# Any straight razor shavers here?



## benomatic42 (Oct 21, 2007)

Slow wednesday night, so this is just yappin'...

I've been meaning to learn for years, and now that I have sharpening stones and strop leather, I feel like I'm past due. Any opinions on where to start? There seems to be a wide variety of opinions (against the grain, with the grain, etc.) out there, and it's hard to tell fact from fiction from opinion.

-b


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## Chip (Mar 13, 2007)

Perhaps someday Ben ;-)


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## miles125 (Jun 8, 2007)

I think you should start by trying it in the bathroom at your local emergency room…Lol


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## Caliper (Mar 12, 2007)

Ask a barber. I don't know about Ithaca but there are quite a few old timers still running a barber shop around here. Our problem here is that the insurance companies make it too expensive for barbers to use them…


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## Radish (Apr 11, 2007)

If memory serves me, I believe Daren Nelson mentioned that he shaves with one. Considering I can cut myself with a Atra, I'd probably end up wearing my nose in my pocket. Good luck, Podna.


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

Cheaper to buy wood and practice sharp instruments on that.


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## rikkor (Oct 17, 2007)

I had one once and was unable to learn to get a good shave with it.


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

"(against the grain, with the grain, etc.)" I shave down my face. But my hair grows in funny ways, not all the same direction. So I have to hit some spots more than once. You have to be always mindful of the angle of the blade. It sounds bad but this is the only way I know how to describe it. You want more of a scrape angle than a slice angle.

And there is a big difference between sharp and razor sharp, your face will know it.


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

Here is a picture. The 2 razors I use, the newer red handle one not so much. The black handle one is 100 (?) years old and German, it is good steel. Gets sharp and stays that way. A short strop and 2 hones. One hone is a 2 sided sharpener (the little one) the big on I made myself, kinda an "Arkansas surgical black". I am going to show how I made that big black hone soon, maybe today.

I will be perfectly honest though. I still use the triple blade disposable if I am in a hurry, I rarely am, but. If I am late and need to shave real quick in the shower I grab the safety razor. You just about have to want to shave with a straight razor. I cannot use an electric, I have had several and they don't work for me. They sure make some nice disposable head ones, I bet the guys who had to use these old straight razors wish they had the option.


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## DannyBoy (Oct 26, 2007)

My wife wants to learn to do this on her legs. I said something to my barber about it the other day and he laughed all the way through my hair cut. 'Said he thought she was a bit brave for that…


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## cajunpen (Apr 9, 2007)

Don't know much about shaving with a straight razor - but I know you are in trouble if you sneeze in the middle of a shave. I also think that the reason they made safety razors was that the straight razors were too much trouble and dangerous. Go for it if you want to though.


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## benomatic42 (Oct 21, 2007)

Daren-Thanks for the info. Luckily, I don't shave often enough to mind it taking a while. I've heard that the best shaves can be had by the straight razor, although today a barber told me that it's only the case if somebody else is doing the shaving. How does it compare for you?

In any case, sounds like I should hunt down an old one on ebay since I don't want to spend a ton of money on an experiment.


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## JasonH (Dec 2, 2007)

I had a straight razor shave on my honeymoon in Jamaica. I let my beard grow for about 4 days before I did it (I have a pretty heavy beard what with all the Scottish blood in mah veins), and the barber just laughed. Apparently, she deals with much tougher beards than mine… It took about fifteen minutes, and I felt as though she was skinning me. It took 2 days before it stopped hurting, but it was probably a week and a half before I needed to shave again!


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## Tangle (Jul 21, 2007)

Years ago, when I was young, I used to go in to the Palace Barber shop in Prescott, Arizona. I'd get in there about once a month and get a shave and a hair cut. I can still feel those hot towels and it seemed like old John cut off one whisker at a time. You bet, he used a straight razor. I never tried it on myself but I've never forgotten the days when a cowpuncher could come to town at the end of the month and get a real haircut and shave in a real barber shop.


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## jpk (Oct 18, 2007)

Been thinking about "Sweeney Todd"?

Start out by visiting straightrazorplace.com for some more info. The guys there offer a wealth of knowledge. That's where I started off just over a year ago.

