Considering switching to the straight razor.

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I learned to shave with a straight razor and did not have all these bloody experiences that everyone here is talking about because I used the many many tutorials and YouTube videos out there. If you can follow instructions you will be all right, if you think you are going to get a quick shave and rush you will get.cut. Every barber that gave me a straight razor shave sucked although I never tried one of the better specialists I must admit.

 

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Gold dollar razors are good, very good steel for the job but quality control sucks and gold dollar lemons are plentiful. There are people on eBay that properly grind Gold dollars into shape and sell them at good prices.

 

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Vintage can be good but risky. Some of them will not take a good edge without some very serious work. Going straight is mostly an investment in time.

What I left out as pointed by another poster is you can get a vintage ready to go from a reputable dealer that specializes in restoring them to shaving condition. These can generally be as good or better than a brand new high quality straight razor but it will be more expensive than a gold dollar straight razor that is either good out of the box or fixed by someone who knows what they are doing. I should also mention that ebay is not the only place where you can purchase gold dollar straight razors that if defective are repaired and made shave ready by people who inspect every one of them to insure they are shave ready before sending it out. It cost more money than taking the risk and buying a brand new gold dollar yourself but still overall inexpensive.

Some of these vintage straight razors are beautiful works of art or unique in looks and anything similar no longer manufactured today. Most vintage razors being made at a time when straight razors were for the most part the only way to shave were not made to be display items but are fully functional and usually function quite well or the people that made them would not have been in business very long.

It has been said by a modern custom straight razor maker I read that his work is only going to be used for display and not used anyway . I am not sure what to make of that but in the old days when there were very little to no alternatives to straight razor shaving my gut feeling is this sentiment would be the first step toward bankruptcy in the mind of the maker.

Before convenient safety razors became popular the straight razor was in use for thousands of years (4th century BC.) The straight razor design has just about evolved to all it could be and the fact that it is still used today by high end barbers (not the ho hum ones I foolishly trusted) is a testament to how it'excels in it's function. The ones used at a time just before they became unpopular and a little later when they were still in wide use as well as probably a century more or less before (I am not really sure when they reached the pinnacle of their design) would likely be very functional if in good condition. You don't need super steel for a super great shaving straight razor either.

 

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Straight shaving can be very cheap to through the roof expensive. You do need to strop and some people get excellent results using news paper on a flat surface. Most honing and reprofiling services are not expensive.

 

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The stones to hone and reprofile yourself need to be good quality. A jewelers loupe to scope your edge is also helpful. When it comes to a straight razor those tiny details do matter if you want a smooth shave as opposed to rough.

 

[gadgetgeek]

If cost is a concern, go for a double-edged razor first, they are far cheaper, much better overall, and still useful in the learning curve. Then save up the few hundo for stones, strops and razors (it's a collecting illness in and of itself) You can get into a very serviceable DE handle and mixed pack of blades (you will find the ones that agree with your skin and that handle) for the cost of a couple packs of cartridges. Also, that again is far easier learned and has far fewer variables than straight shaving. Once you get good at that, then you also have a good travel option, and more importantly a fast touch-up option. Straight shaving is slow, even for guys who are fast at it. Also, most people's faces cannot handle a straight every day unless they are very good, and have very thin hair (the running joke is everyone has steel wool hair and sensitive skin) so if you need to always be stubble free, straights will not be a good option.

I did the straights first route, bashed through it, got kinda good, and had bad shaves for years. When I swapped to DE, I was able to shave more often, get cleaner shaves and thus ensure domestic bliss. And now that I do the full dome, it's pretty easy with a DE. I'm not saying don't work towards straights, they can be very good, but you want to have a decent shave sometime between now and 2025 right?

 

[gadgetgeek]

Sounds like you are in Canada. The last time I got a 100 pack of Rockwell razors from Blades Canada they only costed $22.99 plus tax and shipping. I am not bad at sharpening, and it is part of what I do for a living. But I am definitely not about to start straight razor shaving, nor do I expect to ever start doing so.

Back when SRP was running there was more than one honemeister who would refuse to work on a blade that had been sharpened by a knife sharpener (they would charge for a restoration) and I recall a couple that openly admitted that they had a buddy who touched up their EDC and kitchen knives. It's two very different skills, I'm happily bad at both, but I can imagine that if I specialized at one, it would be at the cost of the other.

