Hey guys!, Im relatively new to the whole wet shaving world but im looking forward to it. Ive used a Safety razor for a few days now and are not to happy with the results, But i am thinking about trying a Straight razor before i stick with Safety, Any recommendations on what relatively Cheap razor to get and what is the percentage of me cutting myself on my first time? Best Regards,
I've been into "retro shaving" for about three months so I'll just speak off the cuff and tell you what I think. Master the safety razor before tackling the straight razor. First, plan on at least three passes with your safety razor. First with the grain, second across the grain, third against the grain. Use shaving soap and a brush rather than canned goop. Colonel Conk is excellent and is inexpensive. The least expensive brush is a boar brush and I think Omegas are the best. If you want to start something that is softer and catches more lather, a lower end Tweezerman badger brush did a fine job for me. You can find inexpensive stands to allow the brush to drip dry upside down. For the razor, I don't think you can go wrong with a Merkur. An excellent starter razor that is mild is the 34C. My personal favorite has become the "slant" (37C), which is more aggressive. Their adjustable razors are the Progress and the Futur. The easiest preparation for your beard is a shower, because you don't have to do anything to make your face conducive to shaving. When you have finished shaving, rinse with cool water and pat your face with the towel rather than rub to keep the oils replenishing your face. Finish off with an aftershave of your choice. Once you get consistently good shaves with these materials, then I would consider expanding my horizons. If you're satisfied with your shaving experience, nothing wrong with what you've got. Good luck to you!
Can't say there's anything wrong with starting out with a straight if that's the way you want to go, because prior to 1904? everyone used them. But if your doing it because your first few safety shaves weren't what you envisioned you'll be in for a rather dissapointing expierience. It takes time to develop the skills for the wet shaving hobby, it normally will take 3 weeks to 3 months to get the angle right so you get clean shaves without burn. Burn through a couple of pucks or tubes of cream working on your lather skills, I think that's half the battle the other angle and proper blade.
Hey there. If I missed your first post, welcome to TSD, this is the best wet shave board on the planet! What is it about your wet shaves with the safety razor that you are not satisfied with?
I concur with the above advice. I've been DE shaving for about 6 months now and I'm still working on technique and razor/blade choice. I have a shavette, which is a blade holder that looks like a straight razor. I usually use it about once a week just for something different and because it gives me close shaves with only a little burn. There's no reason why you can't do both. In fact, many of the new SR guys still use a DE for the difficult parts of their faces. Don't be afraid to experiment. You'll probably cut yourself on the first round, its almost guaranteed, but don't give up on the DE until you've experimented with some other gear combinations. Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps.
Oh, you will draw blood. Of that you can be sure. Now hopefully it won't be more than just a small nick, but a nick will still draw blood, and in my book, that constitutes a cut. I'm with Williams Warrior - why wait? Folks had to learn how to shave with a straight before there were safety razors. Personally I figured if they could do it, why couldn't I? Go for it! As for a razor that will be ready to go when you get it, get in touch with Glen at Gem Star Customs. He goes by gssixgun here at the Den. He has a few for sale. He's done some work for me and a few other guys here. You can also check out some of his work over in the Straight Razor forum of TSD. The guy has created some beautiful razors.
