Thread: Ok newbies..Iam going to pay it forward.......

I agree that Joe the soldier deserves this gift so much more than me.

With that said, let me see how convincing I can be. I first got interested in wet shaving as a result of being upset with the cost of cartridge razors. This was a few years ago. I signed up with badgerandblade.com (Badger and Blade) and was active on their forums for a while. I eventually bought a Merkur barber pole, and then my uncle gave me a collection of razors that he in turn was given by the widow of his friend of many years. That collection included old Gillette razors and one or two really old straight razors. One of the straights looked as if the blade was badly pitted. The second one looked possibly okay but in need of honing. I didn't know what to do with them, but the Gillette razors looked interesting. I tried some Astra brand blades with them, then moved on the Feather blades.

I decided I had to take the plunge and buy a shave-ready straight razor. I bought it from a gentleman on the Badger and Blade forums. I bought a strop, too. To this day it hangs in its original wrapping from a hook in the living room. I tried to shave one time with my new straight razor. I was terrified by the sight of the blade in my fingers and mirror. I was so afraid of cutting myself. I did seem to do one side of my face, then, fearfully, I gave up and finished with the Merkur. That was the only time I used the razor.

I shaved for a while with the Merkur and a new Gillette razor which I acquired either through Badger and Blade, or on Ebay. I think that one is date coded 1954. I also had two scuttles made for me. I played with different razors, all of them double edged. I was sure about two things by then: I liked the Trumper and Harris shave creams, and I like Feather blades. I was getting in to the swing of things.

I became ever busier in my other life, running a sideline business in fixing computers (meaning, 99.95% of the time, fixing software issues my customers have.) I stopped shaving after a while, and grew a beard. Then one day someone in the office made a remark about how I would look younger if I shaved and it got to me. I was feeling particularly old that day. After another few weeks of putting it off, I went to the local Hair Cuttery and asked the young lady to get the beard off me and cut it down as close to the skin as possible, so that I could shave it off.

I rediscovered my brush (an Edwin Jagger cheapie), my scuttle (the one that survived a workman who had a tough day), and my double edge razors. I cleaned the razors with Scrubbing Bubbles, put them in Barbicide, discovered my Geo W Trumper Limes (in its tube) seemed to be still good, so I lathered my face and very slowly and carefully shaved. Success, not even a small nick! My hands seemed to "remember" what to do and my brain ordered my hands not to rush.

Always, that straight razor reposing in the closet has haunted me. But the workman had dropped it. Dare I try again with it?

Then I found straightrazorplace.com just today and read the Beginner's advice. On YouTube I found the 31 minute video of Lynn showing how to get started with a straight razor. This is a wonderful way to not do any serious work at all for an entire Saturday afternoon and evening.

I have come to a decision. I will send my straight razor off for honing. Maybe also repair if it needs that. I will at least have an assurance that it is shave ready. And I will take the advice of doing a little of my face every day with a straight, and working to learn the skills I need for such a shave.

So that is how things are with me now.

Bob

Hi.
BLOOD. That's right the tale of why I should get the PIF starts with blood. I have a desire to learn a skill that demand my blood. Just as I get to the point of a nice clean shave my razor tells me parts of my face need to be a little smoother, I listen. Then it happens. I'm hoping bringing in another razor, I'll be safe. The two, like the women in my life, will want the best for my face. They will compliment each other bringing out the best in each other.
WAIT if they really are like the women in my life and both sharp enough to draw blood......Nevermind, thanks anyway.

Hello Nessmuck,

I fit the profile you described - I'm a newbie to the SR shave (made my first post moments ago), and I would love to have help developing RAD (razor acquisition disorder). I'm 43, live in the Rockies, and want to develop my skills at SR shaving so I can teach my 2 grandsons when they hit shaving age - I want to pass along a legacy to them that isn't about money, but rather about tradition.

Thanks for your kindness.

Jim

here here

Nessmuck, i think what you are doing is a really nice, kind idea. Reading some of the posts however, it seems that some of the entrants already have quite a few razors, which leads me to think that they could have bought one decent, shave ready one. I could go on, but i think i have made my point.

My story is basically that I am sometimes a moron. I caught a case of the RAD already. I started shaving with a shavette. Got good at that and decided it was time to upgrade to a real blade. So, instead of doing the sane thing and getting a shave ready razor..... I got 4 antique razors on the way that are not shave ready. They just looked so pretty I couldn't resist. So while trying to save a buck on a razor, I bought 4 currently unusable blades for the same price, if not more, than 1 nice shave ready. So here I am now, setting aside some more money and saving up so I can get a strop and shave ready razor.

I don't currently live in CONUS (active duty stationed in Okinawa, Japan), but shipping to FPO/APO is basically the same as shipping CONUS.

Originally Posted by OlDirtyJohn

My story is basically that I am sometimes a moron. I caught a case of the RAD already. I started shaving with a shavette. Got good at that and decided it was time to upgrade to a real blade. So, instead of doing the sane thing and getting a shave ready razor..... I got 4 antique razors on the way that are not shave ready. They just looked so pretty I couldn't resist. So while trying to save a buck on a razor, I bought 4 currently unusable blades for the same price, if not more, than 1 nice shave ready. So here I am now, setting aside some more money and saving up so I can get a strop and shave ready razor.

I don't currently live in CONUS (active duty stationed in Okinawa, Japan), but shipping to FPO/APO is basically the same as shipping CONUS.

Marine? I ask because I have a Niece over there in the Corps. Thank you for your service.

Yes Sir,

USMC Fire Fighter on MCAS Futenma.

Let marine corps walk, from the east to the west US Atmy is the best.

Originally Posted by edhewitt

Nessmuck, i think what you are doing is a really nice, kind idea. Reading some of the posts however, it seems that some of the entrants already have quite a few razors, which leads me to think that they could have bought one decent, shave ready one. I could go on, but i think i have made my point.

I'm with you on that one Ed, I believe the intention of this was for a noob without a str8 already, looking to convert from a DE or a multi blade