There is a BST section, but you will have to wait 60days and make 100 posts to gain access...
Straight Shaving for Beginners
- Thread starter Rowlers
- Start date
LeChuck
Forum GOD!
Thank you!
Project2571
Well-Known Member
My short list for beginners what to think about and focus on shaving and start to learn with straights.
- blade size, not too narrow or too wide, 5/8 or 6/8, depends on blade and balance. Too narrow or small change angle too easily, too big might be too heavy. Notice vertical stability
- blade grind, not too thin, not too wedge, # 4 or 5 suits well, again depends on blade and balance. Full wedge is usually too heavy, big and too thin might bend (if too much pressure). Notice vertical stability
- Blade tip, round one is safest at first, shortens the blade. Notice horizontal stability
- Grips
- blade size, not too narrow or too wide, 5/8 or 6/8, depends on blade and balance. Too narrow or small change angle too easily, too big might be too heavy. Notice vertical stability
- blade grind, not too thin, not too wedge, # 4 or 5 suits well, again depends on blade and balance. Full wedge is usually too heavy, big and too thin might bend (if too much pressure). Notice vertical stability
- Blade tip, round one is safest at first, shortens the blade. Notice horizontal stability
- Grips
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Project2571
Well-Known Member
Short list #2, let's get to the shave, not gears. You can make your life harder by choosing *not the best for beginners* blade but technique and your mind and your autonomic nervous system co-operation is much more important. Do not focus how shiny or expensive your blade is. Focus those three and you learn much faster.
Here we go
- Grip. Start WTG with #1. Cheeks are easiest, oops and immediately you'll notice that non dominate side your hand comes on your way. Learn #2
- Blade angle. Angle changes all the time depending what part you are shaving. Help you nervous system and practise your grip and angle combinations
- Speed. Spend time and let your nervous system learn. Remember, learning is a prosess, slow at first, until your motoric skills starts to act in a way how your brain says
- Landing. You will not land blade once and lift up once. You will do landing many times in all passes, so it's not the same how your plane is landing
- Pressure. Try to avoid. But no pressure is also bad (or at least it will not cut). Focus on angle and landing. Depends how delicate way your nervous system acts = how much is little, enough or too much pressure for you. I know how much enough is for me.
- Skin tightening. Do not overreact and absolutely do not at ATG
- Head position and angle, lightning and visibility
- Non dominant side. Learn peacefully dominate side and drop speed in half, do cold practise and go on. Notice how your non dominant side moves (usually) opposite ways how you think. It feel strange, scary, etc. but just more patience
- How do you use your blade, cutting with front, middle or back of the blade in different parts of face and passes
- Slide. What is right amount of slide for you. Notice that this one is connected to an angle, pressure and landing (others too)
- Preparation, lather, sectioning, hair growth direction etc. same like in DE world
- Is your blade sharp? If it shaves your arm hair it is. If it's not you probably trying to compensate with angle etc. and it's bad
Good luck and feel free to ask more
Here we go
- Grip. Start WTG with #1. Cheeks are easiest, oops and immediately you'll notice that non dominate side your hand comes on your way. Learn #2
- Blade angle. Angle changes all the time depending what part you are shaving. Help you nervous system and practise your grip and angle combinations
- Speed. Spend time and let your nervous system learn. Remember, learning is a prosess, slow at first, until your motoric skills starts to act in a way how your brain says
- Landing. You will not land blade once and lift up once. You will do landing many times in all passes, so it's not the same how your plane is landing
- Pressure. Try to avoid. But no pressure is also bad (or at least it will not cut). Focus on angle and landing. Depends how delicate way your nervous system acts = how much is little, enough or too much pressure for you. I know how much enough is for me.
- Skin tightening. Do not overreact and absolutely do not at ATG
- Head position and angle, lightning and visibility
- Non dominant side. Learn peacefully dominate side and drop speed in half, do cold practise and go on. Notice how your non dominant side moves (usually) opposite ways how you think. It feel strange, scary, etc. but just more patience
- How do you use your blade, cutting with front, middle or back of the blade in different parts of face and passes
- Slide. What is right amount of slide for you. Notice that this one is connected to an angle, pressure and landing (others too)
- Preparation, lather, sectioning, hair growth direction etc. same like in DE world
- Is your blade sharp? If it shaves your arm hair it is. If it's not you probably trying to compensate with angle etc. and it's bad
Good luck and feel free to ask more
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Cleanfoam
Forum GOD!
I'm really interested in giving this type of razor & shaving a go, it's part of why I joined up to the forum. It just seems a much more expensive hobby to get into as a beginner.
With DE razor you can pick one up for a few ££'s and blades are cheap too. Yes a cheap razor may not give you the best shave, and your first choice of blades may not end up being your favourite, but for £20 you can get a decent set up to start.
Not so a SR - to buy new and get something shave ready you're pushing the £100 mark with a strop. The learning curve of the shave, the grip, working out the angles etc. as well as figuring outs how to use a strop is going to be the fun part of the experience.
I'm patiently working on being able to access the BST section so I can hopefully find a razor under £50 to get started with knowing at that sort of price if I decide it's not for me I can resell it and it'll only cost me a few ££'s
With DE razor you can pick one up for a few ££'s and blades are cheap too. Yes a cheap razor may not give you the best shave, and your first choice of blades may not end up being your favourite, but for £20 you can get a decent set up to start.
Not so a SR - to buy new and get something shave ready you're pushing the £100 mark with a strop. The learning curve of the shave, the grip, working out the angles etc. as well as figuring outs how to use a strop is going to be the fun part of the experience.
