Who uses a straight razor?

Wade,
Stropping!!Yep!! Now "stropping"is where it's at.I have 3 strops,one is well used & useless,second one is good & leather is loaded with green paste.
Third is "perfect"found it at a knife show,nearest guess it's from EARLY 1900's!! Still in torn wax wrap,from Russia(writting on wax paper)questioned dealer on authenticity(I was curious)he told me got it from an old estate sale ,yrs.ago & t just put it away."NOBODY",even asks or looks at it! I DID,got it for $40.Next ? will prob. be how many razors do I have,ans.is 10,gave a Henk.to a Spec.Ops. friend of mine!
HAVE FUN,YOU ALL,
Jim :D
 
Kukri4302 said:
Wade,
Stropping!!Yep!! Now "stropping"is where it's at.I have 3 strops,one is well used & useless,second one is good & leather is loaded with green paste.
Third is "perfect"found it at a knife show,nearest guess it's from EARLY 1900's!! Still in torn wax wrap,from Russia(writting on wax paper)questioned dealer on authenticity(I was curious)he told me got it from an old estate sale ,yrs.ago & t just put it away."NOBODY",even asks or looks at it! I DID,got it for $40.Next ? will prob. be how many razors do I have,ans.is 10,gave a Henk.to a Spec.Ops. friend of mine!
HAVE FUN,YOU ALL,
Jim :D
Click to expand...

When you strop before shaving, do you use the plain leather, or the one loaded with green paste? I always use a plain strop just conditioned with strop paste (fat) and no abrasives. I wouldn't use a strop loaded with compound as my final step, and I would only use that to touch up the razor after honing.
 
Wade, about 2 years ago I decided to try using a straight razor and have used nothing else ever since. I bought a pair of Thiers-Issard razors from knifecenter and all the associated stuff. Found lots of great info on the 'net.

It did not take long to get proficient with one. I did tend to nick myself fairly often at first. The problem was just one of not paying attention to what I was doing.

Shaving with a straight razor takes longer than with a safety razor; however, you can get a great shave with one. And it's kind of neat to know that the tools will probably outlast me!

--gordon
 
gordyt said:
Wade, about 2 years ago I decided to try using a straight razor and have used nothing else ever since. I bought a pair of Thiers-Issard razors from knifecenter and all the associated stuff.
--gordon
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I started with a Dovo, but now I wish I went for a TI. I'll get myself a TI or two at some point. I've been having fun restoring older razors I find at antique shops and shaving with them. Some of them work great. :) It does take a lot longer, but I think it's fun.

What kind of strop(s) do you use? I have a rindleather and russian red leather from Jemico. I'm thinking about picking up Dovo's wide strop sometime.
 
I only decided to move to a straight razor a few weeks ago. Finding the kit has proven quite a challenge. But I got a lot of help. I had a first go at it yesterday. Sideburns and scheeks only, one step at a time ( mainly because I don't have a brush and good soap yet, using shaving gel and oil instead for the time being).
On the positive side, I managed not to cut myself!! Took me a few minutes to work out the best angle and the right pressure. I have a very hard beard, disposables only last a max of 3 shaves with me (never tried Mach 3 however, I have been shaving electric for the past 9 years, used disposables before that at times but made me bleed like a pig).
I think I'll have to work hard at finding the right direction of growth to cut across the growth and not with it, to get a good shave.
I'm using a Taylor 1000 I got from a very nice chap, he honed it for me. I have bought a Dorko and "le Grelot special barbe dure" (french, allegedly for hard beards) on the bay, will get them shortly.
Anything you could recommend? I've got the feeling I'd need a lot of stropping to keep the blade up to the action. Do some razors keep a better edge than others (hollow grounds, stainless steel blades,...?)
Any advice much appreciated, I'll have my second try later today... ;)
 
Shaved with a straight razor for the first time last night. I picked up a Dovo Black Star with brown Pakawood handles, a Illinoise Strop Co. strop, a pure badger brush and some soap at Plaza Cutlery in O.C.

