Thread: Reaching back to go into the future

Ok,
So I've decided to go the way of the straight razor because of economic and environmental concerns.But what I have found is that the SR community is a very close cousin to the cigar crowd. Totally provincial and full of shit. I need some real advise and encouragement without all the advertisement.
All I want to do is shave and leave a little less foot print on the earth. I bought my first razor from Vintage Straight Razor and I was not happy.
Can anyone out there offer me any words of wisdom?

Here is some advice...

Try being a bit more polite,,, calling people provincial and full of ^%# in your first post and then asking for help might not be the best idea for this particular group of gentlemen

Glen - Senior Mod SRP


Welcome to SRP,, let us know if there is a certain question that you need help with..
Unfortunately you found SRP AFTER you made your first purchase, if you give us an idea of budget and the equipment you still need we will try to point you in the right direction.. Another hint is to put your location in your profile or at least the area as we have Mentors that will help face to face and many actual meets and get together's that can really help with the learning curve...

Glen - The nice guy with a ton of answers

(covering a smile with my hand as I prepare to reply)

LOL... I'll just assume that was intended to be sarcasm on your part. ;-) Glen covered the first part pretty well... What I'd add is that this is truly a Gentleman's arena... So, if you've never done a car deal or other similar transaction on a handshake and a nod you might want to read around a bit to pick up on the vibe.

As far as words of wisdom... Keep an eye on the Classifieds here... Lots of great deals from people who are using the razors they turn over. Realize 'Shave Ready' means different things to different people... If you have a very tough beard/face and don't mind a lot of feedback/'pulling' when you shave then your 'Shave Ready' is likely to feel like you are peeling the face off of someone with sensitive skin and pain sensitivity. Have your current razor evaluated by then honed by someone linked on the Forum to get it to the degree you want it... Take some time discussing the results you want with them and they'll get you the edge you are looking for.

Personally, I love sarcasm... But, it does not play well in General Forums. Just my advice... YMMV. ;-)

Good luck and enjoy the journey!

Shawn
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pro·vin·cial
an inhabitant of the regions outside the capital city of a country, esp. when regarded as unsophisticated or narrow-minded.

As I sit her in my unsophisticated chair chewing on my cigar I think I will go start my 4x4 truck and just let it run. Nothing like leaving as big a carbon foot print as possible.

No...just kidding, I don't have a cigar........

Originally Posted by Chugach68

pro·vin·cial
an inhabitant of the regions outside the capital city of a country, esp. when regarded as unsophisticated or narrow-minded.

As I sit her in my unsophisticated chair chewing on my cigar I think I will go start my 4x4 truck and just let it run. Nothing like leaving as big a carbon foot print as possible.

No...just kidding, I don't have a cigar........

Why just let it run? You could be doing donuts in a wildlife preserve or wetland area! At least put a brick on the accelerator.

What is the topic again?

Seriously though, give some specifics and I'll promise to offer some non-sarcastic advice.

Funny thing is, a couple winters ago, my car was covered in snow and I hadn't driven in a week or so, so I went out to start it up and charge the battery. That was around 9:00 p.m. At 3:00 a.m. I jumped out of bed..."crap I forgot about the car!!!" Luckily I had a full tank. The battery was charged good...

Originally Posted by foldedandhoned

Ok,
So I've decided to go the way of the straight razor because of economic and environmental concerns.But what I have found is that the SR community is a very close cousin to the cigar crowd. Totally provincial and full of shit. I need some real advise and encouragement without all the advertisement.
All I want to do is shave and leave a little less foot print on the earth. I bought my first razor from Vintage Straight Razor and I was not happy.
Can anyone out there offer me any words of wisdom?

It can be tricky to straight shave if you don't have practice, and even with practice, you might not always be satisfied with what to others is a "perfectly good" razor. It is rare that someone jumps into straight shaving and everything works out right away. It can be a money drain trying to hunt down what's right for you, and the ghost of next-last purchase always lingers nearby. If you are in it for a purely pragmatic environmental cause and want to reach your destination as quickly as possible, I suspect you're in for disappointment and frustration.

To get better assistance, it'd be better to explicate your dissatisfaction rather than stating the obvious about online fetish communities. Was the shave rough? How qualified are you to judge a razor? How did the seller hone it for you? How do you intend to maintain your razor(s)?

I have never encountered nothing but courtesy and help here. I have learned how to use and maintain a straight razor, what percentage of the male population can say that..far less than 1% I'm sure. There is no elitism here. Foldedandhoned, please stick around long enough to get to know the members.

Got the message,
Thank you for all or your wisdom.
I have been very fustrated and maybe a bit sarcastic (I am by nature sarcastic).
Thank you Glen for your words.
Straight razor shaving is a bitch!
I have earned my living as a cook and know blades, but this is different.
Didn't mean to insult anyone. (a joke is a joke)
I'm determined to use a straight razor, but I admit I know nothing about the art of it all and need some advise.
I don't feel that my initial purchase was worth the money spent, although the the Damascus blade is nice.
So, here I am, a freshman shaver asking the varsity crew to give me some pointers.

Well, Folded my friend you've come to the right place. If you lay out some specific queries there's some pretty experienced hands here that can address those questions. The first contribution I'd like to make is that when most guys start shaving with a SR the usual reaction to the first coarse shave or two is "sh*&t this razor's blunt!". If your razor was professionally honed and you haven't buggered up the edge in some way ;-) it's not blunt: it's the user's lack of technique. It really takes a few months of steady progress before the muscle memory and general skill level builds up.

Don't give up; we've all been there. Just start with the down stroke on the cheeks, don't worry if you have to use a DE or even a plastic razor to finish your shave, eventually you'll be able to do most of your face with the straight. So hit us with some specifics and we'll see what sort of help the crew can give.

regards from the land down under