So, I got myself a straight razor!

[Atomini]

Yeah man I actually live in scarborough Bro. Did you go to that barber wharehouse on Orfus rd. I'm asuming you live in Toronto bro, I think I'll take your adivce and buy the stap and stone.

Ah, no, I went to one on Yonge Street up north in 'Rich Man's Hill' because that's where I live, if you know what I mean .

And 3**, you can trim around goatees just fine with a straight razor because you can manipulate it at all different angles as you see fit, unlike fixed safety razors.

[3bd]

I think you've inspired a lot of us to give this a try. I don't know why I've never thought of it before... after all i've been using shaving soap forever. How long have you been doing this now?

I asked my GF to get me one for Christmas.

[Tock]

All that talk about the straight razor made me go pick one up today. Got the exact one shown in the pics, I didn't get the leather stap though, too damn expensive. I paid $80 bucks Cdn. The beauty supply place I bought it from wants $80 bucks for the strap. Any suggestions where to get a cheap strap? I'm gonna try it tonite see how it runs.

Ya, right here:
http://www.classicshaving.com/page/page/522944.htm
The #827 strop looks like a pretty good deal to me.


But you really should get one of these very informative $20 DVD's first:
http://www.classicshaving.com/catalo...13/3712210.htm

[Amorphic]

i might have to try this, i have a chinstrap and using a normal razor to shave it straight is a total pain in the ass

[northerntouch]

Cool dude, I know where you at bro. Not too far from me, hey can I get shaving soap at Walmart? Or is it special stuff? I really want to try this [Cut Throat] tonite. I asked my my girl if I could pratice on her camel-toe and she told me to fvck off....... lol. Luv that chica

[Atomini]

I think you've inspired a lot of us to give this a try. I don't know why I've never thought of it before... after all i've been using shaving soap forever. How long have you been doing this now?

I asked my GF to get me one for Christmas.

This is 3 weeks now, I think.

[3bd]

This is 3 weeks now, I think.

How long did it take you to get "the feel" for it? How bad were the "uh-ohs"?

[Atomini]

I got the feel for it at about the second shave. It was kinda shitty when using shaving cream, that stuff sucks.

And you can get shaving soap at walmart or shoppers drugmart but not all of them carry it.

[northerntouch]

Thx, I'm going to go get some tonite for sure. Allright gent's it's time to shave like men are surpose too! I do feel like a badass with this thing, I also ordered another razor off of flea bay for ten bucks. I'll give you more details and pics when it come's in, think I'm gonna start collecting antique razors.

[3bd]

Thx, I'm going to go get some tonite for sure. Allright gent's it's time to shave like men are surpose too! I do feel like a badass with this thing, I also ordered another razor off of flea bay for ten bucks. I'll give you more details and pics when it come's in, think I'm gonna start collecting antique razors.

Don't forget your little "Eastwood" cigar bro!

Can you say "testosterone "?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[northerntouch]

Don't forget your little "Eastwood" cigar bro!

Can you say "testosterone"?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Lol, I was smokin a cigar when i shaved last nite. I needed to take the edge off I was a bit nervous. Well as I said, I did use it last nite and one thing is for sure when u buy a "Cut Throat Razor" alway buy the leather strap. I basically pulled it out of the box cleaned it with alcohol and Q-tip, latherd up, took a puff of my cigar and took the first pass. I hadn't shaved in a week so my face was pretty rough, it is the most uncomfortable feelin in the world. It felt like I was rippin the hair off my face, so i changed my angle too slightly above parallel and it was just like butter baby. One thing you brother's will notice is that the tip of the razor is really fvckin sharp, so make sure you control every stoke with care. During the shave it started to burn a bit, no big deal though, no cuts or anything like. It's a art all on its own and patience is the key bro's, I should of bought the strap cause its probobly would have solved the burn I felt. I don't recommend using it right out of the box though, another thing I learned last nite was to make sure you keep lathering your face continuosly, cause the blade glides perfect over the skin. When i did let my skin dry and tryed too go over the skin it fvckin burned man, and due to the fact that I didn't strop it first. So brothers that's my first shave with a straight razor, and I'll never go back a "Girly" safety razor. So I woke up this morning and my face is absolutly smooth, hardly any stubble man "this is fvkin amazing man" I have really sensitive skin and there isn't one bump or cut on my face. I was searching flea bay and I came across a set from the early 1900's, comes in a wooden box with felt inside, there actually 7 razors for eveyday off the week. Each razor slot has the days of the week written in gold, the razors have a pure ivory handle and the blade are made of shaffield steel, gonna put a bid on them. Oh yeah, Gillette can suck fat d*ck... j/jk

[Atomini]

lol, you didn't strop it first. Bad idea.

[northerntouch]

I'm one of those people that like to learn the hard way. lol. Wont try that again.

[Atomini]

Hey just a thought... what happens if you reverse the razor on the sharpening stone?

What I mean is moving the razor along the sharpening stone in the same way you would while stropping (with the razor's spine leading). What would happen if I did that?

[northerntouch]

I dont know if this will answer your question, got this from another web site.
How to sharpen a straight razor:

Straight Razor Honing
After about six months of use, your straight razor will begin to slightly pull on your skin - an indication that its blade will need honing.

Honing a razor is pretty simple. All you need is a straight razor hone, a razor and a light touch. Hones are usually made of stone or a synthetic material.

Be sure to follow the hone manufacturer’s instructions on how to use the hone properly. Honing a straight razor is done by laying the razor flat on top of the hone and then pushing it down the hone diagonally with the edge leading.

Use very short strokes but the strokes must be long enough to ensure that the whole straight razor edge comes into contact with hone. Then flip the razor over on its spine and push the other side in the same diagonal manner back up the hone.

