When my grandpa passed away last year i took his old straigh razor home and was just going through some of his stuff again.  He always told me that you'd never get a closer shave than with a straight razor.

i've got to get some new blades, but was wondering if there are any tips or tricks to not cutting your own head off...

Keep it at a 90 degree angle and sharp.

Assuming you don't cut yourself, it will be the best shave you ever get

No...I drink too much.  

any guys here shave with a straigh razor?

yes, and I wipe with tree bark!

barber does the back of my neck w/ it, I'm not brave enough to use one on my face.

Straight razor?  No, for years now I have had a sneaking suspision that my razor is gay.

It's an old Bic called the "BrokeBack 2000"  One blade is actually humping the other blade for a shave so close even your gay cowboy friends will notice.

WTF?

I do occassionally. I'm not brave enough to do under my nose, lip, or around my adam's apple yet. (BTW, that's the reason for a lot of the old-fashioned beard and mustache styles.)

Do a google search to learn how to sharpen and use your razors, and buy a good strop.

Make sure you're really awake, and not in a hurry.

Stretch your skin tight when you shave each area.

Skin preparation is the secret. Really soak your face, or steam it with a hot towel, and use a shaving brush with a good lather.

Hold the razor at about a 70 degree angle and use long, smooth strokes.

Contrary to some above posts, you will not get a shave as close as with a modern safety razor.

No I like my neck.

I thought about shaving with one or one of the old safety razors. There is a whole website dedicated to shaving with straight razors, some of them cost over a $1000. But then I got to thinking   there is probably a reason why we don't use them anymore.......

Holy crap no, there is a reason we use safety razors.

Quoted: Straight razor?  No, for years now I have had a sneaking suspision that my razor is gay. It's an old Bic called the "BrokeBack 2000"  One blade is actually humping the other blade for a shave so close even your gay cowboy friends will notice.

Um Bob, I think your Razor is trying to tell you something...  

Quoted: I thought about shaving with one or one of the old safety razors. There is a whole website dedicated to shaving with straight razors, some of them cost over a $1000. But then I got to thinking   there is probably a reason why we don't use them anymore.......

The real test of being able to use a straight razor professionally was/is putting shaving creme on a inflated balloon and being able to scrape it off without popping it.

No way....I don't need a close shave that bad. Shaving while in a hot shower using a Bic disposable is good enough for me.

-Make sure you soak your beard real well before shaving.
-Use a glycerin based shave soap, such as Col. Conk.  Bar soap, shaving cream =/= shave soap.  You will have to experiment with your lather to get it fine enough but not too fine.  If your lather is drying before you get to shaving an area it is too thick.
-Since you're new to shaving with a straight, only do the flat areas of your face the first couple of shaves.  As you get more comfortable you can progress to the jawline, chin, etc.
-Start out with razor almost perpendicular to your face until you feel more comfortable with the razor.  This is more forgiving than a more acute angle.
-A lighter touch is better.  You can always go over an area again.
-Think of the razor as a scraper.  You are pushing the edge through your hair.  Its when you pull the razor across the blade surface that you slice yourself(and you will.  Don't worry- the bleeding will stop after a few minutes).
-Initially cut with the grain of your beard.  Relather and go against the grain.
-Buy a leather strop and some strop paste.  A grease strop paste should work fine.  Strop your razor right before you shave- about 10 times each way.  Right at first it is going to seem like you can't get it as sharp as it was when you first used it.  Practice makes perfect.
-You should only need to sharpen the razor once every six months or so if you use it regularly.
-TAKE YOUR TIME.  This is not something you do if you are in a hurry because you are late for work.  I still take about 30 minutes to get a thorough shave.

With practice, I've been able to get a closer shave with a straight than with a safety razor.  YMMV.

Might as well just cut your throat with a K-Bar and get it over with.

I have and it is a great experience.

I have been facinated for years about it.

Remember, it was the way every man used to shave, so all this talk about "cutting my throat" is just guys sounding like a bunch of little school girls........every boy 100 years ago learned how to shave with one.

My barber used to shave my sideburns and the back of my neck with one, it is one of those experiences that I will always remember in my childhood.

I mentioned to him that I wanted to try it and he gave me his old barber school manual that had a chapter devoted to it.

He also gave me a 7 day razor set in the case that had been a prop in his shop for decades. He told me "good luck."

You will give your self nicks.......that is just a fact of it. But once you get used to using it, the nicks will decrease dramatically.

Get a good leather strop and some paste for it.

I do it occasionally on vacations and weekends. I would not shave with it every day.

I like to have some growth to shave with little or no problems.

My 6 year old son loves to watch me shave like that...........I want him to remember that image of me growing up.

PUMA razors are considered excellent.

You can pick up razors cheap at most antique shops. $5-$15 is the norm.

Try it...........relive history.

