Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: maddafinga on April 06, 2013, 12:06:34 PM
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Does anyone else here use a straight razor to shave with by any chance?
I was given one from a dead relative a couple of years ago, and derusted it so it was all shiny and clean and new, then set about learning how to sharpen and use it properly. It was a bit of a task honestly, mostly the sharpening, that's much harder than you'd imagine. But I did it, and now I have about 20 vintage razors, some in progress however, so only about fifteen of them are shave ready right now.
I've found that not only am I not giving Gilette entirely too much money on disposable cartridges anymore, or foamy goo, but that I'm getting a much, MUCH better shave, closer and smoother with literally no irritation like I used to get, and none of the ingrown hairs on my neck either. I actually like shaving now.
So I was just curious if there were any others here with me.
This is my Union Cutlery (the company that later became Ka-Bar) blade from 1910-1920 with custom made acrylic scales.
(http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad341/maddafinga_photos/IMG_3164.jpg)
Just as an example.
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I wouldn't even know how to use that thing. I'd be afraid to slit my own neck :uhoh
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my ex wife always wanted to get me one of them razors but I think she was hoping more that I would cut my throat. however I have always been curious about using one as being hispanic the barber would always use one to shave you when you got a haircut. I remember it was the smoothest shave I ever got.
semp
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It's actually not hard to shave with them. You just have to watch your angle and train yourself not to use any pressure at all. Cartridge razors train you to press down to get a close shave, you have to unlearn that.
I've only cut myself once, on my cheek, when somebody walked in the bathroom on me as I was shaving. I started locking the door after that.
It's the best shave you'll ever have.
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interesting, ive always wondered.
I too spend alot of money on sensor cartridges.
what are you using for cream?
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I've always wondered about the "strap" used for sharpening, as the edge is so thin that it can be folded over accidentally, or at least that's what I've heard. That would be the only thing keeping me from trying it, not knowing how to keep the edge up. Other than that, I've wondered about trying it many times as well.
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interesting, ive always wondered.
I too spend alot of money on sensor cartridges.
what are you using for cream?
I have a few different things I use. I have some cakes of traditional shave soaps, they seem expensive, at 10-12 dollars a puck, but I have two pucks that I haven't exhausted in two years of usage, so they're quite cheap in the long run. I also have a couple of creams, you can get these around town usually. Bath and Body Works sells an Italian shave cream under their rebranded name C.O. Bigelow. It's actually Proraso shave cream, made for straight razors and double edge razors, and it's excellent. Also, The Body Shop carries a Maca Root Shave Cream, and it's excellent also, and I've just discovered Kiss My Face brand creams, which based only on my using it today, seems to be plenty good. And finally the Art of Shaving creams are really pretty damn good as well. All of them will last you just fine, but you whip them up into a later with a shaving brush and apply them that way, instead of just spreading goo on your face from a can. One quality shaving brush can be had for as little as ten bucks (or up to 300 if you want to go super luxury) and will last you literally decades.
Gman, as for the strop, it's not used for sharpening exactly so much as maintaining the edge. Yes, you can kill the edge with one if you use it wrong, but it's not hard to learn. Plenty of videos on youtube showing you exactly how to do it properly. It's not that you can "fold" the edge over, but that it's so fine you'll blunt is very slightly. It'll still be sharper than any knife you've ever held or even heard of, but it'll pull your whiskers some instead of just slicing them off cleanly. It's easy to learn to strop correctly, I could show you in 5 minutes in person, though it might take marginally longer through watching videos. The key is not to put pressure, and to keep the spine flat on the strop. Lifting the spine of the razor off the strop is what does it.
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Have my Dads, ivory handled wilkerson.. I don't use it..
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Does anyone else here use a straight razor to shave with by any chance?
I was given one from a dead relative a couple of years ago, and derusted it so it was all shiny and clean and new, then set about learning how to sharpen and use it properly. It was a bit of a task honestly, mostly the sharpening, that's much harder than you'd imagine. But I did it, and now I have about 20 vintage razors, some in progress however, so only about fifteen of them are shave ready right now.
I've found that not only am I not giving Gilette entirely too much money on disposable cartridges anymore, or foamy goo, but that I'm getting a much, MUCH better shave, closer and smoother with literally no irritation like I used to get, and none of the ingrown hairs on my neck either. I actually like shaving now.
So I was just curious if there were any others here with me.
This is my Union Cutlery (the company that later became Ka-Bar) blade from 1910-1920 with custom made acrylic scales.
(http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad341/maddafinga_photos/IMG_3164.jpg)
Just as an example.
I like my straight razors a bit longer :D
the Katana in my sig would give any straight razor a run for their money :O
although I dont think I would want to shave with it :rofl
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I'm having so many problems with razors I'm thinking about going this route.
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I do like the results from a straight razor but my hands are not steady enough to use one myself.
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I use one to shave my legs for cycling
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Call me weird, but I have pretty good luck just taking a shower and shaving with the shampoo. I kinda soak my whiskers with the lather right away then scrub hair good, then shave. I dunno.. just seems to work pretty good.
