Straight razor and strop in a humid bathroom?

C

CutterBoi

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Nov 19, 2022
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I've been using cartridge razors for my entire adult life. I typically shave in the shower without use of shaving cream. I don't think my facial hair is particularly tough or dense. I don't like how easily cartridge razors clog with hair. I'm now working from home as a result of the whole COVID-19 thing, so I tend to not shave nearly so often. Razor clogging is now a PITA. I'm pondering whether I should switch to some other shaving system. Straight razors are on the list of alternatives I'm considering. I have a couple concerns I hope people here can address.

Most info I read calls for use of some sort of lather. I understand this is supposed to help soften whiskers, but most written info I've come across focuses more on the aspect of luxury rather than necessity. I know from personal experience that water by itself works just fine on my face with cartridge razors, and I'd rather not have to deal with using a special brush to whip up smelly lather and spread it across my face. From a functional point of view, does shaving lotion / cream / lather provide any cutting performance benefit over thoroughly soaking your face with water? If water alone isn't good enough, are there relatively odor-free products that do the job adequately?

Many straight razors I've seen listed for sale online use carbon steel blades. I know these things can rust if you so much as look at them funny. My bathroom is a very humid environment after a shower, and I'm concerned that carbon steel might rust if stored there. Is this a real concern? Or will simply fully drying the straight razor before throwing it into the medicine cabinet be sufficient to avoid rust?

Razor strops usually have a leather surface. Would a strip of leather hanging on my bathroom wall be damaged by the high humidity / steam in the bathroom from a shower?

I am ridiculously ignorant, so I'll not be at all surprised if you find the questions to be ridiculous and ignorant. My goal is to avoid spending good money on quality shaving kit only to have it all go to hell because my bathroom is too wet, so I'll appreciate any information or feedback you offer.

Thanks!
 
Even ”stainless” steels can rust if left to the humid shower space. I have experienced that personally. I would advice to leave your blades and strops to separate space or dry bathroom.
 
Bathroom humidity is a relative thing. For example, when I lived in Calgary, a towel would be almost dry an hour or two after a shower, and where I live now in Australia, there are times of the year when a towel is getting that funky locker-room smell within a couple of days. This matters for the leather, but in general, unless you are in the coastal tropics, a strop will be fine, if oiled annually or so, and allowed to hang freely.
As for razors, you can do stainless straights, but in all honesty, I'd try a double-edged first, the learning curve is far less, there are more user-adjustable variables, and they are far more forgiving. One mistake with a straight and it can be ruined, or heavily damaged, where as DEs are far more robust.
Lather, for a straight, yes, no question, it is critical. Unless your edge is perfect and you are willing to shave in the shower (not recommended) a straight needs the extra help that lather provides. Whereas with a DE, you can "cheat" using always fresh blades and do fine with a water-only shave in many cases. I'd recommend something like a merkur slant bar if you are going longer between shaves as they are known for handling longer hair better. There was a time when open-comb razors were considered the best for long hair, but they are hard to find, and in my own experience, I can get the same performance between my open-comb, non-adjustable Gillette tech (late 30s vintage) to my 70s vintage adjustable. But essentially you just need to adjust your pace to keep the blade clean, and they will all work. If my adjustable plugs, I can just loosen the blade, rinse, and continue, which is exactly what I have to do with my open comb.
As for soaps in general, shaving soaps do help, and I would recommend some form. If smells are a factor, there is a lot on the market that are pretty mild, but it's a personal thing. I don't think that Mitchell's wool fat soap has much smell, but I've heard people insist it smells like wet sheep. I like the D.R Harris and Taylor of old bond street, I think they are not over-done on scent, but Proraso has some real punch to it. You might want to try a soft soap, or a soap stick for shower shaving, but it's kinda a matter of personal taste. I use a DE on my whole head, using head-blade soap for my scalp, and a brush and soap for my face, and I've used soft proraso without a brush on my face when traveling, so getting an amazing lather is not the most critical thing, but you want to reduce friction, and clean wet skin can be pretty sticky.

This doesn't even account for honing straights, (it's not knife sharpening, it's a whole other beast of a skill) so purely for cost as an "I'd like to try" DE will get you farther and be more enjoyable shave for cheaper than starting on straights.
Not dumb questions at all, there is a lot of info out there that comes from a place of blind nostalgia. While straight shaving is pretty cool as a skill, it's not the "best" by any objective standard.
 
Thank you both for your replies. They have helped to make up my mind. I think you've saved me a lot of money.
 
Jumping into straight razors isn't easy but it can be done. I've used a straight for about 7 years. Switching to a DE (double edge) razor can also alleviate some of the clogging issues.

Do you plan on continuing to shave in the shower?

A soap and brush will give you a lather with more slickness. This is crucial when using a straight razor. Not so much with a cartridge.
 
I'm willing to learn to hone and strop a straight razor. I'm willing to cut myself learning to use a straight razor. I'm willing to learn how to make and apply a lather. But storing the razor and strop outside my bathroom? That's a deal-breaker. It would be like storing my kitchen knives and honing rod in a hall closet.

I've got a Merkur 39C slant bar razor and a selection of sample blades on order. Wish me luck!
 
Good plan, get that locked down, and then just keep your eyes open for a straight as conditions change.
 
To me, using a straight razor is about enjoying life. It’s making a chore as fun and engaging as possible. Especially with a chore I do regularly, like shaving, I like to use interesting old-school technology.

It’s the same reason I drive a stick-shift, and use an axe/knife to chop wood instead of a saw whenever possible. It’s not the fastest way, or the safest, but it’s more fun by far.

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I don’t keep my razor in the bathroom, but that’s a small sacrifice for years of shaving excitement! ;)
 
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scdub said:
To me, using a straight razor is about enjoying life. It’s making a chore as fun and engaging as possible. Especially with a chore I do regularly, like shaving, I like to use interesting old-school technology.

It’s the same reason I drive a stick-shift, and use an axe/knife to chop wood instead of a saw whenever possible. It’s not the fastest way, or the safest, but it’s more fun by far.


I don’t keep my razor in the bathroom, but that’s a small sacrifice for years of shaving excitement! ;)
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I understand where you're coming from. I think I'll eventually give straight razors a try but I'll work up to it gradually rather than jumping in whole-hog. Find some shaving cream / lotion that I like. Figure out whether I have "sensitive skin". Find a disposable straight razor (assuming they exist), learn to maintain it so it doesn't rust. If all is good, purchase a non-disposable straight razor. Research and practice razor honing.

The world of double-edge safety razor blades is surprisingly complex. I thought that one suitably-sharp blade would be as good as another, with the main differentiator being how long a blade lasts. Research showed I was wrong. I suspect the journey into the world of straight razors will be difficult if it turns out my face is picky about blades, because I'll have to research how to make a straight razor better approximate what my face prefers in a safety razor blade. This could turn out to be a quixotic adventure, but what's life without challenge?
 
The search term you want for disposable blade straights is "shavette" in case you had not come across that yet. There are a few different styles, but that's the general term you will find when hunting old threads on various forums.
 
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