Straight Razor from Spyderco

[jpm2]

I always used a plastic cup with a lid as I was usually travelling.

sal

Same here, a small tupperware bowl.
In this case, I forgot the brush and mix bowl (I prefer a separate container to make lather).
Stopped in a hardware store and got a $1 paint brush and used the plastic motel cup to mix lather in.
It all worked just fine.

[Doc Dan]

Anything will do, even your hand. There is a lot of expensive gear out there that is really not necessary. A good razor, a good strop, and a serviceable brush. That is all that is really needed.


As far as honing a straight razor. They are not honed like a knife and most are finished 10k to 12k, and some finer. They will cut a falling hair and easily whittle one. The edge is so fine it is delicate, hence the strop for repair after shaving.

[JacksonKnives]

I load soap straight from the bowl, then lather on my face. When I was using harder soap, I splashed it with a bit of water before my shower and it was ready to load up by the time I was ready to shave. Softer soap doesn't even need that.

Gave up on the "voluminous mountains of lather" bowl-lathering pursuit when I started having kids and all the time disappeared for my luxurious morning shower routine. It's still a very nice feeling swirling lather all over my face.

I even stopped rinsing out my brush a while ago... I clean it every once in a while, but I always shower and scrub well before I shave, so the soap is very clean for a very long time and even easier to clean up if I start to see stubble and chaff in the bowl.

FWIW if you haven't checked them out, modern "synthetic" brushes have got very, very good. I went from a nice silvertip badger brush to a "tuxedo" black-and-white brush back in 2017 and I haven't looked back. Almost all the shaving suppliers make them now, and they're just ridiculously soft.

There's a bit of range in bristle length and how they're set, which does affect stiffness and how they feel (a spectrum from scrubby------->floppy) but I've tried a dozen or so and they're all nicer than the best reasonably-priced badger I've tried.
Don't pay more than $20 for a brush unless you really like the aesthetics. "shaving shops" are all buying the two-tone extra-soft soft brushes straight from overseas manufacturers now and they're excellent.

[Doc Dan]

I got my new S.K. Colling straight razor yesterday and shaved with it today. It is beautiful, better than the pictures could ever show. It is well balanced and a joy to use, inspiring confidence.

Steven was easy to work with and very responsive to my emails. We discussed what I wanted and agreed on the price. Simple and uncomplicated. He got right on the project and had my razor ready to ship in a couple of days. I can't recommend him any higher.

S.K. Colling stands for, I assume Steve and Kelly Colling. He is in Prosperine, QLD, Australia and his company is also known as Prosperine Razor Company. https://www.facebook.com/steveandkelcolling

[Woodpuppy]

OH, it says “QLD” AUS. I’ve been reading it as “OLD” AUS.

[Doc Dan]

Here is part 4]
Shaving soaps and creams. Good shaving soap or cream are a must. Shaving soap is not like bath soap. Quality shaving soap has lubricants and other ingredients to help the razor glide over the skin and to protect the face. It gives a good cushion and should have enough residual slickness for touchups with the razor. Shaving soaps and creams also soften the hair so the razor can cut it more easily.

Shaving cream in an aerosol can is really not good enough for use with a straight razor. They have very little lubricants and moisture. A good quality shaving soap is what is needed. One need not spend a lot of money on good soaps. Certainly there are fine artisan shaving soaps from a myriad of companies that crop up seemingly daily. Makers such as Barrister and Mann, Ariana & Evans, Stirling, and many more sell soaps in many scents and formulas, some even imitating expensive colognes in their scents. These artisan soaps are more expensive, but are of very good quality and the difference, going from some less expensive soaps to these soaps is striking. However, there are some very good inexpensive soaps and creams that are as good, or nearly as good, from companies like La Toja, Speick, Arko, and others that only cost a few dollars. La Toja cream is particularly good and also has a sensitive skin formula cream that works quite well and is lightly and freshly scented.

Shaving cream is easier to lather and takes less time to master. Shaving soaps are harder and come in round pucks that are either in their own container, or made to fit in a shaving mug of your own choosing. With a cream all one need do is put a thumbnail sized dollop in the mug or bowl, and with a properly wet brush, whip it up into a rich lather. With a soap, a wetted brush is then run around the soap in circles to load the brush. One has a choice of continuing to build the lather in the mug or bowl with the soap puck, or moving to another bowl and making the lather in it. Either way, a rich wet thick lather is what one is looking for. If there are lots of bubbles it means the soap is too wet and one will need to load more soap on the brush without more water, and then continue to stir until the lather is just right. With practice, one can get as fast at building lather with a cream or good soap as one can dispensing and applying a canned soap.

