Sorry if this has been asked and answered countless times, but I'm curious as to what equipment is essential for straight shaving. I know a razor and strop, but is there anything else? Any items that help to make the transition easier? I've been looking at the Whipped Dog razors, and would certainly appreciate any recommendations on razors and strops. Thanks for any help!
A true 'shave-ready' straight razor and strop will get you there. Add some good shave soap and a brush and you're ready to shave! The strop to maintain (not sharpen) the edge, and shave-ready means… well, I'll let Glen demo not only a shave test, but how a 'shave-ready' razor performs (5:11 mark on the vid).
I'm in the process of building a pair of bench strops to get started. Eventually one will be for compound. Right now I've just laid a section of leather on the table and stropped on it. It's thick enough to stay flat and still. Whipped dog seems to be great place to start. Personal experience tells me that a bit of courage and resolve are handy too...
As mentioned above shave ready razor and a strop. You can practice stropping with a butter knife until you get the hang of it. That and time. It will take quite a few shaves to get good, it also helps to have a quiet uninterrupted place to practice your new skill.
If you order from Whipped Dog also add a pasted balsa strop. Have a pasted strop will help extent the time between honing.
A professionally honed razor is critical. "Shave ready" on eBay is rarely what it says. A beginner strop is important. I say beginner because you might nick it and wouldn't want to do that on a high dollar strop. A brush and some soap and you are ready to go. Start slowly. I just did WTG on my cheeks for a while until I started to figure it out. I finished with a safety razor. It was probably 10 or 15 shaves before I finished with a straight. I did a month long focus after that and now I'm hooked. Have fun!
Well I am going to presume that you already know that a decent brush and a good soap make a world of difference no matter what you shave with. A strop and a razor and then the end of that. However new shavers tend to need more hone time than experienced users, so do not be discouraged if you do not get great life out of your edges to start with. A pasted strop is a great maintenance tool but not entirely needed to start with.
I second the idea of a professionally honed razor. Flea Bay "shave ready" is a marketing term. You can get a new, pro honed razor for a bill. The classifieds here is also a good source. A strop from Whipped Dog, or from SRD. These two will get you started shaving with a straight. You can add an Omega boar brush and soap if you like. I only said Omega because they are cheap, but of great quality. I am only 8 shaves in with a straight so far. I still only do one pass with the grain, then the second with either a SE or DE razor. Larry at Whipped Dog sells "sight unseen" straights to get you started on the cheap. Many people here have started out with one. Might be a ugly razor, but it will shave.
I have this strop and like it. https://www.etsy.com/listing/259367322/25-inch-wide-barbers-strop-with-latigo
+1 to the above and I would add Styptic. When I started getting serious about learning to shave with straights, I hunted down an Alum Block to complement my styptic, but you need to have a styptic when you first start because you will bleed at some point and you will need help stopping it.
