Straights for beginners?

Thanks Shaun . ( and hi again by the way ! Still loving the stand for the fatboy - mutts nutts ) . I half expected this. Have you given up on the straights too? From memory you are now an SE man?
Ey up, glad you like it. I decided SR wasn't for me, the main reason being the upkeep, I don't have a strop or finishing stone. But I was also suffering from anxiety & depression so I was worrying about damaging the razor. I may try one again.

2 SE razors, FatBoy & Tech at moment. Loving SE's at the moment.
 

Grarea

Forum Plod
I want to move on to SR, but haven't had the time to think about maintaining them yet.
I started with a feather artist club SS (I think it was the SS anyway) It has a shape where the blade is that makes for safer shaving while you are trying to work out
how anyone straight shaves without an extra joint between elbow and wrist.
I just started nice and easy and did the bits that I was comfortable with and slowly extended the area I could do when I was in the mood.
Finishing off with whatever you are used to.
Then I found the SS too safe and moved to the RG (I think it is).

Point being that I found the SS a very good stepping stone.
It will still bite, but less so.

Now, I am keen to launch at SRs with much less trepidation.
 

lloydrm

Forum GOD!
IME, patience and studied movements are the key, the tool of choice is secondary.
I started with a shavette and after a couple failed attempts I thought it was not for me. Left that alone for a couple years, but I had the bug.
Then I watched videos, studied movements with a chopstick and a change of focus into attempts not to shave with the shavette/str8, but to add a few strokes with the new tool into a safety razor shave. I noticed in all instances a cut was prompted by a doubt about what I was about to do: an awkward feeling holding the razor, doubts about how to shave an uneven or tight surface, my hands got a little tired or I was loosing my patience. So in case of doubt I stopped and continued with the safety. A little counter that push through principle that works so well in other instances but that's what worked for me.
 

Britva

Eats steel for lunch
Straight razor maintenance can be categorized into these 4 categories:

1. Daily maintenance
2. Touchup/rehone maintenance
3. Long term storage
4. Restore and reparation

1. Daily maintenance takes only 5-6 minutes longer than maintenance of a safety razor. After the shave you must ensure the razor is completely dry, by wiping it thoroughly with a paper towel, both on the steel and the scales, inside and out. Then you strop the blade on linen/canvas side of the strop to dry the edge completely. If you have no linen component, the leather will do just fine. Store the razor outside of your bathroom in a dry place until the next shave.

2. Rehone, or touchup of the edge is required once the blade doesn’t shave at its full potential. Note it is very important to have the razor honed by someone experienced to begin with, so you know what shave-ready means. This step takes only about 5-6 minutes, too, provided the edge isn’t damaged (no nicks and chips). It requires a finishing stone of high quality. It is hard to say how often a touchup is needed, as it depends on several factors. Some people do it after a month, some after 3 months, some a year. It depends on how often you use the razor, as well as on the steel, on your beard, and on your stropping proficiency... etc.

3. Long term storage. Once you decide to put away a straight razor for a longer period of time, say a month or longer, it’s advisable to lightly oil the blade. Mineral oil such as Balistol works well and is what I generally prefer, as it is safe in every way. Oiling a blade and storing it away shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

4. Restore and reparation is something many people leave to the pros, or enthusiasts. I won’t get into this here, as it shouldn’t be a concern for the time being. Many things have been written on this topic, and this is not yet the right forum to look for answers in this area, unless you go to specific members who have a lot of experience already. In general, the SRP forum would be my go-to resource, should I have anything to ask or look for on restoration (including honing, cleaning, polishing, etc...).


With all that in mind, it’s obvious the maintenance doesn’t take much time. However, it must never be neglected. You cannot just leave a wet blade behind and run out of bathroom in a hurry.... so there’s discipline involved, definitely, but it’s a rewarding experience once you get proficient at shaving with a straight. It needs to be fun above all, because let’s face it, there are easier ways to shave today. If it’s a chore, then it’s not worth the effort, it will just annoy you in the long run and you will give up.