Any soap that leaves the face dry or irritated is not the soap that one should continue to use. A good soap should hydrate the skin and leave the skin feeling good after the shave.

[vandelay]

I'd be interested in a straight razor from spyderco.
I've been learning to use a straight razor for a few months and I think I'll stick with it. I've just been using one of the cheaper dovo razors. I'd like to upgrade to something that's built a bit better eventually. Preferably also something that's not riveted together.

I saw a comment about the possibility of a straight razor style EDC knife. There's a knife from Tops called the tac-raze which is basically an EDC version of a straight razor. I have one of these and it's a fun knife but pretty impractical as an EDC knife. Friction folders are not fun to carry and I don't find the blade shape works well for a lot of cutting tasks. Even for tasks where I want a blunt tip, the atlantic salt shape seems to work a lot better than a razor shape.
The tac-raze really made me wish someone would make a nice micarta handle though.

[Doc Dan]

Had my second shave with the new Colling. Superb. This razor is extremely well balanced and confidence inspiring.

I'm still hoping and waiting on Spyderco to come out with such a razor. I'd suggest working with a company like S.K. Colling or others that have the experience to turn out good razors.

[sal]

Hi Vandelay.

Welcome to our forum.

sal

[Doc Dan]

Continuing with the discussion, we now turn to the actual shaving.

Part 2: The Shave

1] Map your beard. The first thing that needs to be done is to get to know your face. Map your beard, that is, find out the directions your whiskers grow (If you head shave, do this to your head, also). Start with two or three days growth of beard and with your fingers find out which way the hair grows on different parts of your face. Some people even have the left and right sides growing in different directions! You will want to note which way the grain flows on what parts. That with the grain (WTG) is the direction the hair lays or grows. If your hair grows down, this is the North to South direction. Against the grain (ATG) is the exact opposite of the way the hair lays or the direction in which it grows. If your hair grows down, this is the South to North direction up your neck and face. Across the grain (XTG) is the direction that goes across the way the hair lays or grows. If your hair grows down towards the South, then this would be the East-West direction. Knowing this will help you get the smoothest shave. Please note, it takes experience to shave East to West or West to East on the face or neck. Don’t rush the learning curve.

[Doc Dan]

2] Preparation is a big part of having a good shaving experience. First, carefully wipe off any oil or petroleum jelly from the blade with a cloth or tissue, being careful not to touch the delicately sharp edge. Strop the razor an additional twenty to thirty times (unless one stropped it forty to fifty times previously). Every time before one shaves the razor needs to be carefully stropped. This can be done after the shave all at one time, or it can be divided, part of the stropping before the shave and part of the stropping after the shave.

Next, either take a shower, making sure to wash your face and letting your beard soak up water, or soak a wash cloth in very warm water and hold the dripping cloth to the face for a couple of minutes. Don’t use very hot water as this can leech the oils out of the beard and face, leaving them dry and not as soft. Some people recommend cold or room temperature water. One wants to make sure one’s face has received plenty of water as this will help the soap work better and make the hairs easier to cut. Wash the face with a good hydrating soap before soaking the beard in the shower or with the wet cloth. This will help loosen the hairs, remove dirt and sweat and help one’s hair to be softer and more pliant.

One should make certain that the face is wet and does not dry out. If the face dries out before lathering, apply more water.

[Doc Dan]

Next is Lathering. In simple terms, this is agitating the soap until it foams. Creams in a tube are the easiest to learn to lather. Creams such as La Toja need only a thumbnail sized dollop of soap in the bottom of a shaving bowl. One then wets the brush and gives three light shakes to rid the brush of excess water. Then, the brush is inserted into the soap and one begins to swirl the brush around, at first only using the tips to build lather. Some like to splay the brush after a bit and stir more vigorously and this does make a fast lather. If the lather is bubbly and watery, it needs to be stirred a lot more. Continue to stir until the lather is thick, like natural yogurt, or close to it. Taking the brush, one then begins to paint it on the face and neck using back and forth strokes. Do this until a thick, rich lasting lather covers all of the areas to be shaved.

Another method is to put the soap on the brush directly and lather on the face and neck. Some like this better than a bowl, but using the bowl is a lot less messy and it is easy to see the quality of the lather.

