Decided to give it a try

[silenthunterstudios]

Well, I decided to get rid of my beard on a whim, and kept my goatee. It's weird to have to shave again the next day . The hair on my face has been there a long time, and its taking some getting used to.

Well, my electric beard trimmer/shaver got broken (lasted more a couple years, which I was surprised at). Went through about three safety razors.

My father found some old straight razors last week, and gave them to me. Gonna clean them up and see if I can find the tang stamps, they look pretty old. Got me to thinking. As a bonafide knife nut, now might be the time to try my hand at using a straight razor. Where do I begin? What brands, what country of origin.

How do I use one without slicing my throat accidentally?

 

[Will Power]

Might be best to start off with using a DE razor,get your hand in as a light gentle technique works best. Then you can move on to a cut throat razor in more safety....
I've only used one a few times and that was enough,these days I have a shaky hand and failing eye-sight...not a good combo!

 

[HCSchluge]

Go to http://www.badgerandblade.com and read EVERYTHING on straight razor shaving. Shaving with a straight gives you a fantastic shave and absolutely nothing is cooler, but there is a lot to think about and it's a completely different shave than you might be used to. The guys at B&B are great and more than ready to help.

Best of luck.

 

[Mike L.]

Remember, the straight razor is for scraping off the whiskers.
Draw cuts are a no-no.



--Mike L.

 

[gadgetgeek]

straightrazorplace.com really good wiki with lots of answers. pretty easy really. you want to hone them up to at least the 8k waterstone (norton or whatever) level, with the bade laying flat. a quick strop on leather, (again flat, that edge is super delicate) and shave with the razor at about a 30degree angle from the skin. anything old from sheffield or solingen should be good.
pics of the beauties would be good too!

 

[xChris]

Actually slicing into your throat is harder than you'd think with a straight.

Using a straight was born from my knife hobby too, so I applaud you for jumping right in (yes, it's possible to do so). You'll have to commit to being patient while you learn new techniques required to give a truly great shave with one of these specialized knives.

First off, I recommend reading as much information as possible on the various wetshaving forms mentioned above. There's a lot of information available to newcomers -- discussions, wikis, photos, videos. Next, get one of your razors honed (maybe even restored) by one of the members (aka honemeisters) of those wetshaving forums (which could also be a member here too). This will give you a frame of reference for what a "shave ready" razor should feel like.

From there, it's practice, practice, practice. This statement is applicable to it all: honing, stropping, shaving. Again, be patient, and you'll eventally be rewarded with great shaves by some tools that you've mastered.

Please post up some photos of your razors when ou've got a chance; it will help with identifying them and providing advice back on their shave worthiness. However, things to look for are blades made in the U.S. (e.g., Bradford, PA & New York -- Case or Geneva Cutlery), England (e.g., Sheffield), Germany (e.g., Solingen), & Sweden (e.g., Eskilituna). Avoid blade with what is called a "frown" -- less wide in the middle of the blade than at the heel & tip. Blades should have minimal rust or no rust at the edge, so as to preserve as much steel for establishing a useable bevel & edge.

Good luck!

 

[flipit]

I just got one for fathers day and read the posts above and gave it a go for my first time,only one small nick and the closest shave to date.I have been sharping knives that sharp for,well to long but never thought of testing them on my face.Well I'm diggin it more edged tools,nice.