Hitting The One Year Mark And Reflecting Back

[crouton976]

So today marks one year since I joined the forum, which was about 10 days or so after using a straight (well, a shavette, anyway) for the first time.

I'm posting this in the Beginner's section for two reasons:

1. I still consider myself a beginner in many aspects, since I don't claim to know everything.
2. More importantly, I hope that this will serve as some inspiration for the beginners who are just joining us (or for those on the fence who are curious about starting their journey).

The backstory:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...just-neck.html


So, what have I learned over the last 365 days?

1. Patience is paramount in this sport. While it's hard to curb your enthusiasm, making yourself slow down reaps a far, far better reward.

2. Don't shun the advice of the experienced members here. Thankfully, I never have, but I have experienced the rewards of heeding their advice, which has helped me progress along the way.

3. This hobby can be as expensive and lavish or as cheap and utilitarian as you want it to be. I've had good results with cheap items and expensive items. There will be a certain amount of adjustment or testing to be done with anything new, but the end result is that, most of the time, you can make things work. This leads me to the next thing I've learned...

4. Don't be afraid to experiment! There are two benefits here- you get more practice in on learning proper technique and you get great rewards and better shaves for the things that work out. You just may find that your old routine/products, though acceptable, don't give as good of results as something new. This leads to point #5....

5. When facing a problem or experimenting, only change one variable at a time to single out and eliminate a problem or document the contributing factor for success. Changing too much, too fast has always lead me to variable end results. There is as much science to this sport as there is art/skill, so control what you can for more consistent results.

6. Do what's right for your face. A common response around here is YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary), and rightly so. Your face is different from the next guy, so what works for him may not work for you. See point #4 above for the remedy to this. You may or may not need a preshave oil, alum, witch hazel, balm, etc. However...

7. While some things may vary, some things will not. Everyone here who is seasoned in this art will tell you that you need a shave ready blade, strop (unless using a shavette), soap, brush and water to be able to shave and shave well. Don't try to skip these things! They are the fundemental building blocks to get great shaves.

8. If you need help, ask! This is, IMO, the friendliest and most helpful community I have experienced on the 'net.

9. You can do it, just have confidence in yourself. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. You may not be able to get something on your first go, but a baby doesn't just jump up and run a marathon when beginning to walk, either.

10. SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) must always be obeyed, you will always stalk your mailman waiting for new gear, your various AD's (Acquisition Disorder) will always nag at you to buy more and you will always have the support of such a fine community of brothers in blades.

Well, folks, that's all I've got. Here's to the journey ahead... may it be long, pleasurable and rewarding!

-Creighton