Quote Originally Posted by TulaneBoy View Post
First real straight shave today! WOW I am so pleased with myself! No cuts, thanks to my experience with the shavette I guess. I know you are supposed to take it slow at first, and just shave part of your face, or just shave one pass, but I did two WTG passes over my whole face and neck. The first one left me pretty smooth, the second one was definitely in Mach III territory. Tomorrow I will try my other straight! Or should I stick with just this one for a while? My uncle told me to only use one brand of blade with my DE and not switch around all the time, and that's what I did with the shavette, too. That way I wouldn't be always off balance and trying to adjust to a different blade while learning. So what is best... sticking with this razor for a couple of weeks, or should I try my other one tomorrow? I really think I kinda got the basics nailed. I mean, no cuts, good shave, not much irritation. Way less than from the shavette or the Gillette. The aftershave had a little burn but not much. I am really feeling pretty good about this.

One funny thing... when I was doing the second pass, it felt like the razor wasn't doing anything. I thought I had somehow got it dull during the second pass shave. I actually stopped and tried to strop it back sharp, but still felt the same, like it was just a dull piece of smooth steel sliding on my face. The first pass, it was definitely shaving. I could feel it and hear it. I had a slight tugging feeling, sort of like with any other shaving method, but a tiny bit more. There was some resistance. On the second pass, just glide glide glide. I figured I was just wasting my time when I was nearly finished with one side of my face, but when I felt my face, YOWZA! So smooth I had to laugh! Definite difference from the other side, so I finished the second pass on the rest of my face. Any other newbies out there, if you feel like your second pass isn't doing much good, keep going! That just means you mowed all the hair down pretty good on the first pass and there isn't all that much for the blade to catch up on. One reason I suspected my razor was getting dull is I half expected that, because it was my el cheapo one, but I guess it did okay. After I finished shaving and restropping, I could pass it over my forearm without touching the skin and the ends of the hairs still toppled over like a lawnmower at work, with just a barely hearable pink-pink-tink-tink kinda sound. I was told that this was a pretty good test if there is any confusion, and that the so called HHT test was really hit or miss. I guess the real test is when I shave with that razor again.

My Dad's buddy showed me how to make what he called a hobo strop out of newspaper. I now have a total of 4 leather strops, but he said I should strop on the hobo strop for a few days before risking it with a leather one. Is this good advice? I got my Great Grandpa's strop, which I am softening with saddle soap and Red Wing boot oil and it seems to be coming along... it is getting softer. There are some cracks down next to the handle but not in the middle area. I have the Poor Man Strop Kit from Whipped Dog which seems a little on the basic side, and the Big Daddy strop from Star Shaving Company, and one my Dad got from somebody. It is an Illinois model 827. I also have the balsa wood with the red and green stuff from Whipped Dog that came with the Poor Man Strop. I am reading two different ways of using that. One is to not mess with it until the razor is getting dull. The other is use it after every shave and the razor will never get dull in the first place. I am kinda leaning to prevention rather than cure, but I don't want to mess up my razor this early in the game so I am thinking I should wait a few shaves before trying it. What does everybody think?

So my questions are

1. Should I hold off on the balsa wood strop for a while?
2. Should I only use it when the razor gets dull, or use it as regular maintainance?
3. Should I keep shaving with El Cheapo until I have shaved a few time with it or it gets dull, or break out the Dovo Best Quality tomorrow?
4. Is stropping on the newspaper hobo strop okay for now?
5. How am I doing so far?
TulaneBoy, this is the Louisiana Ragin' Cajun. Sounds like you're doing just great. I switch razors because I enjoy doing it. If you can drive a Ford, you can drive a Chevrolet.

1. Hold off until the razor begins to get dull. The balsa strop doesn't sharpen, it cleans off debris, therefore restoring some of the sharpness.
2. See #1.
3. I like variety, so I would shave with the one you feel like using tomorrow.
4. I would use the Big Daddy and resist the temptation to strop fast, because that's when you nick and cut it. You can get a replacement piece of leather from Star Shaving for $21.95. Believe me, I have had my share of difficulties stropping, but I would use the Big Daddy rather than some contrived strop. Don't use Great Grandaddy's strop until you become an ace. If it were me, I'd probably just keep it as an heirloom and not use it.
5. You are doing great!