Basically, you’ll form an “X” pattern on the hone using this technique. Be very light using on the weight of the blade against the hone. Five passes on each side of the blade should be good enough to sharpen your razor’s blade.

After honing the blade, you’ll need to strop it on leather to completely whet the edge. Use 10 to 20 passes on the strop before each shave.

You can test the sharpness of your razor by using the sliced hair technique. Simply obtain a hair, pinch it between your thumb and forefinger so that it hangs down. Slowly push the blade at the hair in a perpendicular fashion. If the blade slices through the hair without a sound, then you have a properly sharpened blade.

Straight Razor Stropping
A strop is a leather belt that has a smooth surface over which the razor is dragged flat with the back leading. The strop smoothes the razor’s edge, making it very keen. There are a variety of strops available, with Colonel Conk’s razor strop being one of the most popular.

Stropping a straight blade is perhaps the toughest technique to master. Remember to take your time and use little more pressure than the weight of the blade.

If you take a chunk out of your strop, you can likely smooth it out with very fine sandpaper. Once it’s smoothed out, wipe the strop with a damp cloth and treat it with strop conditioner.

Drag the blade across the leather with its spine leading. The blade should be completely flat on the leather. Like honing, drag the blade in a diagonal fashion so that the entire edge is treated and use an “X” pattern. After stropping you’re now ready to shave.

Once every month treat your leather strop with a strop paste to keep it supple and soft. Like your straight razor, your leather strop can last a lifetime if properly maintained.

Enjoy brothers

[Tock]

Hey just a thought... what happens if you reverse the razor on the sharpening stone?

What I mean is moving the razor along the sharpening stone in the same way you would while stropping (with the razor's spine leading). What would happen if I did that?

You'll booger it up, that's what.

If you overhone your razor, you could stroke it backward like that for one stroke, but after that, you have to start the process all over again.

[WelshWarrior]

How's it going now Atomi?

I'm loving it my end. Got 3 second hand blades now and really got the feel for it. Super smooth shaves, close and seems to have made my skin smoother too.

[Atomini]

It's been great until this passed week when I tried honing it myself and I actually ended up making the blade duller, lmao.

So it's off at my barber's right now getting re-honed by him. Gonna pick it up in a couple days. Maybe it will be even sharper when I get it.

[WelshWarrior]

Haha! Did you use the norton 4k/8k?

Haven't tried honing for myself yet - that will be the next step.

[Atomini]

Yeah, I got that exact stone. On the surface, honing looks so simple but its really so complicated, it takes years to master. Good thing my barber is an old-timer who's been doing this since the 1940s when all they used were straight razors.

[Red Ketchup]

Just get yourself an old razor off ebay to practice honing... it's not hard but does take practice.

Red

[firmechicano831]

I love this post, I've learned so much. I'm also rethinking the idea about getting one.

[Kale]

You sick bastard. I knew this was you all along http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809834155/info

[WelshWarrior]

Posts 102+103, two avvies that make me contemplate other things than reading this post.

Atomi, how did you mess it up, as you say it looks easy but I hear so often about mistakes being made I want to know how they get made. Agree with Red, I'm going to buy a cheapie to sharpen my honing on.

[Atomini]

You sick bastard. I knew this was you all along http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809834155/info

Har har har. I haven't even seen that movie for the precise reason I thought it would have something to do with the cliche scenario of a straight razor and someone's throat.

Posts 102+103, two avvies that make me contemplate other things than reading this post.

Atomi, how did you mess it up, as you say it looks easy but I hear so often about mistakes being made I want to know how they get made. Agree with Red, I'm going to buy a cheapie to sharpen my honing on.

It can depend on a few things. I think I did it by putting too much pressure on the razor as I was moving it along the stone.

[WelshWarrior]

Do you finish on a higher grit than the 8k before using it? I'm trying to work out if I need to buy 2 hones.

[Atomini]

No, I just use the 8000. Apparently that's all you need. That's what my barber is using.

[perfectbeast2001]

Im going to try this. I am fed up paying shoplifters to nick me razor blades.....

[WelshWarrior]

Im going to try this. I am fed up paying shoplifters to nick me razor blades.....

Initially it is expensive to buy the gear, but once you're done that's it for life. You won't regret it, it's only been 6 weeks or so for me, but I'm never going back to Gillette's.

[Atomini]

Just got my razor back from the barber and HOLY CRAP IT'S SHARPER THAN BEFORE OMFG, I NICKED MYSELF SLIGHTLY JUST NOW!

[steel113]

dude i have been shaving with a str8 edge for years now. and i love it. the only thing is try to always shave when you get out of a hot shower this will help reduce irritations. ne ways good lick and enjoy

[Amorphic]

are straight razors good for precision shaping? i have a chin strap and its a bitch to keep it straight with normal razors.

[WelshWarrior]

are straight razors good for precision shaping? i have a chin strap and its a bitch to keep it straight with normal razors.

Yeah, you can get especially small blades for this, something like a 2/8 to a 4/8. It's perfect for this cos it is so long and sharp one stroke is all it needs. I have long sideys and they are angular and precise now.

[Atomini]

are straight razors good for precision shaping? i have a chin strap and its a bitch to keep it straight with normal razors.

It's pretty much the perfect and only tool for precision shaping. You can get at all different angles with a straight razor.

[Amorphic]

double post, whoops

[Amorphic]

Yeah, you can get especially small blades for this, something like a 2/8 to a 4/8. It's perfect for this cos it is so long and sharp one stroke is all it needs. I have long sideys and they are angular and precise now.

It's pretty much the perfect and only tool for precision shaping. You can get at all different angles with a straight razor.

looks like i better man up and get one