Leap of faith: First straight razor setup

I was browsing the forum last night and I caught a wild hair and decided I should probably shave it off.

I was looking through this grooming forum and I realized I have never been truly satisfied with the shave I get from my (old reliable) Gillette Sensor. On a whim, I decided to put a keen edge on the spey blade of a stockman and shave my face with it. It actually worked, so I said to myself, "who am I kidding? I am buying a straight razor." Fast forward to now... and the leap of faith has been made.

Currently in the mail:

-A Dovo 6/8" straight razor with a full hollow grind and black synthetic scales.
-A Simpson Persian 2 Brush
-A professional style 2" leather strop
-And finally, I bought some various soaps to try out (one bowl included).

This should cover everything to get me started right?

I will report back how everything goes for me. I am planning on using this set-up for shaving as frequently as possible. I get up automatically before dawn, so I have plenty of time for this kind of thing.

Why not, right?

 

Thanks for the replies guys! I am really looking forward to the overall experience.

FYI- The company I purchased the goods from advertised that they have all their straight razors professionally sharpened. I really like that, because it will give me a chance to see what a proper razor edge should look like. I am plenty comfortable sharpening knives, and I am hoping to transfer some skill there, but I didn't want to put the first edge on my razor "blind," so to speak.

Also, there is a question I would like to clear up: What does the term DE imply?

I am guessing that DE stands for "double edge." Does this term include both modern and traditional razors? My Gillette is the modern type that takes a cartridge refill, as opposed to the traditional blade replacement types.

 

The strop I am going to use should come in next week. It was made by straight razor designs (I am not sure of the exact leather they use). I am only going to use this strop for straight razors and I will keep it as clean as possible. I also have a diamond loaded strop that I use for knives, but it could also be upgraded.

I am seriously lacking in the natural stone department. I do have some, but they are not something I would use for this purpose.

Do you have any favorite stones for straight razor maintenance?

I was going to wait until I could see the razor's edge before I bought a stone for it... -Just to get an idea of what I had to deal with. (It is coming pre-sharpened)

Thanks again for the replies!

 

Thanks for all the replies and advice!

I did the first shave tonight. I think I did an okay job. I can see that I have a lot to learn. The razor really cuts differently at different angles and I am learning how to maneuver it around my face. In time I can see myself getting better.

The brush and soap is a great combo to have. I will probably rarely use pressurized canister foam anymore, if ever.

Now I have a few more things on my list to pick up.

 

Yes, it was "shave ready."

Rather than "testing the waters with my toes," I wanted to jump right in and get started.

By professional standards, I am sure my first straight shave was sloppy, inefficient, and not as close as it can be.

I am looking forward to all I have to learn.

PS- I will admit, the first shave was boarder-line terrifying at times . I remember holding the razor up to my neck for the first "neck pass".... I looked in the mirror just before I did it, and thought to myself, "here it goes!"

 

Update: I have picked up a few things since my last post.

After doing a little research, I decided to buy a set of norton stones. 220/1K 4k/8k (lapped on my DMT blue course stone)

I also got another strop and some .5 Diamond spray.

That styptic pen has been very useful as well!

Overall, this straight razor has changed a lot of my shaving routine. I only use it on weekends currently (I don't want to rush myself before work), but even when using my safety razor on weekdays -I have a better understanding of what I am doing. I was never taught about second passes -switching from "with the grain" to "against the grain." I have been looking at the shaving diagrams posted here, and they have been a great help. I am actually paying attention to the direction my facial hairs grow -what spots are more stubborn, etc...

And the brush... I really cant say enough good things about it as a lathering technique/concept. Sooooo much nicer than that funky chemical foam from the supermarket (which has always dried my face out).

Thanks again for the help here guys. I'll post again after I do my first sharpening on the norton stones.