I was kinda planning on getting one to try it out so I had like a weeks worth of growth ready for it...which on me aint too impressive. It seemed fairly sharp when I got it so I just stropped it a bit beforee I shaved. I was careful, but I had researched it quite a bit so it was fairly easy. The angle of the edge against your face seemed to come pretty natural, stretching was useful. I missed a few spots innitially and had to go over a second time. Took a while but not too long, I wasnt paying much attention to the time. I was little more harsh on the face then the disposables I used to use, but that might be fixed when I get to hone it myself. All and all I liked it a lot. My wiskers arent weak, they just grow slowly and realatively sparringly so I dont need to shave every day...so straight razor should work nice as routine.

I always think back to 2 things when I think of straight razors. One is a episode of The Three Stooges called "The Brideless Groom". Shemp has to be married by the end of the day tp inherit a fortune so he's getting himself cleaned up. He proceeds to shave with his straight razor in what can ony be described as a very rapid and very violent manner, all while circling around a dangling mirror. Mirraculously he does not cut himself, but suffice to say he did not escape that episode without some considerable pain. The other thing I am reminded of is that Monty Python animation wher the guy puts shaving cream over his entire head, whips out a straight razor and slices his whole head off with one stroke.

I think, considering these examples I am fond of, its amazing I didnt nik myself.
 
For those who don't yet have a brush and soap, and don't want to spend a lot, if you go to Wal Mart, or other local drug stores, you can usually find a boar bristle brush and something like Williams shave soap. Just toss the soap in a coffee mug and go. The boar bristles don't hold as much water as a silver tipped badger hair brush, so the lather may not be as rich. You can spend $50+ on a good badger hair brush.

So far my favorite soaps are the Col. Conk soaps. I like the Lime scent as it's fairly mild. My wife doesn't care for the bay rum, amber, etc. She didn't mind the almond to much.

As far as after shaves I like the Niva balms which are easily found in most stores. They have a sensative, mild, etc. Using a good after shave will help prevent razor burn and bumps.

Also it is best to shave after a hot shower. I looked at different soaps and found one that had Glyercin as one of the main ingredients (one of the soaps by Tone). I use this to wash my face and I leave it sit on my beard while I was my hair to soften my beard. Once out of the shower I get over to the sink as quick as I can and get more hot water on my face and then apply my shaving soap. I also have some pre-shave products that I put on before the soap that help soften the beard and protect my face. One of my favorites is the Prorasso cream which has a nice cool feeling to it. You can also use this after shaving instead of after shave lotion. Here's a link to the product:

http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522960/381280.htm

They have a liquid too I haven't tried yet:

http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522960/381297.htm


I use strops by Jemico. One is rind leather and one is Russian red leather. Both have linen (canvas) backs. One of the linen backs is loaded with a chalky paste which helps straighten the edge. I usually start on this, stropping about 10 strokes, alternating sides with each stroke. Then I give it a few passes on the plain linen on the alternate strop to help wipe off any paste to prevent it from transfering to the leather. Then I do a few passes on the rind leather strop, then I finish on the smoother russian red leather strop. It's important to keep tension on the strop and not let it hang through (if you use a paddle strop you don't have to worry about this, but with a hanging strop you do). You want to use as little pressure as possible when stropping. Just enough to keep the razor flat and in contact with the strop. Pushing down to hard will roll the edge. I also condition the leather strops with strop paste which is basically just a fatty oil (no abrasive). When stropping I can tell when the edge is getting keen when I feel the razor dragging (almost feels like it's sticking as you pull it, like a suction effect). Also sometimes you can hear a difference, almost like a scrapping whistling sound. At this point the razor usually will slice through my arm hair above skin level with no problem.

After I'm done stropping I run the razor under hot water to remove any strop residue. Some guys wipe the razor with a cotton ball soaked with alcohol, this helps clean it and kill any bacteria or germs. You just have to be careful not to damage the edge.

