Shaving with a straight razor can be a daunting challenge. More so if you are a beginner. The information available has become almost too much. And often, it is very hard to tell truth from fiction, or fact from fad. This article is aimed at beginners who are looking for reliable, up-to-date, objective information. I am writing it from the perspective of a person interested in, but not enthusiastic about, straight razors. I am also writing this with a track record of two and a half years of research, and field (or, rather, face) testing.

Where to begin?

There are various reasons why people get interested in shaving with a straight razor. More likely than not, first hand experience, or friends using straight razors, do not rank high on that list. Some people find it stylish, often inspired by watching old movies in which distinguished gentlemen are seen using a straight razor. Others find the environmental friendliness attractive. After all, one razor, one strop, and four brushes can serve you a lifetime. Yet others think it is "badass" - an American slang term that probably best translates into "ghetto behaviour" by European terms. Whatever your personal reasons, you will be confronted with a seemingly simple question, 'What tools do I need, and where can I get them?' Unless you already have done such research, you will agree that the answer to that question is everything but simple. Let us take a look at some examples:

• The razor: Do you need one? Or two? Will a hollow grind serve you better than a wedge? Will a narrower blade be easier to use than a wide one? Will a vintage razor really shave better than a new production one? What about stainless steel vs carbon steel? Should you buy from eBay, an online store, or a brick and mortar one?
• The strop: Long or short? Narrow or wide? Leather, and if so, which type? Linen, canvas, or webbed fabric?
• The brush: Boar or badger? If badger, best, super, silvertip, finest silvertip? Or maybe a synthetic one?
• Soaps and creams: I would not even want to begin to describe the choices available. And that is without discussing scents.
• Sharpening tools: Hone or pasted strop? Paste or spray? One hone or several? Natural or synthetic?

As you can see, the sheer amount of possible choices is staggering. This is where good online resources should come into play. In the next section, I will try and show you some resources that might actually help.

Thoughts about online resources

There is a good number of online communities. In the English speaking world, there is Straight Razor Place (SRP), and its spin-offs. SRP is the oldest online community specialising in straight razors. It is run by Lynn Abrams, who is also the owner of a well known online store, Straight Razor Designs (SRD). SRP has a knowledge base that also comprises a shopping list for beginners. Although I happen to be the author of that list, I think that it is the most objective source currently available. That is because it does not recommend individual items, brands, or vendors. The rationale being that given the array of choices outlined above, and given that human skin differs from person to person, as does manual dexterity, such recommendations are prone to being misleading. SRP also has a beginners forum where a group of regular members, called 'Mentors', are available should you need personal, one-on-one support. I came up with the idea for the mentor programme because I do not believe that forums work for beginners. Forums are a great place for discussion. Everyone can voice their opinion. However, there are a number of constants in straight shaving that one only learns to appreciate over time.

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. That saying certainly holds true for straight shaving. Many beginners get carried away by their first small successes. They then want to share those with other beginners. In theory, there is nothing wrong with that. Enthusiasm is essential if you want to learn the skills required for successfully shaving with a straight razor. Enthusiasm, however, also leads to narrow mindedness. Let us take an example. There are a number of razor brands that are highly sought after. In the past, Wade & Butcher, Puma, and Dubl Duck were high on that list. Recently, Filarmonica have joined the ranks. Interestingly, it is a rather well established fact that a good number of Filarmonica razors were produced in Germany for the export market. Blades marked #14 certainly were. Their Dobl Temple (ie made of double tempered steel) blades were more likely than not produced by Puma, the only other maker known to have used that technique. Does that make Filarmonica razors a bad choice? Certainly not. Actually, quite the contrary. However, it puts their current prices into a different light. None of these razors is 'worth'  € 250 or more. Simply because you can get similar quality for less than half that money. If they appeal to you because of their visual appearance, that is a different story entirely. But based purely on performance, € 250 for a Filarmonica is a massive mis-investment.

Let us take this example, and put it into perspective. Many forums are run, and populated, by people with vested commercial interests. Whether they make money through restoration, honing, customising, or retailing - they all want to sell you things. Again, that is not a bad thing in itself. In fact, every straight razor user should be grateful for the fact that those skills and resources exist. Not too long ago, it was actually quite difficult to get a good razor in good condition for decent money. That is no longer a problem. The problem is that the market is being subtly manipulated by a small group of people. And this is why any beginner should be wary of online resources. Take a look at SRP's List of good straight razor brands. I could think of 50 defunct Solingen manufacturers, and two still in production, who could be on this list. Prices for the razors on this list range from €20 to €300 (and more). Do these razor perform markedly differently? In my opinion, they do not. Make no mistake, a 4/8 wedge will obviously behave differently on your face than an 8/8 singing fully hollow ground blade. But the results will be very similar, if not identical.

Honing a razor for fun, not profit

Besides razors, another area of heated debate is honing, or rather sharpening, a razor. The two big US based forums, SRP and Badger & Blade, are using the term Honemeister to single out individuals who are able to hone any razor on any razor hone. Incidentally, all of these honemeisters hone for profit. Establishing whether they find their job enjoyable, too, is beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that I personally find it hard to imagine enjoying the task of honing ten or more razors per day. However, it is only human that these individuals prefer tools and techniques that allow for fast, repeatable results. And fast, repeatable results are desirable! If you agree with this, you should be using a Double Edge razor instead of a straight razor. Seriously, using a DE instead of a straight razor is what you should be looking for if you want fast and repeatable. Me, I am in it for the challenge. Which brings me to two online resources worth mentioning in this respect.

• Coticule.be is a site specialising in Belgian whetstones, called Coticules. The owner, Bart Torfs, has come up with two methodologies that will let you hone a razor using a single stone. This is neither the easiest, not the fastest, method to manage this task. An array of synthetic hones will let you do the same. But as I said, I like a challenge. Fast and repeatable are of no concern to me, because I only hone a razor per week, if even that. And for this purpose, the single hone approach is vastly more appealing to me than cluttering the living room table with five synthetic hones, a spray bottle, and God knows what else.
• WetShavingWorld.com is a new site. Run by Robert Williams of AmericanRazors.com fame, its aim is to disspell some popular myths around hones and honing. If you think that an expensive Japanese natural hone will turn you into the God of honing, read this: A study of finishing stones, hones and techniques. The camera doesn't lie.

What I like about both sites is the analytic approach taken by their owners. While being a Honemeister is certainly good for business, it says little, if anything, about your ability to pass on knowledge to beginners. Bart and Robert both have come up with simple solutions that will enable anyone willing to read (and understand) them to hone most razors into a shave ready state. Maybe the edge will not be the best in the world. But funnily enough, the levels of sharpness attributed to Honemeister blades have never appealed to me. What is more, they are frowned upon in the German forums, too, where the use of pasted strops is far more common than in the US forums (hint: a pasted strop sells for something like USD 20-40, a full set of hones for 150-400).

Conclusion

Choose your online resources carefully. I have compiled a list of recommended sites. Sites that are not on this list did not make it there for good, albeit personal, reaosns. No site whose primary focus is on vendor promotion and sales will ever make it there. Because, as I said, I like a challenge, but for fun, not profit.