Posted: 6/6/2025 1:02:37 PM EDT
| I was gifted a straight razor kit, wanna try it out. Any tips? Tricks? Websites on how to not die? |
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I have before and I like it. I don't right now because I'm in an RV and don't have room to strop and all my stuff is boxed up. It is very important for it to be really, really razor sharp and then stropped. Out of the box, it's most likely going to cut you up. It might cut hair on your arm, but that isn't good enough for your face. Shave at a 30 degree angle downward with the grain of your beard. Don't do any of that movie shit with the blade at 90 degrees to your face shaving upward, those are fake razors. You will kill yourself if you do that with a real razor. |
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Even if it says shave ready you probably will need to hone it. Once sharpened on a stone, stropping is all you need for awhile. You can use stropping compounds to extend this time, but eventually you will need to hone on a stone. Sharpening is pretty easy and there are many stones you can use to achieve a comfortable shave. I started with a coticule stone and now have many others. I find the osma shaving soap and aftershave balm to be very forgiving for a first timer. I would also recommend an alum bar, especially starting out. Ultimately, shaving soaps and such are very personal and everyone will have a different opinion. I have had good luck ordering from https://thesuperiorshave.com/ He will take good care of you. |
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I've been using a straight razor almost exclusively for about 15 years. I use a straight razor that takes disposable blades so I don't have to worry about sharpening/stropping -Do NOT rush - its a process -Don't apply too much pressure -Shorter strokes is safer -If something feels off, take a minute to make sure everything is setup right -I personally never shave against the grain. -Always make sure your blade is razor sharp - I never use a blade twice Here's what I read when I was first getting started https://www.artofmanliness.com/style/shaving/how-to-straight-razor-shave/ |
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I bought a new Dovo stainless steel straight razor and good quality razor strop about 25 years ago and shaved with it a few times. As stated in the article above, it was pretty much the best shaves I’ve ever had. The first shave with it took awhile, as I was new to the technique. It seemed to take off a few layers of cells from the skin, but after subsequent shaves, my face ended up much smoother and less irritated than from double blade cartridges that I used before. A few years later I picked up a double edge safety razor, and have used that mostly since. Since I first used the straight razor, I’ve had trouble getting a good honing on the blade. I’ve even bought a new, properly lapped Belgian coticule stone, along with a smaller piece of the same type of stone for starting a water slurry on the top of the stone. I’ve taken the razor and stone out from time to time and tried again, but haven’t had adequate success. I probably need to get it honed by a professional, and try again. |
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Smedley D. Butler, Maj.-Gen., USMC
Smedley D. Butler, Maj.-Gen., USMC