Sometimes you need to re-strop the razor during your shave if you notice the performance drops. Some people recommend not stropping after you shave as the edge gets stressed and you can chip off little bits of the edge which will stick in the strop. They claim the razor should rest for 24-48 hours before re-stropping.

Stropping on the linen with some paste will help extend the life of the razor between honings. Also using multiple razors will mean you'll have to visit the hones less frequently.

As far as shaving I usually go with the grain and hold the razor around 30 degrees to my face. After that I'll make multiple passes going against the grain from different directions until I get the closeness I want.

Also it's good to rinse your face off with cold water after you're done as this helps shrink your pores and sooth any discomfort, and helps stop bleeding from little nicks. Then I splash on the after shave. :)
 
WadeF said:
The Internet tought me how. :) You also have to go with the grain, than against. Finding the right attack angles is the trick. Some of the shaving sites have old barber manuals scanned into PDF files. These illustrate shaving techniques.
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Do you have any links you could post?

Thanks,
Frank
 
WadeF said:
There are some links posted above near the start of the thread.
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I checked them before, but didn't see anything about pdf files. I'll look again, but more thoroughly.

Thanks,
Frank
 
WadeF said:
What kind of strop(s) do you use? I have a rindleather and russian red leather from Jemico. I'm thinking about picking up Dovo's wide strop sometime.
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Wade I think I am using the same exact one! Here is a link to it on KnifeCenter..

It works well for me. I had not looked at the Dovo wide strop. How wide is it? The one I use know (well, that we use now) is 2" wide and I do have to strop across it at an angle to get the entire length of the razor.

--gordon
 
Hey all, just wandered over from the Community forums for a bit to read up about shaving, and saw this thread!

Used to love shaving straight, but since I took up facial foliage, it hasn't been worth the time...oh, well, I make trades. Anyway, thought I'd chip in a few witticisms about it:

Upon my 14th birthday, my father took me aside, into his bathroom and, laying a fatherly hand on my shoulder, smiled and said, "Son, it's time you learnt to shave."

Forthwith, he produced a well-worn straight razor, one of the older style, with cellulose handles. My first thought was, "...Gee, I love you, too, Dad." Unbidden, images of the Ford Pinto I would receive for my 16th birthday leapt into my mind's eye.

Nevertheless, I girded my loins (figuring that it might help in staunching the bloodflow) and proceeded. Twenty minutes, two sneezes, and one well-timed flinch later, I strode from the bathroom like Achilles as he circled Troy in victory. Well, if Achilles had been an oozing mummy, anyway. Swathed in toilet tissue from forehead to navel, practically, I walked away with two major tidbits of wisdom.

1) If you even THINK you may be allergic to your shaving soap, TEST it. In the middle of a shave is NO time to get itchy. Also, day after, you WILL look like a boiled lobster. With acne.

2) As numerous individuals have pointed out, it is of the UTMOST importance to keep the razor as close as possible to perpindicular to the direction of your stroke as possible. There was a reason that no one fought Sweeney Todd for long. Razors are sharp and ingenious tools meant to cut, swiftly and cleanly. They will do this in any direction, given a reason.

Oh, well...that's it for me and my $.02. Be careful, and keep it neat!!

:D
 
gordyt said:
Wade I think I am using the same exact one! Here is a link to it on KnifeCenter..

It works well for me. I had not looked at the Dovo wide strop. How wide is it? The one I use know (well, that we use now) is 2" wide and I do have to strop across it at an angle to get the entire length of the razor.

--gordon
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That link is to the Rindleather strop. I have that too, but I finish on the Russian Red leather which is smoother.

The Dovo wide strop is wide enough that the whole razor can fit on it so you don't have to do the X pattern.
 
Kalindras said:
2) As numerous individuals have pointed out, it is of the UTMOST importance to keep the razor as close as possible to perpindicular to the direction of your stroke as possible. There was a reason that no one fought Sweeney Todd for long. Razors are sharp and ingenious tools meant to cut, swiftly and cleanly. They will do this in any direction, given a reason.
:D
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When you say perpindicular to the direction of your stroke, you just mean don't pull the razor in a slicing motion across your face right? Meaning you want to move the edge forward in a scrapping action, and not a slicing action?