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I can use my hunting knife :aok does that count? :lol I buy the bags of bics for like 2 bucks use them once and throw it away. don't use cream, never have, makes me break out with ingrown hairs and stuff
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I bought a Merkur safety razor which took ages to get used to :old:
pm Vonmessa he knows all about straight razors and you need to go with one, face oils mixtures etc.
There is a thread on the forum about them, i am seriously thinking of getting a straight razor as the Merkur safety razor is better then the cartridge type.
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I used a straight razor up until I retired and quit shaving. I used the type that had disposable blades, so I did not have to worry about keeping an edge on the blade. I tried the shaving soap years ago and didn't care for it. I just used gel shaving cream.
Fred
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I bought a Merkur safety razor which took ages to get used to :old:
pm Vonmessa he knows all about straight razors and you need to go with one, face oils mixtures etc.
There is a thread on the forum about them, i am seriously thinking of getting a straight razor as the Merkur safety razor is better then the cartridge type.
I've been using one for a couple of years now, I've got all the stuff and know how to use it. If you're doing well with the shavette, you'll like the actual straights. It's a slightly different technique, as far as blade angle and such, but the actual straights will be a lot smoother shave than the shavette is.
If you buy a new one, be sure and have it professionally honed, by a guy who does razors, not a knife sharpner guy, they think they know how to sharpen razors, but they don't. The difference is night and day. If you're in the UK, I can recommend Neil Miller http://www.strop-shop.co.uk/ He's a really great dude and super knowledgeable and puts a great edge on a razor.
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:)
Download "Sweeney Todd" with Ray Winstone its awesome :)
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:)
Download "Sweeney Todd" with Ray Winstone its awesome :)
I've actually seen that one! Before the Johnny Depp musical one that I haven't seen came out.
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I downloaded Depp version and he started singing, I promptly deleted it and made a cup of tea :old:
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Probably the wisest plan. I don't do musicals myself. Not at all.
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I know that in NJ you have to be a licensed barber to buy one, not sure about other states.
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I know that in NJ you have to be a licensed barber to buy one, not sure about other states.
No you don't man. I know tons of people in NJ who aren't licensed barbers who buy straight razors. You can buy vintage ones and some of the quality new ones. Vintage ones from antique stores or ebay, new ones from the internet or if you want to pay too much and then have it sharpened also, from an Art of Shaving store.
Now you probably need to be a licensed barber to start shaving other people with them, but you sure don't need to be to buy a razor and shave yourself.
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No you don't man. I know tons of people in NJ who aren't licensed barbers who buy straight razors. You can buy vintage ones and some of the quality new ones. Vintage ones from antique stores or ebay, new ones from the internet or if you want to pay too much and then have it sharpened also, from an Art of Shaving store.
Now you probably need to be a licensed barber to start shaving other people with them, but you sure don't need to be to buy a razor and shave yourself.
Traveler has been sniffing too much shaving cream...
<Cough> http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,289422.0.html (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,289422.0.html) <cough>
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You still shaving with a straight then VonMessa? I've got about twenty right now, and a couple of different soaps too. What kinds of blades have you got?
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You still shaving with a straight then VonMessa? I've got about twenty right now, and a couple of different soaps too. What kinds of blades have you got?
Lol, I haven't shaved or cut my hair in almost 6 months.
I've got three razors, however.
One was my grandfathers'. English name I cannot recall at the moment. 7/8 wedge with turtle shell scales.
One is mine (the one I posted in the link I listed) Solingen 5/8 hollow grind
Third is one I made from some scrap tool steel I had lying around with G-10 handles (also from scrap I had lying around). It still needs some tweaking as it bent fairly badly when I quenched it after heat-treating.
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As a side note to you younger guys with children. My Dad would go get Granddads straight razor straps from the back of the door to spank our bottoms when we did wrong. All those layers flaped together to make a lot of noise but did little to our bottoms since it is so wide. Good effect.
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Lol, I haven't shaved or cut my hair in almost 6 months.
I've got three razors, however.
One was my grandfathers'. English name I cannot recall at the moment. 7/8 wedge with turtle shell scales.
One is mine (the one I posted in the link I listed) Solingen 5/8 hollow grind
Third is one I made from some scrap tool steel I had lying around with G-10 handles (also from scrap I had lying around). It still needs some tweaking as it bent fairly badly when I quenched it after heat-treating.
I've been restoring them for about the last year, really fun work. I'd like to see a picture of your wedge. I've got a really old wedge, true wedge even, no hollow at all, with the faux tortoise they used to dye blonde horn to look like tortoise. Still nice scales, but not actual tortoise. Still a beauty, it's an 1820-1830 razor. I've got a couple of 1850s as well, and some newer Solingen and several excellent American razors too.
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I've been restoring them for about the last year, really fun work. I'd like to see a picture of your wedge. I've got a really old wedge, true wedge even, no hollow at all, with the faux tortoise they used to dye blonde horn to look like tortoise. Still nice scales, but not actual tortoise. Still a beauty, it's an 1820-1830 razor. I've got a couple of 1850s as well, and some newer Solingen and several excellent American razors too.
Takes some patience. :aok
I will try to remember to take a pic. Like I said, I haven't put steel to my face in 6months :rock
Sounds like you have found a new addiction :aok