Using a soap from a puck or soap contained in a flat tin or jar is similar. One puts water over the top of the soap and lets it sit while showering. Then, once out of the shower, pour off the water. Some like to use this water to hydrate the face. After shaking out the brush a little, start stirring the brush, like stirring a pot of stew vigorously, on the soap itself. Soon a thick lather will result. One can then either continue to lather on the soap, lather on the face, or move the brush to the bowl and lather there. Lathering on the soap is quite easy and a good rich lather can be attained in a short time. Once there is a good lather, begin to paint it on the face and neck like painting a barn door until all of the areas to be shaved are covered in a dense, thick lather. If there is not enough soap, one can always return to the puck and get more soap.

Some people like to use a preshave before lathering the face. Some claim it helps the shave and some say it is unhelpful. Some preshaves are of good quality and some are not. It is an oil applied to the skin to sit under the lather so the razor theoretically glides better over the face. If one has oily skin, perhaps it would be best to forgo this and just prepare the face well as given above.

[JackRussell]

Real men would shave with a Spyderedge.

[Doc Dan]

I'm afraid I'm not man enough for that!


(or not foolish enough)

[vandelay]

How often do you guys sharpen your razors? I've had mine for almost 2 months and stropping with green compound seems to be doing enough. I ordered a little xx-fine DMT plate for when I eventually need to sharpen it.

[jpm2]

I guess it depends on your definition of sharpening. I've heard the terms, sharpen/hone/strop when it comes to razors.
There's bevel setting with coarse abrasive (sharpen?), then refinement with increasing grit abrasive (honing?), then bare leather strop. Not sure where a strop with abrasive applied would fit, honing I suppose.

Anyway, my most used razor, the boker, is bare clean leather stropped between shaves and taken to a finishing stone every 10-20 shaves for about 5 minutes. It came shave ready and I've not had to reset the bevel in almost 32 months.
The clauss goes to the finishing stone just slightly more often. It also came shave ready 32 months ago. I reset the bevel a couple times but probably didn't need it.
The others I've not used enough yet.

Are you using the green compound on a paddle or hanging strop. Is it leather, cloth or something else? Do you strop on bare leather after the green compound?

[vandelay]

I have a paddle strop. I usually do a bunch of passes with green compound then a few on red to finish off. no idea what grit these are. I've been meaning to diamond compound with actual grit specification. The green compound seems to take off very little metal so I'm not sure it's doing much more than leather. The red is probably not doing anything more than bare leather.

I'm sure I'm not doing things the traditional way, but I like experimenting a bit.

[jpm2]

I have a 4x12 inch piece of balsa wood with green compound (chrome oxide) on one side and red compound (iron oxide) on the other.
It does refine the edge but I only use it for troublesome razors.

From what I understand, hard backed abrasives such as red/green compound, diamond, lapping film, etc on balsa or even leather mounted on wood or plexiglass leaves a very different edge than a hanging strop.

Since I can only do spine leading strokes, it leaves a straight triangular edge, yet false and wirey. This wire edge has to be removed or it will fail quickly with use. The preferred method of removing the wire edge is with a hanging linen strop. The strop can be loaded with abrasive or not. If loaded, should only take a few strokes. If not, might take several dozen or a hundred.

The linen strop leaves a slightly convex edge (just a few microns) that is durable sharp, keen and smooth. Further refinement is had with a clean bare leather strop.

The green chrome oxide compound is around 0.3 micron. The red iron oxide is about 0.1 micron.

I recommend you follow up the hard backed compounds with linen and leather hanging strops for best shaving edges.

I gathered this information from the website scienceofsharp.com (Thanks Todd) and verified most of it with my own experimentation. That website is highly recommended for a better understanding of what is happening at the edge using different abrasives and techniques and how they work.
It’s good to experiment.

[Bemo]

I'm glad someone brought up the Science of Sharp, he has an interesting take on straight razor sharpening. I may give it a go as it doesn't seem near as complicated as other methods.

[jpm2]

I’ve tried his method several times with various abrasives ranging from worn coarse diamond plate to soft/hard/black Arkansas with mostly success.
Just make sure you follow the basics and don’t substitute a paddle strop for a hanging one or do things in a different order.

My only linen strop is clean (no abrasives) so I’m never really sure if I’ve removed the foil edge or not without looking at it magnified, whereas with abrasive applied, I’d be reasonably sure it was gone in just a few strokes. Plus my magnifier only goes to about 50x.
I need to get a dedicated linen loaded with abrasive.