Thread: So, you are having problems shaving with a straight razor and can't figure out why...

I can only hope that this thread will help out. It has been on my mind to post this for a while and wasn't sure if I wanted to "Blog" it or write it here...I may do both in efforts to reach more new shavers.

Inform yourself
There is a LOT of information out there on "how to shave with a straight razor", but not all of it is good information or the information may not be good for you. While helping a number of new shavers get over a hurdle of some sorts a new shaver has mentioned a video from youtube or information listed here on SRP. Some information on youtube is simply not good, period. Some information here on SRP isn't necessarily the best information in the beginning, but will end up getting cleared up later on down the thread by a more seasoned veteran. My recommendation here is that you pay attention to how long (not necessarily the post count) a person has been at this sport. I say this because many newer shavers are enthusiastic about wanting to help others & their heart is in the right place...but the advice may not be necessarily the best. When in doubt, ask...but don't take the first piece of advice given. We need to use our head for something other than a "hat-rack".

Getting started...the goods
A person can get into straight razor shaving with quality products at a fair price. The key here is quality, as many issues I have seen is poor quality products. I will be specific and give an example on how my typical recommendations:
Badger hair brush: $15-20
Quality shave soap: $10-15
Strop: $25-45
Razor: $30-40
So, yes...you can get into straight razor shaving for $80-120 with QUALITY products. A couple other things that I personally would recommend is a styptic pencil & maybe a block of alum.

I stress the quality products simply because many problems arise with the quality of the products with new members.

I will start with the brush. You can start with a boar hair brush or synthetic brush, but a badger hair brush can be bought for a fair price, so why skimp?

Shave soap is a very important part of the shaving puzzle. You can buy a LOT of different soaps, some shave soaps or creams work better with certain waters (yes, water hardness/softness truly effects your soap) than others. One soap that I have found to work fine in any water type I have encountered is Proraso, it's affordable and a good soap to use as your baseline...there are other soaps that are better and quite a few soaps that are not near as good.

A quality strop is as important as any other part of your shaving products. You can find strops ranging from a few bucks to several hundred dollars. Just because a person/seller/company calls it a strop doesn't mean it's a strop. It may "look" like one because of it's shape, but is it? Is it being sold by someone who truly knows how to strop? The key here is smooth leather. The leather can be dyed & often is, but I have seen some so called strops with a sort of paint on them and they aren't worth a darn and don't even justify being "called" a strop. You may happen across a "vintage" strop at a antique store and think you can restore it...more than likely you can't as it's dry rotted due to being stored away for 40+ years.

The razor may seem like the wildcard, but if you have done your research you will have come across the "Razors to Avoid". Take that list to heart. For a first razor the classified's/vendors corner is the only place I recommend for a used razor as most are honed. Key thing for you to look at here is that you purchase from someone who stands behind their products. Send the seller a Private Message (PM) and ask questions like how does the razor shave, would you recommend this razor for a new straight razor shaver, and so on. Every seller/vendor I have encountered here on SRP has stood behind their product no matter if it's an actual razor, honing, or whatever. If you purchase a new razor, you must ensure it has been professionally honed. SRD ( The Finest In Gentlemens Shaving And Grooming Needs ) is the only place that I am aware of that sells every razor as a honed razor. [Edit: Vintage Blades is another & Lynn hones their blades] There may be others, but I am not aware of it. If you purchase a razor that is not honed by someone who uses straight razors, then most likely than not...it's not truly "shave ready". Remember this fact: Where a typical knife sharpener stops honing and calls a knife sharp because it shaves hair is where we razor honers literally start on honing a straight razor. I was one of those uninformed people who thought I could just jump in on the honing bandwagon and be good at it because I could sharpen a knife...boy was i WRONG!

My last two recommended products of a styptic pencil and alum block are simply recommendations. Lets face it, you will at some point in your shaving nick yourself and the styptic pencil works great. If you have experienced razor-burn with the disposables or DE, then you very well may experience it with a straight and I have found that the alum block helps me a LOT...especially in the summertime.

