Quote:
Originally Posted by slowmover
I used a straight razor for many years. There is a problem with making a mistake with one; a rather final mistake. And, if it ever needs honing (and it will) it has to be shipped out to Chicago (last I knew). Instead, an old fashioned double safetyrazor is cheap (a quality handle, and medium priced blades). |
I have never cut myself to the point that anything more than a short application of a styptic pencil was needed, but it could happen. You could also get hurt very badly while chopping celery or using a table saw, or any other number of activities... it just pays to take it slow and pay attention to what you are doing! As long as you don't do anything like chip your blade badly, all you need is:
Straight razor (shave ready)
Strop (leather, for maintaining the edge for a couple weeks at a time)
Pasted Strop (use every couple weeks to refine the edge, prolongs time between honing the razor)
Finishing Hone (use when pasted strop doesn't cut it anymore)
This setup should keep you going indefinitely (minus the shaving soap that you will need). My electric razor was in need of being replaced, so I went ahead and got a good finishing hone, strop, and pasted strop. I sharpened up my great grandpa's straight razor and haven't looked back. You can get a kit with all of the above (or without the finishing hone) at
WhippedDog.com in a "sight unseen" deal. The razor won't be the prettiest, the strop kit doesn't have lots of frills, and the finishing hone isn't huge, but it's all functional and it will at least give the user an idea of whether or not they would like straight razor shaving.
Double Edge Safety Razors are another alternative. I have never used one, but I know lots of people that do (have) and really enjoy(ed) them. The only down side is that you have to continue to purchase blades. I think you can get a small specially shaped hone that will touch up the blades, and/or an "auto strop", but these blades can only take so much before you need a new blade (at least this is my understanding, maybe someday I will find out!).
I don't want to dominate the frugality discussion with shaving talk, but I didn't want people to be put off thinking they will kill themselves trying to shave with a straight razor. After all, until the safety razor came along around 1900, everyone that shaved did so with some variant of the straight razor. If people want to discuss straight razor shaving specifically, I would suggest we move it to another thread.