 

[David Mary]

I can imagine that if I specialized at one, it would be at the cost of the other

There's no reason a person could not learn both skills to a high level of proficiency. I would not be surprised if I were to discover that some of our more well known maker denizens can sharpen a straight razor to perfection.

 

[gadgetgeek]

There's no reason a person could not learn both skills to a high level of proficiency. I would not be surprised if I were to discover that some of our more well known maker denizens can sharpen a straight razor to perfection.

Not saying you couldn't, but we only have so much time in a day, and while they are related in some ways, they are separate enough, that if you were to do both very well, that's time you are taking away from something else you are good at. It was more a reflection on the fact that being good at one isn't the same as being good at another. There are guys who can run distance and sprint, but they are not the norm, generally, you can do one or the other. Can a person get a functional edge on a kitchen knife and a straight, yes, they can . But as you know as a business, you need to have a certain volume output and consistency, so once you are at a certain point in the skill level, you have to focus, and for those guys it just wasn't worth them risking getting a bad habit. Also, I'm sure it wasn't every one of them, simply some felt it worth stating that just because they had one skill to a very high level, didn't mean they also had a second. As a second example, it's well known that many F1 drivers are basically not allowed to drive on normal roads, you wouldn't call them "bad drivers" but they drive very well only in specific conditions. Doesn't apply to all, but it happens often enough to be at least be a "common knowledge" factoid that is hard to debunk. (I have common knowledge factoids, but it seems like the kind of thing I'd have come across as false if it had no merit at all, happy to be wrong though)
I might be projecting a little, but I've been doing my own honing and sharpening for a bit, and if I was to do either to a professional level, I'd pick just one.

 

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Are you kidding me a straight is way easier to sharpen, hone, and strop than a knife You just lay it flat.

You do need quality sharpening stuff though because of the fineness (super fine, smooth, polished and micro defect free) of the edge on a straight razor. Although high quality sharpening stuff is always beneficial, with a knife it's not as critical an issue as with a straight razor.

That means no cheap crumbley stones from places unknown. On the flip side though cheap newspaper loaded with stropping paste on a flat surface such a long paddle is known to work great for stropping straight razors.

There are a lot of crappy knife sharpeners out there who don't know how to hone. They only know how to grind away at a blade leaving a terrible gritty edge that actually cuts but do this too many times and there won't be much blade left to grind. They should be called knife grinders because they sure don't have a clue how to sharpen leaving a good edge. Do that with a straight razor and the damage will be extensive.

I doubt a skilled knife sharpener/knife maker would have a hard time understanding how to and actually sharpening, honing, and stropping a straight razor.

 

[Triton]

I don't expect this to be a popular opinion in this space, but I will note that there is a reason that the cartridge razor is far more popular than the straight razor or even the safety razor. They are convenient and they work without requiring arcane shaving skills and without having to strop them all the time.

If you want cheap yet good blades join either dollar shave club or Harry's for a while and stock up for cheap. Even better, get on Amazon and look up Dorco razors. They are very inexpensive but very effective.

In the morning when I'm pushed for time I don't have time to worry about cutting my own throat, nor am I looking for an "experience.". I want a quick close shave so I can get out the door. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Cementite]

If saving money on shaving is the goal, I would suggest buying razor cartridges on ebay, where in bulk you can get them for maybe 25¢ apiece.

I get 2 weeks to a month out of each cartridge, which means that shaving supplies cost me something on the order of $3-$6 per year.

 

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I don't expect this to be a popular opinion in this space, but I will note that there is a reason that the cartridge razor is far more popular than the straight razor or even the safety razor. They are convenient and they work without requiring arcane shaving skills and without having to strop them all the time.

If you want cheap yet good blades join either dollar shave club or Harry's for a while and stock up for cheap. Even better, get on Amazon and look up Dorco razors. They are very inexpensive but very effective.

In the morning when I'm pushed for time I don't have time to worry about cutting my own throat, nor am I looking for an "experience.". I want a quick close shave so I can get out the door. Your mileage may vary.

My opinion and experience as someone who needs to shave for work is that packaged disposable razors are a total ripoff.

Although I know how to shave with a straight I use a 2 sided safety razor because it's hard to beat for a great shave and even the highest quality blades (feather from Japan) are super inexpensive compared to disposable razors. There is learning curve for safety razors but it is not very steep at all.