The best piece of advice that I can give to anyone who takes the time to read this is: FIND A MENTOR. I'm not necessarily meaning a person who has a mentor badge on SRP, but a person who lives within driving distance of you who has been at shaving with a straight for 6 months or more. Video's and other on-line information is great, but there is nothing like meeting someone and actually seeing them, then them watching you shave to help you out. Get to a group meeting if you can as there is always a lot of "show-n-tale" of goods as well as learned skills like shaving and honing. Remember a saying that I learned in the Navy: The only stupid question is the one not asked.

Thanks for your time and I hope that maybe this little rant may help someone out.

God Bless,
Scott

Consider me helped. I think everything you said is right. Many, many times I've thrown in my two cents, only to find it was a bit off the mark. Just as you describe. Although, I do feel a little behind the power curve now. I've been at this for seven months, and still don't think I oughta be giving very much advice to anyone. I've even gotten in mild arguments here on SRP, which forced me to question what I thought I knew, and effectively sent me back to square one. Thanks AxelH. But anyways, I can see how someone who received my advice, a "senior member" with several posts, could think I knew more than I know. As I just mentioned, even I thought I knew more than I know. So that said, I think I've at least got enough knowledge to say, you're right. I'm thinking maybe at the 3 year mark I might have something to contribute. Which is quite a bummer, but 7 months went pretty fast, so...

Scott,

Great thread!! Maybe this will end up in the sticky section! Thanks for the insight and time It took to post this.

Best Regards,

Howard

Well said! I particularly liked the INFORM YOURSELF paragraph.

It's so important to read information when you're starting something new. Asking questions really only helps when you need clarification based on information you have already distilled.

That's how I feel, anyway.

Thanks Scott!

I rarely use my head for anything other than shaving.

I only have one thing to add to that Scott...

If you give up send me all your razors!!!

Actually. Scott here sold me the best razor I ever used. If you ever find one that he is selling, snatch it up. Amazing honing. To bad my roommate decided to play with it, and took out (2) 1/4" chunks of the blade... Grr, but that is life.

As I said on your blog, I agree with most of what you have written, the point about brushes is where I disagree. A boar brush is a personal preference issue, not "skimping". You can get great quality and performance from them and I, for one, actually have been preferring them these days. I enjoy amazing performance out of a $15 boar that doesn't have anything to envy from brushes I have that cost 10 times as much.

Originally Posted by jdto

As I said on your blog, I agree with most of what you have written, the point about brushes is where I disagree. A boar brush is a personal preference issue, not "skimping". You can get great quality and performance from them and I, for one, actually have been preferring them these days. You cagey great performance out of a $15 boar that doesn't have anything to envy from brushes I have that cost 10 times as much.

I must say I agree with this. I was always of the opinion that a badger was the only way to go...until I purchased my Omega Boar...absolutely love that brush and lately have been using it more than my Silver tip. The only thing is, no matter what brush you use get a decent one

Originally Posted by Catrentshaving

The only thing is, no matter what brush you use get a decent one

I agree, however a person would be less likely to get a junky brush if they go with a badger hair as my first brush was a boar hair brush that I now use cleaning my guns.

This was written for beginners, you gentlemen have obviously had the opportunity to sample a few brushes...I hope anyways. All I have to support my comments other than my opinion, just like yours, is that there must be a reason that the major majority of the brush makers use badger hair. This is what I call "splitting hairs".

Most new shavers (please note that this was written in the beginners section) don't know what true quality out there is with all of the junk flooding the market & many are on a budget...just as I was. As you noticed in my blog, I mention just one brand name just to avoid all of the opinions and people muddying the water for beginners. I made reference to two online shave specialty shops, I know that they sell quality products and would comfortably tell a new person to wet shaving that they could buy pretty much anything from either and they wouldn't buy junk.

I wrote this blog to help folks, not to "split hairs" on opinions of shave brushes or anything else. Please gentlemen, if you are looking to muddy the water with opinions then just PM me and keep it off this thread. We are veteran shavers, lets just help out the new guys and keep up the Pay It Forward (PIF) tradition no matter if it's information or goods.

It's not splitting hairs. Saying boar brushes are inferior is erroneous. I'd take a good boar over a scratchy best badger all day and would recommend that to beginners. You can get a great quality Omega or Semogue for $10-$40, which will keep you happily and comfortably shaving for decades with proper care. A $40 badger is a low end brush. I truly appreciate the effort to help beginners (which I still consider myself to be), but I think you are doing them a disservice by making that statement.