I think you'll want to make sure your razor is REALLY sharp first and then you'll want to lather up after a hot shower. Start off shaving with the grain of your beard on your cheeks the first couple of times you shave. The hair's not as coarse there and you'll get the hang of wielding the blade better. You may find that shaving with a straight razor, well, quite frankly, sucks at first. I remember a bit of rawness until I got better at it (it took the better part of a month).

In all, I look forward to shaving now. I used to use a Mach 3, but it doesn't hold a candle to a straight razor. Sure, it takes longer to shave but it's more relaxing with all of the scented soaps and aftershaves. Be warned, it is a slippery slope.


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## CaptnA (Dec 17, 2007)

Good luck! 
My granddad had a small collection of straight razors which I wound up with. I've tried it. Gave it up quick. 
I'd just as soon take a power plane to my face. At least its got a depth setting! 
Seriously, I don't think any of mine were, or are sharp enough. The best I ever did was a stainless steel surgical straight razor I acquired from a medical military friend. It has replacement razors with it. It is meant for shaving arms legs heads etc for suturing (stitches). 
If you have issues consider a woman's razor meant for their legs. Don't laugh ( aw heck go ahead you won't be the first haha) but they are sharper and last longer than ANY men's razor I know of…


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

I thought I would drag this topic back up. I shot a video this morning of "*Razor Sharp*", I sharpened a old beat razor for a guy and thought "Hey, I did good, might as well make a video to prove it". To help put this in context, grab the sharpest thing you own (fillet knife, plane iron…) and pull a hair straight down on it with both hands. You will be surprised at the amount of force it takes to cut it. No imagine swinging a hair at a blade and slicing it off clean !!!

I apologize to some of you fellers who don't have the extra hair to be playing around like this . I think it is worth 30 seconds of your time, enjoy.


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## Tangle (Jul 21, 2007)

watch it about the hair, Buster!!!


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## Blake (Oct 17, 2007)

I think Porter Cable makes a router bit for facial shaving.


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## mski (Jul 3, 2007)

My Aunt told me a story about holding a bucket while the DR poked a hole in my Grandmothers chest at home to drain water from her heart cavity!
Some old ways are better left in the past!!

PS. Zebrawood is $11.50 BF, how much is neck?


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## benomatic42 (Oct 21, 2007)

Daren-thanks for posting the video. Scary sharp, eh? In any case, I'm going to try to get 1 or 2 older razors on ebay, and see what I can do with them-spending > $100 to try it out seems foolish. I've got waterstones (1000/6000 grit) and a strop… hopefully that'll be enough to get hair splitting sharp.


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## Zuki (Mar 28, 2007)

CaptnA . . . I agree on the ladies razors. Last much longer.

I lose about 250ml of red bodily fluid every time I shave. Cant imagine using a straight blade. I would need an IV hooked up.


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## mot (May 8, 2007)

I've always wanted to try. I'm sure we have a few suture kits laying around the house. Neat vid, Darren!


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

"Scary sharp, eh?" Yep you got it brother, the original scary sharp, a cut throat razor. If you are shopping on eBay, look for German steel or American products from Chicago. The centers of the steel revolution at the turn of the century. $25 should get you a usable razor. You are going to need a razor "hone" 2 sided, and a good strop. I have been outbid many times on a good strop.
Then practice before you take it to your face, if you cannot do what I did in the video you are asking for trouble.


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## Daren (Sep 16, 2007)

To quote miles125 (cause I thought was funny…and maybe wise advice) "I think you should start by trying it in the bathroom at your local emergency room"

If a guy is thinking about this shaving with a straight razor thing. Here is a good link, it even shows the strokes on your face and how to go about them. It lacks a little on the sharpening part, but with practice (and for sure get that right first) it's a piece of cake. http://www.en.nassrasur.com/razorcentral/index.html


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## CharlesAuguste (Jun 11, 2011)

Im a straight razor user and honing with 6k is not enough my friend!!


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

I was taught to shave with a straight razor from the time I first syarted shaving. My uncle (23 year military veteran who raised me) taught me and gave me an old one he had. Then when he died I got the one he used regularly. I kept using these until about my mid-twenties. Life got hectic and I moved away from them. I still just don't like disposable anything though. I now use the old razors that use doube sided razor blades. The blades are displosable, but there's a lot less to throw away than the whole razor.








This is a photo I quickly found on the interent, but it is identical in appearance to what I use now.


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