 a little off topic but thought i might get a few hits here. as i young guy i would like to pick up the old art of the straight razor shave. im looking for a straight razor, a safety razor, nice shaving cup, nice badger brush, and a shaving strop. im hoping someone has grandpappy's old shaving stuff in a box somewhere. btw, i know of ebay and craigslist. some of the pricing there is crazy. im also scouting the local yard sales and second hand stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackal Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 a little off topic but thought i might get a few hits here. as i young guy i would like to pick up the old art of the straight razor shave. im looking for a straight razor, a safety razor, nice shaving cup, nice badger brush, and a shaving strop. im hoping someone has grandpappy's old shaving stuff in a box somewhere. btw, i know of ebay and craigslist. some of the pricing there is crazy. im also scouting the local yard sales and second hand stores. Hi There, I have been shaving with a straight razor for a while and love it. Nothing like starting the day off with the sharpest item you own held to your neck. When dealing with a straight razor, buying new has some advantages. Finding a classic razor is always nice, but you will need to have someone who is able to restore it, and bring the blade to shave ready condition. This can cost time and money to get done, and some blades may show that they were not worth the effort after it has been spent. New razors are guaranteed and “shave ready” out of the box. This will greatly add to your first experience with a straight razor. There are plenty of places you can find deals on straight razors. Ebay is alright, but stay away from blades that are made in India. Generally they are softer metal and you can’t keep a good edge on them. There are a couple sites that offer a better deal than the local brick and mortar stores, but the Brick and mortars will have examples you can hold and get the balance of. Balance is going to be one of the main things you’re looking for. The angle that the blade glides across the face is the most important thing to learn, and it’s easier to master when the blade works for your hand and grip. Beyond that, the preparation is one of the main things to consider. A preshave oil and good shaving soap are key. For preshave oil I use Known Felon, and the soap from Art of Shaving. For the first few attempts, pay special attention to a good steaming on the face and lots of preshave oil. Have a look at straightrazorplace.com for lots of good tips and tricks, and they also have a classified section where you can find restored blades. Badgerandblade.com is another place to learn more. Good luck in your search and take it slow. Here's my shaving setup. http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l294/nivaguy/42F1FED7-CACF-4179-B575-80FFEEEE7291_zpsltstbmk5.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomove Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Jeez, very interesting but how complicated and time consuming. I think I keep my full beard (like I did for the last 40 years or so) and just trim it to stubbles every 2 weeks or so. I know I am lazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scannon Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 With my shaky hands I'd need an EMT standing by if I tried using a straight razor. Do tourniquets work on the neck??? I do shave my neck with a regular razor from time to time but like Gert its been about 40 years since I've had a clean shaven face. Probably wouldn't recognize myself in a mirror nor would anyone else if I shaved off the beard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcarguy Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 You straight-razor fellas are separating the men from the boys. . . . . Momma! :smilielol5: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee break Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 It only makes sense that someone that enjoys the essence of a 7 might be into the process of straight razor shaving, it's not for everyone. You need to enjoy going for the extreme and single minded focus of the pure experience. (Full disclosure, beard-yes, electric shaver-yes, lazy-no, efficient-yes) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wemtd Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Skip All bleeding stops, eventually so you needn't worry about the tourniquet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scannon Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Skip All bleeding stops, eventually so you needn't worry about the tourniquet Its the eventually part I worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGTorque Posted May 27, 2014 Author Share Posted May 27, 2014 Hi There, I have been shaving with a straight razor for a while and love it. Nothing like starting the day off with the sharpest item you own held to your neck. When dealing with a straight razor, buying new has some advantages. Finding a classic razor is always nice, but you will need to have someone who is able to restore it, and bring the blade to shave ready condition. This can cost time and money to get done, and some blades may show that they were not worth the effort after it has been spent. New razors are guaranteed and “shave ready” out of the box. This will greatly add to your first experience with a straight razor. There are plenty of places you can find deals on straight razors. Ebay is alright, but stay away from blades that are made in India. Generally they are softer metal and you can’t keep a good edge on them. There are a couple sites that offer a better deal than the local brick and mortar stores, but the Brick and mortars will have examples you can hold and get the balance of. Balance is going to be one of the main things you’re looking for. The angle that the blade glides across the face is the most important thing to learn, and it’s easier to master when the blade works for your hand and grip. Beyond that, the preparation is one of the main things to consider. A preshave oil and good shaving soap are key. For preshave oil I use Known Felon, and the soap from Art of Shaving. For the first few attempts, pay special attention to a good steaming on the face and lots of preshave oil. Have a look at straightrazorplace.com for lots of good tips and tricks, and they also have a classified section where you can find restored blades. Badgerandblade.com is another place to learn more. Good luck in your search and take it slow. Here's my shaving setup. http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l294/nivaguy/42F1FED7-CACF-4179-B575-80FFEEEE7291_zpsltstbmk5.jpg Duane, thanks for the info. i am a member of both boards and spend more time reading there than i should. i have contacted a few gents from the boards and they are offering honing services on whatever razor i choose. also they have stated that NEW razors will still need to be honed as they get dull from oxidation of the thin metal as opposed to use. at that point i would rather go for a cool vintage blade (if possible). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackal Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Duane, thanks for the info. i am a member of both boards and spend more time reading there than i should. i have contacted a few gents from the boards and they are offering honing services on whatever razor i choose. also they have stated that NEW razors will still need to be honed as they get dull from oxidation of the thin metal as opposed to use. at that point i would rather go for a cool vintage blade (if possible). New razors will get sharpened when you by them regardless, but usually that happens from whatever shop you purchase them from. I have never seen a shop that didn't hone the blade before sending it to you. Of course the honing it gets there may not be to specs either, so a quick honing is usually in order. Either way, they often get coated in oil for a long term packaging so oxidation is a minimal concern. Good luck in the search and I hope you get exactly what you are looking for. Many times Kijiji has estate sales that pop up and lots of razors can be found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Road Ready Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 My best friend's son runs this website. He restores old straight razors and is really good at it.... http://www.mancardrazors.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGTorque Posted July 11, 2014 Author Share Posted July 11, 2014 i have actually picked up several blades since this post. love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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