Packaged disposable razors with 2 or 3 or 1 million blades give that super close shave because each blade catches and tugs the hair out progressively and when finally the last blade cuts whats left of the hair flings back into and under your pores. That may make for more time between shaves but the danger of ingrown hairs and infection is much greater. They are purposely designed to be useless after a couple of shaves and cost a ton of money. They also fill up landfills.

Contrary to what has been said here the straight razor is the most gentle on your skin when used by someone who knows how to use one and properly maintains it. The only reason a straight razor would be rough on the skin is when it is used by someone who does not know what they are doing. User error is the main problem with straight razors. I will shave with a straight razor because it's relaxing and enjoyable when you take your time and do it right.

A double sided safety razor is hard to beat. I mean it, it really is. It has the same benefits of a straight razor with a very easy to pick up learning curve.

Straight razor shaving can be done very cheaply but requires a big investment in time spent learning. Learning how to use, learning how to strop, learning how to choose the razor and equipment needed. An absolute respect for blade safety must be developed with no compromise. It will not be forgiving of rush jobs.

If you want to save money and get really great shaves without being absolutely totally ripped off by buying disposable razors the double sided safety razor is what you want. You can get some really good ones for very low prices and buy a supply of blades that will last for years. They are super simple once you get the hang of it.

Both straight and safety razors give very close shaves but unlike the multi blade disposables they shave it off down to the surface of the skin while the multi blade disposables cause the cut hair to wind up under the skin.

If there is one thing most important that I learned from this is, again, not to get ripped off by buying disposable razors.

 

[Triton]

If saving money on shaving is the goal, I would suggest buying razor cartridges on ebay, where in bulk you can get them for maybe 25¢ apiece.

I get 2 weeks to a month out of each cartridge, which means that shaving supplies cost me something on the order of $3-$6 per year.

Is there a particular brand you like?

 

[jeffbird]

I absolutely recommend learning to shave with a straight razor. There is a significant learning curve in the first few months, then it starts to come together. After a year, it is as easy as a disposable razor, but much easier on the skin with less irritation.

Sharpening a razor to a highly refined edge most definitely is a different skill than sharpening knives. When the straight razor is properly sharpened, it effortlessly shaves, both with and against the grain. It feels like wiping off hair. If the edge hangs up on whiskers, it is not sharp enough. Rough on the skin, it is not sharp enough. Bottom line, if passes are not smooth and comfortable, the razor still is not sharp enough. Making good lather is a significant component to a good result too.

Forget saving money. A vastly more pleasant shaving experience and better feel on the skin are the reason, and a darned compelling one, to change to a straight.

Starting off, buy a couple of modest used vintage straight from a shaving vendor that specializes in them and can send them to you shave ready and resharpen them for you for a modest charge.

Strops, brushes, and soaps/creams each are areas for testing and developing preferences.

Sharpening is going down a deep rabbit hole. Shaving edges are finished at 10,000+ grit, then stropped. Naniwa or Shapton synthetics are the easiest way to start off.

Different stones produce different feels on the face.

Different razors feel different.

Different soaps shave differently.

Stropping is a skill unto itself.

It will be awkward for the first few months, then steadily improve over the following months. After a year, it is automatic and without equal.

As you try different things, you will learn and evolve.

fwiw - I settled on the Wacker Chevallier, a French point 6/8”, after trying quite a few razors. Dan’s translucent Ark is my preferred finishing stone after accumulating a shelf full of different stones along the way.

 

[Mique]

I’ve been shaving with a straight exclusively (and honing them) for the last 11 years. I have about every stone imaginable from Arkansas to thuringian to jnats. Even a gokumo 20K. They are not hard to shave with and are very fun and exciting and will give you the best shave off your life. Go for it! Have a look at sharprazorpalace.com for some great info. Plenty of ways to get started. Not too difficult at all but there is a learning curve as with anything and a lot of avenues to keep you busy making it very fun if you like blades.

 

[gadgetgeek]

Are you kidding me a straight is way easier to sharpen, hone, and strop than a knife You just lay it flat.

You do need quality sharpening stuff though because of the fineness (super fine, smooth, polished and micro defect free) of the edge on a straight razor. Although high quality sharpening stuff is always beneficial, with a knife it's not as critical an issue as with a straight razor.

That means no cheap crumbley stones from places unknown. On the flip side though cheap newspaper loaded with stropping paste on a flat surface such a long paddle is known to work great for stropping straight razors.