Quoted: -Make sure you soak your beard real well before shaving. -Use a glycerin based shave soap, such as Col. Conk.  Bar soap, shaving cream =/= shave soap.  You will have to experiment with your lather to get it fine enough but not too fine.  If your lather is drying before you get to shaving an area it is too thick. -Since you're new to shaving with a straight, only do the flat areas of your face the first couple of shaves.  As you get more comfortable you can progress to the jawline, chin, etc. -Start out with razor almost perpendicular to your face until you feel more comfortable with the razor.  This is more forgiving than a more acute angle. -A lighter touch is better.  You can always go over an area again. -Think of the razor as a scraper.  You are pushing the edge through your hair.  Its when you pull the razor across the blade surface that you slice yourself(and you will.  Don't worry- the bleeding will stop after a few minutes). -Initially cut with the grain of your beard.  Relather and go against the grain. -Buy a leather strop and some strop paste.  A grease strop paste should work fine.  Strop your razor right before you shave- about 10 times each way.  Right at first it is going to seem like you can't get it as sharp as it was when you first used it.  Practice makes perfect. -You should only need to sharpen the razor once every six months or so if you use it regularly. -TAKE YOUR TIME.  This is not something you do if you are in a hurry because you are late for work.  I still take about 30 minutes to get a thorough shave. With practice, I've been able to get a closer shave with a straight than with a safety razor.  YMMV.

Excellent advice. TAKE YOUR TIME is the key. Enjoy the experience.

Quoted: barber does the back of my neck w/ it, I'm not brave enough to use one on my face.

I got a high-and-tight at a little barber shop in east Texas one time and the barber pulled out a straight razor to do my neck and sideburns.  I've never sat so still in my life.  I don't think I even breathed while he had that near me.  All I could see was him sneezing and severing my head from my neck.

stay sharp.  I've found that when you use it when your face is dry it tends to "glide" along better.  Other than that, quit moving it when it turns blood red or slices the skin.

18 years almost exclusively, only use an electric rarely when in a hurry. The first time I shaved I had no idea and no advice, I cut myself up. now a cut is very rare. 1 thing to keep in mind is if you shave close to a door, lock it or leave it open because if someone opens a door into your elbow you could end up in the ER.

Just a portion of the symptoms of my other disease, it's as bad as black rifle disease.
 

I don't think I could do it.  I'd have to imagine it'd be an amazing shave, though.

If anyone has ever shaved a beaver with one, call me impressed.

Quoted: I do occassionally. I'm not brave enough to do under my nose, lip, or around my adam's apple yet. (BTW, that's the reason for a lot of the old-fashioned beard and mustache styles.) Do a google search to learn how to sharpen and use your razors, and buy a good strop. Make sure you're really awake, and not in a hurry. Stretch your skin tight when you shave each area. Skin preparation is the secret. Really soak your face, or steam it with a hot towel, and use a shaving brush with a good lather. Hold the razor at about a 70 degree angle and use long, smooth strokes. Contrary to some above posts, you will not get a shave as close as with a modern safety razor.

Yup...I used to shave with one.  Rodent nailed it.  You'll get a good shave...but you can do better...and as you learn the technique...you're going to get some painful nicks.

thanks for the opinions and tips.  i've been shaving since i was 14 and have an extremely tough beard so i thought this might be something i'd enjoy.  I have a mach 3 turbo and it works pretty well but still tears my face up some times.  the blades are crap after just a couple of shaves.

i'm going to go talk to my barber tomorrow and see if he's got one i can buy off him.

oh yea and the brokeback razor thing almost killed me... good thing i wasnt trying to shave.

with a straight razor, I shaved every other day
with a safety razor every day
with the electric razor, once to twice a day.

Quoted: thanks for the opinions and tips.  i've been shaving since i was 14 and have an extremely tough beard so i thought this might be something i'd enjoy.  I have a mach 3 turbo and it works pretty well but still tears my face up some times.  the blades are crap after just a couple of shaves. i'm going to go talk to my barber tomorrow and see if he's got one i can buy off him. oh yea and the brokeback razor thing almost killed me... good thing i wasnt trying to shave.

make sure to dis-infect your razor! you could get an infection if the razor is contaminated / dirty

it needs to be sanitized! you never know who they used that razor on before you

Quoted: Straight razor?  No, for years now I have had a sneaking suspision that my razor is gay. It's an old Bic called the "BrokeBack 2000"  One blade is actually humping the other blade for a shave so close even your gay cowboy friends will notice.

Quoted: WTF?

+1


I swear sometimes I wonder about the people on this site....

Quoted: 18 years almost exclusively, only use an electric rarely when in a hurry. The first time I shaved I had no idea and no advice, I cut myself up. now a cut is very rare. 1 thing to keep in mind is if you shave close to a door, lock it or leave it open because if someone opens a door into your elbow you could end up in the ER. Just a portion of the symptoms of my other disease, it's as bad as black rifle disease. i1.tinypic.com/o6d8r7.jpg

Nice collection!!!