first straight razor shave

[tinkerer]

hello chaps got a very nice straight razor from swmbo for my birthday today.its just taken me a little over an hour to have a shave, it certainly wakes you up and i can see why the goatee beard was so fashionable back in the day ,its actually a very difficult thiing to do. still practice practice practice.. im sure ill get there in the end at least i managed not to cut myself

 

[Forest fella]

I've been using a cut throat Razor every other day for about 2yrs and I still cut myself,Living is learning

 

[Mojoracinguk]

I just don't trust myself.....well done though.
have you got the type my barber uses with a replaceable blade or is it old school...pics would be good (I like traditional kit being used)

Mojo

 

[tinkerer]

here you go quite a nice little kit i thought although probably not the best razor in the world.but i like it and it shaves so does what its supposed to(,sorry not a great picture)

 

[Mojoracinguk]

Nice!
keep up the good work, may be one day i'll pick pne up. I just don't get on with shaving at all, electric/disposables...think i've just got coarse wire for face fuzz....

 

[Biker]

Well done for spending an hour trying it. I have a straight razor too, still in the box. I used it a ocuple of time but when I embedded the baldeinto the ball of my chin while stroking down from my bottom lip I thought I'd better quit while I still resembled the human race. Now I have a goatee so I might try again and see if I can keep my ears attached too.

Maybe I just needed to see a tutorial to see how the proper techinque is done. Maybe youtube will have something.

Feel the same way as mojoracinguk in that it's great to see traditional kit being used. Keeps the memory alive. Might be wise to buy a styptic pencil to go with that kit LOL!

 

[Bushwhacker]

Am I thinking right that people get trained up on them by using ballons covered in shaving cream?
If you can scrape the cream off without bursting the balloon, you're pretty much there.

 

[Mojoracinguk]

I've never seen a furry balloon

 

[Biker]

Am I thinking right that people get trained up on them by using ballons covered in shaving cream?
If you can scrape the cream off without bursting the balloon, you're pretty much there.

Yeah I heard that too, though holding the balde 90º to the balloon would scrape off the foam and not nick it that much, surely?

Won't be sure a close shave though.

 

[Bushwhacker]

I had my one and only cutthroat shave at a barbers in Saudi. I just wanted to get it done for novelty factor and was most disappointed when he did the blade bit and finished it off with an electric shaver!
I was expecting a flaming wand to burn off the stubble like I saw on tv once.

 

[Andy80F]

Had a shave in Saudi also and, I think it was an Indian barber, did a most wonderful job. Sort of relaxing once the strange feeling of an open blade being wielded so close passed and the hot towel. powdering and after shave after was sumptuous. Used to be a treat after getting paid and worth a decent tip to the barber. The thought of doing myself though? Deliberate Self Harm comes to mind.

Andy80F

 

[Adze]

I've been meaning to give one a go myself for a good while... as a sort of halfway house I bought a (very cheap) Wilkinson-Sword double edged safety razor and a pack of these the other day...

Nothing like a cut-throat I know, but wow what a shave! How were we ever convinced that disposable razors were a good idea? Particularly the expensive end of the spectrum as the razor handle and a pack of foil blades was under a fiver, blades alone are a whopping 99p - compare that to a 4 pack of Gillette Fusion blades @ £7.99ish

Anyone who is less than happy with their disposable razor but who isn't quite ready to jump to the cut-throat ship, try one of these instead.

 

[James Popham]

Try shaving with oil and not with soaps or gels....16 years and never looked backed.
Any oil will do, whether you like the smell or not is another thing.
Try olive oil or Johnson's baby oil for an inoffensive oder and inexpensive alternative to the commercial brands, they last much longer.
Works with a cut-throat, but i prefer double edged disposables.

 

[TeeDee]

The 1st barbers scene in 'Eastern Promises' put me off straight blades.

 

[tinkerer]

Try shaving with oil and not with soaps or gels....16 years and never looked backed.
Any oil will do, whether you like the smell or not is another thing.
Try olive oil or Johnson's baby oil for an inoffensive oder and inexpensive alternative to the commercial brands, they last much longer.
Works with a cut-throat, but i prefer double edged disposables.

hmm might give that a try sounds good

 

[lostplanet]

If you are ever in Norfolk, Wymondham way there's a barber that does the whole bit for a shave, I got a voucher off 'She which must..' and although I wasn't really looking forward to it, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Well worth a visit but book well ahead..Also a nice pub to visit called 'The Feathers' for a total Man day-out!

http://www.enjoynorwich.com/pampermalegroomingpoppajohns.html

 

[steven andrews]

I recently started straight razor shaving and found this site to be a mine of information:
http://straightrazorplace.com/forums/

I have found that preparing the beard is just as important as having a sharp razor.

 

[naefearjustbeer]

I haven't shaved in over ten years I got so fed up of the ingrowing hairs on my neck and the rashes that I tried all sorts of different razors cream oils foam etc I even had a go with an old rolls razor that my dad had with no joy so all I do now is use my hair trimmer and do my head and face at the same time, Permanent designer stubble! sometimes I allow it to form a beard properly until the wife and kids moan and then off it comes!

 

[EdS]

Can not see the prblem with them - personally took to then like duck to water. Cut myself less with a straight raor than a modern one - seceret is slow and sharp. easy done.

Do not be afraid of the blade.

 

[Biker]

Can not see the prblem with them - personally took to then like duck to water. Cut myself less with a straight raor than a modern one - seceret is slow and sharp. easy done.

Do not be afraid of the blade.

Ummmm at the risk of stating the obvious it is called a cut throat after all, and not without just cause. So you start off shaving with that "This is gonna bite me" trepidation already. If it had been called "Cute ickle ball of fuzzy fluff" it might have more of a fan base nowadays.

Before this year is out I promise to have a go at shaving with it again. Who knows I might get used to the idea again. I hate shaving at the best of times and a quick whip round twice a week is most I'm prepared to invest in as regards time. We'll see.

Thanks for the link to the forum above. Gonna give that a gander soon.