Introduction
This page was created from "Joel's Interactive Guide to Straight Razor Shaving".For people new to straight razors, who prefer hard copy, there is also a PDF, maintained by rbscebu, Traditional Straight Razor Shaving Instructions for Beginners.
Getting Started with a Straight Razor
- Why a Straight Razor?
- DE VS Straight/Which one for me?
- Straight Razor/What do I need?
- Shavette, what is it?
- What is a shave ready razor?
- Straight Razor FAQs
Selecting a razor
Some precisions to the above photo. The part marked "point" is also known as "toe". The area between the parts marked "point" and "head" can also be referred to as the "point". Just to the left of the part marked "shoulder", it is also known as the "stabilizer". The part marked "shank" can also be referred to as the "tang". The part marked "tang" can also be referred to as the "tail".
- Grind
- Width of Blade
- Type of Tip/Point
- Which part is which?
- Carbon VS Stainless Steel
- Good and Bad Straight Razor Brands
- What to look for when buying a second hand straight razor
- Things to look for when selecting a Custom Straight Razor
Honing How-To Guides
- How to lap/flatten your hone
- Creating the Initial Bevel
- Polishing and Establishing the Shaving Sharp Edge
- Finishing via Hones
- Finishing with a pasted strop
- Edge Thickness (AKA Sharpness) Tests Vs. Edge Uniformity Tests - Bevel Creation Guide
- Finding a honemeister to hone my straight razor
Different hones explained
- Which hone do you need and what's recommended?
- What does a slurry stone do and what are they?
- Norton
- Coticule
- Belgian Yellow Coticule New & Vintage
- Belgian Blue
- Chinese 12K
- Barber hones
- Spyderco Hones
- Kitayama
- Thuringer
- Arkansas
- Shapton
- DMT
- Chromium III oxide
- Abrasive Pasted Strops
- Dovo Tortoise Special Hone Comparison/Results
Stropping How-To Guides
- Selecting a Strop
- How to Hold a Strop Without a Handle
- How to use your hanging strop.
- How to take care of your strop.
- Applying paste to a strop
- How to Restore a Strop
The Straight Razor shave
- Holding the Straight Razor and Blade Angle
- More Straight Razor Grips
- Straight Razor/The Do's and Don'ts!
- Straight Razor Tips and Tricks
- A Basic Straight Razor Shave
- Video of a straight razor shave.
- Another Video of a straight razor shave. [dead link]
- Common Shaving Problems and Solutions
The proper care of your straight razor
- Caring for your Carbon or Stainless Steel Razor
- Caring for your Razor Scales
- Metal Polish and Straight Razor