Straight razor shaving

[8thsinner]

Straight razor shaving without the straight razor...

Okay first, how many of you here can or do shave with a straight razor?
If you do, do you in the bush?
If you can, can you do it with your camp blade which ever that might be?

I am trying to learn how to with my north star and have had some progress using inferior materials, ie bad quality brush, regular shaving gel, and no specific softening lotions.

On a side note, if you do, and when you do, what do you use in the wilds for everything, or what would you?

I know at least in theory, things like nettle and rosewater do good for the skin and hair, but what would be basically a good hair conditioner for the skin prior to shaving? Any ideas concerning UK naturals. Coconut oil would be nice, but a bit too far to go if you ask me.

Long term it would presumably not be too hard to make a substitute badger brush using pitch and nettle or leather binding, and hard soaps can be worked out.

Anyone else out there do this or might try it if we get good resources to use?

 

[Longstrider]

If you can, can you do it with your camp blade which ever that might be?

This matter was discussed on the forum somewhere a little while ago.
I shaved with a straight razor for the first 3 years of ever needing to shave daily. When the matter was brought up on the forum wondering if any of us really could shave with our knives I put it to the test. I had not planned to, but a few days later I had lathered up for my normal wet shave (Gillette razor) and remembered the topic. I went off and pulled one of my knives from the bag I keep them in. I returned to the bathroom and had a perfectly good (if very slow and careful) shave with a Carbon V bladed Cold Steel Master Hunter. No "nicks" and no razor rash afterwards either.

 

[Mungo]

I shaved with a straight razor during university, best shave I'd ever had. For some complicated reasons I now use an electric razor, but I might go back to the straight razor one day. Of course a Gillette Mach 3 seems to work well too, but it just isn't as much *fun*.

I recall scaring the heck out of an annoying housemate of mine in university one Sunday morning. I struggled, gurgling, down the stairs into the kitchen, eyes wide open, mouth agape, face covered in shaving cream, Heinz Ketchup carefully smeared across my throat, and dripping off my hands and off of my straight razor. He ran terrified out the front door, much to the amusement of the rest of my housemates...

Cheers,

Mungo

 

[BigGreenJeep]

I've been shaving with a straight razor for the last year and a half or so...can't imagine going back to a 'modern' razor.

Best advice I read on starting out is to just shave your cheeks with the straight razor at first, then as you get more comfortable using it, you move on to the rest.

I can't offer any info as far as shaving in the bush, as I prefer to just let my beard grow when I'm out and about in the wild.

Cheers,

Mike from Canada

 

[8thsinner]

Well I can't claim to have had a no nick shave, but I haven't got three years experience in straight razor shaving behind me either, just loads of years of arm shaving.
I do tend to try unless I am in a rush do a full shave with the north star, but I tend to stop when I get nicked, or around the underside of the chin, then I dry off the north star and shove in under the towel after drying it and finish with the mach 3.
I think I will eventually get there, and if I can do it with poor materials I will be doing well, though I am tempted to get more suitable stuff.especially after reading a perfect straight razor shave pdf...


Any way....
Glad to know there are a few here that can and sometimes do, makes me feel less like a total freak, but I wonder how they will take me in the straight razor shave forum...

 

[Longstrider]

... but I wonder how they will take me in the straight razor shave forum...

Just for goodness' sake don't tell them that you prefer a convex or a Scandi grind ! At least, not to start with eh ?

 

[8thsinner]

I haven't even bothered to join up yet anyway, so far I am getting better even with poor materials, and I have been able to isolate all my other problems at least for now.
I used to think it was really difficult for some reason, perhaps because I never softened first and the skin got pulled possibly from a not quite sharp enough edge. With the north star which I now call dureena, I can get two passes all over but the third pass is leaving me with slices out of my throat and little nicks around the chin.

not too much longer...