There are a lot of crappy knife sharpeners out there who don't know how to hone. They only know how to grind away at a blade leaving a terrible gritty edge that actually cuts but do this too many times and there won't be much blade left to grind. They should be called knife grinders because they sure don't have a clue how to sharpen leaving a good edge. Do that with a straight razor and the damage will be extensive.

I doubt a skilled knife sharpener/knife maker would have a hard time understanding how to and actually sharpening, honing, and stropping a straight razor.

Things may be different in the current market, I'm not following it, so I don't know.
What is still true is that if you can afford to drop a few hundo, (closer to 6-7) on stones, strops, blades, you can have an easy road. If however you are trying to go on the absolute cheap end, there is a lot of hours of learning involved in fixing, and detecting the errors and flaws that can happen. Cut strops, hones with inclusions, steel with structural corrosion, blades that are a couple thousandths warped, slight frowns, variable hardness.... These are things that can impact someone's attempt at a good blade. If you have all the knowledge, you can run cheap, but you have to buy the knowledge one way or another. Even if you talk about a set up that is only 3-4 hundred, yeah that is only a shockingly few packs of razor cartridges, but like many things, if you can only buy at the low end, because you need to keep buying and cannot save up (Vimme's boots for any diskwork fans) then the easy expensive method really means nothing.
I recall a forum post from SRP way back in the old days where someone asked how many guys could re-build their setups over a weekend on the recommended budget, and almost none could show that they could. They all relied on either external resources (several guys had granite lapping blocks at work they could true a hone with) or had jobs that allowed them a hobby that could take many hours in a week, and crossed over with straights (easy to get your hands on really clean strop leather if you are buying whole hides to make holsters or chaps) stuff like that. At one point a few of the guys even did a challenge of just a new norton4/8k, a known good but average vintage find blade, and a "found" strop, so and old pair of jeans, or new from store leather belt. It was hard, they could do it, but the tone changed for a while, and a lot of effort was put into looking into getting cheap stuff to work (seatbelt webbing as a strop, or other reasonably accessible products) even the reviews changed, where any review of a new product that wasn't part of the aggregate was not as valued, Test one 30k stone, that's fun, but how are they all, do they dish out at the same rate? That mattered for a while. The point is, those guys had built setups over years, not days, and so the cost proposition changed a lot. I tried for a long time to get a naniwa 12k, I ended up with a 10k because no one could tell me that it was worth three-four times the price from an unknown seller. But I'm sure that if someone had the money, they would get told to buy the 12.

That's my long way of saying that your definition of easy and mine are clearly not the same, but also, it's differences like that which make the world go around, so I'm glad it's worked out for you.

 

[Ironbut]

When I started shaving double edge, and straight razors were what we had. The biggest thing that took the shaving world by storm was the stainless steel double edge blades. Then after I was in the military for a couple years, the injector razors came out, then disposables, then cartridge razors.

Over the past 60 years of shaving I've tried pretty much all of them except the straight razor. About 15 years ago I went back to using double edge. Not for nostalgic reasons, or because I'm a personal grooming fanatic, but because I find that for me it's the most effective way to scrape hair off my face without putting a whole lot of effort or time into it. And with 100 Astra blades going for about $8 on Amazon, it's one of the cheapest.

 

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Honing and sharpening services from people who know what they are doing is not very expensive especially if your blade is in good condition and only needs minor touch up. You leave the honing and sharpening to them. After that you can go a long way with a loaded strop before you need to have it honed again. You start out with 2 cheap but good straight razors keeping one on standby for when the other is sent out for honing which should not be too many times.

All that is moot if you just buy a double sided safety razor as Ironbut pointed out.

 

[Grasshopperglock]

I bought a straight razor blank out of a magazine. Finished it out and sharpened.

Also dropped the thing on my foot while in the shower.

Antique shops always had a few straight razors. Top line German was around $30 bucks. $45 if it had gold inlay. Average $15 each for the common ones. The blank, if I remember right, $4(?) It wasn't more then $8(?).

Everything was done on the blade but polishing the blade, sharpening, and needing a guard. So I've had my go at a straight razor. 19 year old kid.

Then went to the double sided not long after. Safety razor. Which I've used for years. There's a reason why it's called a Safety Razor. It's not just your face. It's fingers and feet safe.