The Gambler - Straight Razor Tips from Kenny Rogers

I am not a Kenny Rogers fan and frankly I don't much care for country music in general. But for some reason the lyrics from 'The Gambler' frequently roll through my head when I'm honing or shaving. The song is about an old gambler giving a youngster advice on gambling. Here is the chorus:

You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done

I usually hear the lyrics when I've been working on a bevel for 45 minutes and it just isn't taking or I've gone over an area under my chin a couple times already but it isn't quite BBS. That's when I fold 'em and walk away. Sometimes I'm tired and not as alert as I should be which is when I run. There are a lot more applications in there but I'll leave it at that.

Hopefully the lyrics click with some of you like they have with me and save some pain and frustration. After all, straight razor shaving should be fun!

When I'm honing for a long time I usually hear the "Anvil Chorus".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

When I'm honing for a long time I usually hear the "Anvil Chorus".

---

That gives me the mental image of you, in frustration, pounding away on the poor razor on an anvil trying to make a dinner knife out of it.:mad:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

That gives me the mental image of you, in frustration, pounding away on the poor razor on an anvil trying to make a dinner knife out of it.:mad:

---

He just takes bread-knifing it a little more serious then most.

It seems, in honing especially, knowing when to walk away is super important! I remember my first attempts at honing and the messes I made cause I didn't want to stop until it was right. If you are having trouble with a blade put it down and take a few days. The worst thing to do is get frustrated and take it out on that spine lol.