I'd hate to think someone would try and use a razor other wise. :)

One site that gave me bad advice said to hold the razor 90 degrees to your face, like perpendicular to your face. NOT GOOD! 30 degrees is what you want.

Things have been going pretty smoothly for me now that I've been shaving this way for a couple months now. Going through the shave soap a little faster than I expected though.
 
Get yourself a Dopp kit and a hot lather machine...
I remember when I was 15... the old italian barber in my hometown gave me a warm lather shave with a straight razor. Quite an experience I must say. His son used to practice on baloons... he'd blow them up till they almost popped, lather that SOB and shave it clean. just dont get scared when it pops and slit your wrist... Aspiring barbers shouldnt practice bloodletting anymore :eek: best to tape the baloon to a stationary object, and use the free hand to steady it.

I go to the coolest old store to get a lot of my "vintage stuff" If I cant get it from my grandfather :D www.vermontcountrystore.com has nice shaving mugs and a lightly lime scented shaving lather, along with the afformentioned Dopp kit (a must for any boy coming of age BTW). VCS also has THE coolest catalogue. Order one for an interesting trip back to your grandparents house.
**Disclaimer** Im not affiliated with VCS, I am, however, a History buff who lived with his grandparents for a long time

Nate

PS anyone try a Hubertus razor??
 
They aren't kidding when they say "shave straight down, not at an angle". OH MY GOD.... Nice scar. I tell everyone I cut myself shaving but no one believes me.
 
You have got to take it easy the first few times. I personally shave with my Dovo straight razor on the weekends only so I can spend more time shaving and pay more attention to what I am doing. I think I still have ways to go in the sharpening and stropping department though. I have two Dovo strops and I loaded one up with Red Dovo stropping paste and that seemed to make my razor sharper but it is still not sharp enough to shave without irritation or shave by the weight of the blade alone.
 
Dmax said:
You have got to take it easy the first few times. I personally shave with my Dovo straight razor on the weekends only so I can spend more time shaving and pay more attention to what I am doing. I think I still have ways to go in the sharpening and stropping department though. I have two Dovo strops and I loaded one up with Red Dovo stropping paste and that seemed to make my razor sharper but it is still not sharp enough to shave without irritation or shave by the weight of the blade alone.
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You shouldn't strop with any type of compound that has a grit value, which I believe that red paste has. If you use the red paste all the time you'll probably wear down the razor faster. Once I have my razor honed to where it should be I just maintain it on a strop that one side has the linen strap, and the other plain leather. I condition the leather with strop paste that is simply a fatty oil. It has no grit value or abrasive value. I first strop on the linen side, then finsih on the plain leather. I usually test the edge on my arm hair and it should easily catch and slice my arm hair well above skin level.
 
I recently purchased a strop from my local mall's knife shop (Fiesta Mall in Mesa, AZ). The guys there don't know anything about straight-edge razors, so I need some help.

For a while I've owned the Illinois #127 Hanging Razor Strop. It's great, but too small, and I've used it up and worn it out. So I purchased another Illinois strop (#827), but this one is a larger russian leather strop, and not the smaller, horse kind. The leather on this new stop doesn't have the smooth finish of my old one. The new one is fairly rough.

I'm a little worried that I didn't get a good strop, or is it the case that I need to treat the leather somehow so that it is smooth like my old one? On classicshaving.com it mentions running a pumas stone accross the leather, then "Rub stiff lather into the strop", then another pass of the pumas stone, then more stiff lather, and then a glass bottle. A stiff lather of what, soap??? Is that something that I should do, or would some strop cream do the trick.

And I'm also not sure if I am stroping correctly. Do you lay the blade down flat as your run it accross the strop, or do you drag it at an angle?
 
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