I'm patiently working on being able to access the BST section so I can hopefully find a razor under £50 to get started with knowing at that sort of price if I decide it's not for me I can resell it and it'll only cost me a few ££'s
Project2571
Well-Known Member
Yes you are right. No chance to find a ready to go SR with £20 or such. It takes much more than just buy a SR to get inside of this genre. Don't get me wrong, I want to encourage you to test and see if it's for you. If not go back to DE's and live happy.
You can find a one blade for a cheap and little rusty. You can find a cheap strops too from ebay or even use an old belt and it will do the job (somehow).
But stropping is more like an basic maintenance for shave ready razors. Not for sharpening. Wet stones is for that. That means in your case again more money spending and learning curves.
Check this website and consider to buy shave ready razor and strop. Then test and learn peacefully. If later need more sharpening (after stropping enough) buy sharpening service.
Invisible edge
Sharpening service
You can find a one blade for a cheap and little rusty. You can find a cheap strops too from ebay or even use an old belt and it will do the job (somehow).
But stropping is more like an basic maintenance for shave ready razors. Not for sharpening. Wet stones is for that. That means in your case again more money spending and learning curves.
Check this website and consider to buy shave ready razor and strop. Then test and learn peacefully. If later need more sharpening (after stropping enough) buy sharpening service.
Invisible edge
Sharpening service
Yes, it can get to be an expensive hobby especially if you buy some good hones to be able to hone your own razor. The learning curve takes about 100 shaves/3 months of daily shaving to get decently proficient with SR. Add to that the learning curve of stropping and also the learning curve to honing if you go that route. If you have the patience to get through the frustrating parts I think you will find the effort very rewarding. I get more personal satisfaction producing a good shave with a SR than any other form of shaving I have tried.
I think it is a good idea to buy a used shave ready SR from the BST for exactly the reason you mention.
Bob
Project2571
Well-Known Member
Here is good condition (some sort of typical in here) E. Neiström razor from one finnish website where people sell everything. 8€ + postage. Not shave ready. This razor is 5/8
What you need to get that to shave ready?
Here are two my vintage razors, just polished today and next they go to sharpening, after that they are ready to go. Both razors are 6/8, black one has smiling edge
That yellow one was worse condition originally than upper, black one was pretty much like the same.
What to need before it's shave ready?
- wet sandpaper from 120 to 3000 grit, 11 steps of wet sanding
- cleaning up with ultrasonic cleaner (not neccessary but I have a cheap one which I like to use)
- buffing wheel with hand drill or with a table grinder (better) + wax (different colors means different coarseness)
- micro cloth for short wiping
- wet stones for sharpening, steps from 400 to 10000 grit ( depends on individual preferences and likings)
- Strops, with cromium oxide paste (or others) and plain leather strop (horse, cow or others)
- patience, handwork, wireless earbuds, good music, good lightning
- Again my cat is thinking why I am spending time in the kitchen and not giving her a meat or come to play?
What you need to get that to shave ready?
Here are two my vintage razors, just polished today and next they go to sharpening, after that they are ready to go. Both razors are 6/8, black one has smiling edge
That yellow one was worse condition originally than upper, black one was pretty much like the same.
What to need before it's shave ready?
- wet sandpaper from 120 to 3000 grit, 11 steps of wet sanding
- cleaning up with ultrasonic cleaner (not neccessary but I have a cheap one which I like to use)
- buffing wheel with hand drill or with a table grinder (better) + wax (different colors means different coarseness)
- micro cloth for short wiping
- wet stones for sharpening, steps from 400 to 10000 grit ( depends on individual preferences and likings)
- Strops, with cromium oxide paste (or others) and plain leather strop (horse, cow or others)
- patience, handwork, wireless earbuds, good music, good lightning
- Again my cat is thinking why I am spending time in the kitchen and not giving her a meat or come to play?
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Cleanfoam
Forum GOD!
If I thought for a minute I could turn the top picture into one of the bottom pictures I'd happily have a go, but I know that a complete novice is very unlikely to achieve those results, especially given the lack of equipment. Fabulous looking razors though, and who knows, maybe one day.
I'll stick to the BST plan and try to pick up a nice example - once I prove myself worthy
I'll stick to the BST plan and try to pick up a nice example - once I prove myself worthy
SammieM
Forum GOD!
You can easily do it with a file and some wet dry sandpaper and a wine cork. You will also need a nice polish. I started this way and it is very doable. You just have to take your time and go through the progressions.
It takes a good initial investment if you are gonna hone, but you will be set for life. You don’t need many razors (most of us have many more) 3-4 will be plenty for the rest of your life...
It takes a good initial investment if you are gonna hone, but you will be set for life. You don’t need many razors (most of us have many more) 3-4 will be plenty for the rest of your life...
If I thought for a minute I could turn the top picture into one of the bottom pictures I'd happily have a go, but I know that a complete novice is very unlikely to achieve those results, especially given the lack of equipment. Fabulous looking razors though, and who knows, maybe one day.
I'll stick to the BST plan and try to pick up a nice example - once I prove myself worthy
Cleanfoam
Forum GOD!
I'm happy to believe everything you said - apart from the highlighted part
- when I switched from a cartridge razor to a DEI never for a minute expected to have more than 1 razor, let alone multiple brushes, soaps, creams etc.......I now understand, and fully expect I'll either decide shaving with a straight isn't for me, or I'll end up with a collection of
I'm excited to find out which it will be