Hope that wasn’t too boring :wink:
 

Blademonkey

Forum GOD!
Straight razor maintenance can be categorized into these 4 categories:

1. Daily maintenance
2. Touchup/rehone maintenance
3. Long term storage
4. Restore and reparation

1. Daily maintenance takes only 5-6 minutes longer than maintenance of a safety razor. After the shave you must ensure the razor is completely dry, by wiping it thoroughly with a paper towel, both on the steel and the scales, inside and out. Then you strop the blade on linen/canvas side of the strop to dry the edge completely. If you have no linen component, the leather will do just fine. Store the razor outside of your bathroom in a dry place until the next shave.

2. Rehone, or touchup of the edge is required once the blade doesn’t shave at its full potential. Note it is very important to have the razor honed by someone experienced to begin with, so you know what shave-ready means. This step takes only about 5-6 minutes, too, provided the edge isn’t damaged (no nicks and chips). It requires a finishing stone of high quality. It is hard to say how often a touchup is needed, as it depends on several factors. Some people do it after a month, some after 3 months, some a year. It depends on how often you use the razor, as well as on the steel, on your beard, and on your stropping proficiency... etc.

3. Long term storage. Once you decide to put away a straight razor for a longer period of time, say a month or longer, it’s advisable to lightly oil the blade. Mineral oil such as Balistol works well and is what I generally prefer, as it is safe in every way. Oiling a blade and storing it away shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

4. Restore and reparation is something many people leave to the pros, or enthusiasts. I won’t get into this here, as it shouldn’t be a concern for the time being. Many things have been written on this topic, and this is not yet the right forum to look for answers in this area, unless you go to specific members who have a lot of experience already. In general, the SRP forum would be my go-to resource, should I have anything to ask or look for on restoration (including honing, cleaning, polishing, etc...).


With all that in mind, it’s obvious the maintenance doesn’t take much time. However, it must never be neglected. You cannot just leave a wet blade behind and run out of bathroom in a hurry.... so there’s discipline involved, definitely, but it’s a rewarding experience once you get proficient at shaving with a straight. It needs to be fun above all, because let’s face it, there are easier ways to shave today. If it’s a chore, then it’s not worth the effort, it will just annoy you in the long run and you will give up.

Hope that wasn’t too boring :wink:
A comprehensive write up, well done. P.
 

JayGee

Forum GOD!
A brilliant summary from @Britva

To begin with it seems like hard work & easy to get into a tizz, there are new skills to learn.

Once you get a routine & become a little more practiced, you'll wonder how you made it so difficult.

You will make mistakes & that is the only way to learn. Stropping in particular, you need to do it to maintain your edge, to learn to strop meant I rolled my edge & nicked the strop several times actually degrading the edge. Nothing disastrous & lots of help from the membership here.

Jump in, its a real community on ATG & from personal experiece, you'll get all the help you need & then some.
 

Hectorsgaf

Well used member
A brilliant summary from @Britva


Jump in, its a real community on ATG & from personal experiece, you'll get all the help you need & then some
Thank you for this and also thank you to all others who have replied and tried to help both on this thread and elsewhere. The community continues to be excellent.

I have held back a while here due mainly to an unfortunate experience with a member here making offers to help ( and push a sale ) then bombarding me with unfounded and completely malicious allegations with regard to my 'attempts' to buy at reduced rates ( I never offered anything, he did ) , and my private life. Bewildering and totally unnecessary and unprovoked. Cut short and dealt with, but for me negated that 'assurance' that I will get 'all' the help I need. Well I certainly got 'and then some'. A shame but has to be said.

Notwithstanding this I remain an 'elderly' ish shaver with reasonable experience of de shaving. I have also just had my first experience of se ( another story ) . My interest and curiosity with respect to straights remains strong despite the idiot who tried to fleece me.

I have the time and I still have the inclination. I am therefore still looking to the forum for a good buy to start me off. A buy that is shave ready. Nothing flash, nothing too expensive but something I can rely on as a step in the right direction that can be trusted to perform whilst the other initial steps are also learnt.

Regards
 
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