What Straight Razor Did You Use Today?

Another Gold Dollar sort of evening...

 

Aporis Chemical Steel Japanese Straight
Fresh in from Japan.Gave her a quick touch up on a J-Nat.Shave was great.Took a killer edge.

 

What does it normally cost around to get into straight razor shaving?

 

Riga Razor

 

You’re going to need a razor and a strop.I started with vintage, which cost me NMT $50 .

 

@Spyder ’s estimate is basically what it cost me too. I found a decent straight razor in an antique store that cost me $10, I sent it off to @gssixgun for honing and that was another $15+ shipping and then I bought a cheap strop for $17.

Now, short of someone giving you the equipment, you would be hard pressed to get into SR shaving for less and it could cost you more. Others will chime in as there are some vendors out there that will set you up with a razor and strop so you don’t have to hunt around. So you have some options on acquiring your equipment.

Some things you need to know.... Straight razors do require maintenance, such as periodic honing. You could send the razor out for honing every dozen or so shaves, or you could buy a couple of hones and do it yourself. I won’t get into the cost of hones here.

The learning curve is steep. You are bound to cut yourself at least twice. You might have nicked yourself with a DR, but the SR will cut if your technique is poor. You might even consider giving up on it early on. Your first dozen shaves will be lousy too until you develop the technique.

Put all of this aside, it is very cool to shave the way our grandfathers and great grandfathers did. Once you’ve mastered the shave and developed the skill, it is a rewarding experience. The shave is not like using a DE as you decide the level of aggressiveness of the blade. The post shave feel is different than using safety razors and many will say it’s more comfortable.

I started with SRs almost 3 years ago due to reading this thread and have never regretted it. There’s a time and cost commitment, but many of us have decided it’s worth it.

Knowing this will help you decide whether or not to jump in to straight razor shaves.

 

Gold Dollar
A.O.S. Oud
Semogue 2 band knot

An adequate shave but I'd have to say I'm struggling with my black arkie. I've not been able to get a really good finished edge with this stone. It was a pretty cheap so I'll have to figure out if it's my technique or the stone. I'll back up a couple stones and try again or go to a thuri or a 12k and see if it improves the shave. I suspect it's the Indian not the arrow. Have a good one.

 

Jacob Ray

 

Very well said.

 

What is the last hone your using before going to the Ark? When I 1st started using my "Black" I would go to it from a 12k Naniwa. Now I go to the "Black" after my "Translucent" Ark. My edges were good from the 12k to the "Black" but are much better, for me, from the "Trans" to the "Black". The one thing I have read and have found out through experience... you have to spend a longtime on the "Black". I am doing between 100 to 200 laps on my "Black". Then stropping 30x Linen and 60x leather.

 

I view the Surgical Black Arkie as an "Ultra Finisher". Many have stated that everything has to be "Spot On", before taking it to is level. I agree. The last stone I use is a 16k Welsh Slate, before it hits the Arkie, and its always sharp enough for a very good shave, after the Welsh Slates. I also use mineral oil with my Arkie, with no pressure on the edge. It feels like it's gliding across the stone and not doing anything. But, after about 5 strokes, you can feel a big difference.
Here is a thread dedicated to Arkansas stones. It might contain answers, or you can post your questions there. Good luck.
http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/lets-talk-arkansas-stones.54991/

 

Thanks. I learned a lot from everyone here.

 

Tonight's shave was with an Ultra Sharp, Ultra Hard, and Ultra Noisy Russian Razor. I had a fantastically smooth and noisy 2 pass shave. This blade really sings. I was left with a BBS shave, and zero issues. One of my top shaving razors.

Razor- Russian "Орбита"(Orbita) 1970's
Brush- B400, By Tom
Soap- Arko/Avon Spicy
Aftershave- Shulton Old Spice. "Admiral's Flask". Mmmmm Mmmmm Good.

 

Another fantastic shave with the Boker. Thus far; I haven’t fount a Solingen made razor that wasn’t a top notch shaver.

 

Dovo Master's

 

Schulze 450 Thursday

 

Another Commie Razor night. Another fantastically noisy and smooth 2 pass shave, that left me BBS. Two minor tiny weepers. The Commies sure did make some fine shaving razors. I would put these razors(Shave Wise), against the best Sheffield and Solingen can launch at them. Very hard steel. I hope I don't have to re hone them for a long long time.

Razor- Russian "EKSTRA" ZTV 1956.
Brush- Omega Boar
Soap- Arko/Avon Spicy
Aftershave- Vintage Avon Spicy.

 

Razor: Drew Dick 5/8 extra hollow
Stop: Mastro Livi
Brush: T White B400
Pre: Proraso
Soap: Sample D
AS: Edwin Jagger ASB
Scent: Amouage Memoir Man

 

Challenge Cutlery 6/8. Great three pass shave.

 

5/8 Hackett
Esbjerg Amber Cardamon
Simpsons Manchurian

Finished on my black arkie. Excellent shave this morning Have a good one.

Thanks for that tip. It's what was done on the above razor, absolutely no complaints on this shave.