 

[traderran]

I never carry a razor on a camping or hunting trip.
Just use my Randall mod 15 or my case moose ether works great..
and don't have to carry the extra junk. As I have stated before I hunt off horseback
If it don't fit in the saddlebags or can-tel roll it gets left behind

 

[big_swede]

I never carry a razor on a camping or hunting trip.
Just use my Randall mod 15 or my case moose ether works great..
and don't have to carry the extra junk. As I have stated before I hunt off horseback
If it don't fit in the saddlebags or can-tel roll it gets left behind

Completly off topic, but how does the horses handle the gun shots? In my experience horses are a bit jumpy on sudden noices.

What kind of saddle do you use? I guess it's a western saddle?

Would really appreciate some pics of horseback hunting!

 

[Voivode]

Completly off topic, but how does the horses handle the gun shots? In my experience horses are a bit jumpy on sudden noices.

What kind of saddle do you use? I guess it's a western saddle?

Would really appreciate some pics of horseback hunting!

Horses can be conditioned to accept the report of a rifle, but few responsible hunters fire from horseback. The lack of a stable platform makes it difficult to make a clean shot, especially as ranges increase. It is far more common to travel by horse and then dismount for a stable shooting platform. My father and his friends are hunters and commonly use horses to go out into the wild places for their hunts. They use western saddles, but that's because they're western people who do western things on their horses.

I'll have to dig around and see if they have any pictures. All I have are pictures from my brother's cougar hunting expeditions.

 

[big_swede]

Sorry for the hi-jack, but I'll continue this fascinating horse trail..

Yeah, I kind of thought that there woud be few people cold enough to shot from horse back. Was riding through the woods during moose season, and the horse freaked every other shoot, though it was 700m+ distance.

Since western saddles are a bit expensive here most trail riding I've done has been in surplus cavalry saddles (1900 something). Works fine for what there intended for, long distance riding. Would really like western riding some time.

 

[traderran]

Completly off topic, but how does the horses handle the gun shots? In my experience horses are a bit jumpy on sudden noices.

What kind of saddle do you use? I guess it's a western saddle?

Would really appreciate some pics of horseback hunting!

My Horse was trained to accept the gun shots. And I have fired my .45 Long Colt handgun off of him with no Ill effects. But most of the time I am dismounted
at the time of the shot. I ride a western saddle rigged Texas style.
I have lots of pics and will scan some for you and post hear.

 

[Tourist]

Interestingly, or sadly, there was a proggie on the tube at the weekend, whilst I was waiting for something else, and it was all about the razor.

They were talking to a couple of 'time served' gentlemens barbers the type that still give the shave. They both said that a proper shave with a straight razor can only be given by someone else because the wrist is not dextrous enough to get into all the positions needed. It is however possible to give yourself a proper shave with a modern razor because of the fact that it has a handle which allows you more manouverability.

Mr Gillette invented the modern razor with disposable razor blades and was only successful because it was at the time of WW1 and he convinced the US Army to issue them to the troops for use in the trenches. I vaguely remember soemthing like 3.5 million razors issued to the army - a fact which started to make Mr Gillette money when these chappies all went home to the USA and started buying his blades.

There we go, some useless pieces of information.

 

[Nick_S]

Yup, young'un here (18) just discovered the joys of shaving with a straight. I haven't yet taken it into the bush -- last time I spent more than a couple of nights out I just let the beard grow.

Having said that, There's no reason not to take it ... after all what do you need but a bit of shaving cream, hot water, a strop and the blade. You've already got half of that lot out there.

As for shaving with a working blade ... I wouldn't like to try it. I've recently been discovering just how big a difference there is between "shaving sharp" and *actually* sharp enough to shave with. I doubt you'd be able to keep the needed edge on a working blade like a Mora.

@Tourist: I don't know about gentlemen's barbers...I've never gone in for that luxury, but you can sure as hell give yourself a decent shave with a straight -- I've been doing so for the past three months or so.

 

[baggins]

I've neva had much success with straight blades, doesn't stop me from trying though. I've got a couple of old blades that i've tried with results requiring a blood transfusion (almost).
So just bought one of those straight blades that take the normal razor blades. much more success although still looks like a scene from Jack the Ripper.
Just have to practice (difficult, with one eye), then work on my sharpening.
Don't think i'll try my knives just yet.:tapedshut