I have been straight razor shaving now for five years and the tuition for it came via the Rolls Razor, once I got the hang of that thing, I removed the safety bar and used it as a straight with a handle, then I got a second hand German Solingen Gong straight razor off ebay, sharpened it and went for it and never looked back. My shave kit now comprises of an old leather belt for stropping, some jewellers rouge for applying to the belt for extra stropping capabilities, a stick soap that currently lasts six months short of two years and a bog standard bristle brush.
I do it cheap, the cheapest I can get it, but one can if they want do it expensive and go for a current DOVO razor, a badger hair brush, a proper multi strop with all the pastes, a shaving mug and all the fancy soaps and preparations, but the shave is the same cheap or expensive, and it is an art not to be rushed, else nicks will happen, so one needs an alum block for staunching the blood, either that or a bit of bog roll.
My razor including postage was less than a fiver and so far it as done me for five years, now think of the cost of five years worth of the Gilette disposable heads, what a waste of money!
Another way of discovering how these razors were used, is notice shaving when it happens on old Black and white movies, for in front of the camera it was done as normal, because every adult male knew how to shave with a straight, it was second nature.
But now and again I use the Rolls just for the fun of it as I have a few notable examples left after I have given away most of my Rolls collection as useful Xmas presents, and those I gave them to use them and some have progressed onto the straight like me.
Oh and for the fungus faced, I have sported the fungus before and during my vintage shaving exploits, it is sometimes I wear a beard and sometime not, but trimming of the beard, because I kept it well trimmed and neat, I used a Durham Duplex razor, which is a bit like a straight razor but with some safety.
