Thread: the exaggerated art of straight razor shaving; begginner's adivce

I see "OP" used here and there, and I just haven't figured out what that means. Is it a member name, or an acronym? I know, I'm a knucklehead...

Some people jump in feet first and for for it all the way and are successful in their endeavor, and my hats off when it goes that way. I'm not sure if you intended for your post to sound like it was full of attitude or not. People all have their own pace and their own opinions. It's all good. I have certainly read way more posts about people being nervous and needing to take a lot of time getting rolling than those saying wooo this is so easy. If we wanted to look at it from a statistical point of view, your experience is rare. It's your shaving experience so feel free to do it however you want. There are no hard fast rules, simply suggestions and guide lines. Feel free to shave while running naked in the streets, as long as you are having fun and getting the shave of your life, wooooo hooooo.

Originally Posted by Smyth

I see "OP" used here and there, and I just haven't figured out what that means. Is it a member name, or an acronym? I know, I'm a knucklehead...

Would be Original Poster I believe.

Bob

No offense to the OP but 12 shaves isn't enough to really tell much, I thought I was getting great shaves at about the same shave count, but at about shave 30 I was laughing at the first 15 and at 100 shaves I knew I was wrong at shave 30. Stropping I've found is the single most important part of SR comfort and if 20 laps is good 40-50 will be better.

Agree completely with rodb. I'm in it a year with hundreds of shaves under my belt and I'm still tweaking things trying to improve stropping technique -- pace, pressure, etc. At every point along the way I thought, 'hey, I've got this down' only to find out after another 10 or 20 shaves or honing sessions that I still have things to learn. Most of the time when I have trouble it's when I deviate from the suggestions of the mentors and experienced shavers.

It's a lot like learning to play a musical instrument. Your piano teacher tells you to curve your fingers when you play but it feels funny to play like that and shoot, you can play better without curving your fingers. Initially. But then after you've advanced and you've already learned to play the 'wrong' way your progress is hindered by poor technique. Then you have to go unlearn the wrong way and start over again when you would have just been better off doing it 'right' from the beginning.

It's not quite the same thing but...

ifcis what you are just beginning to discover is that straight razor shaving and DE wet shaving are very subjective. I do not think that the very few straight shaves you have had
makes your advice safe for our new or first time straight shavers.

In my opinion SRP members have worked especially hard to provide new to wet shaving members with as much of the very basic advice in our libraries and subjects in general as we can in an effort to provide these particular members a safe and enjoyable venture into wetshaving.

Ifcis you probably catch on to everything you do quickly. If so, this is just another stepping stone of you many successes.

Some of us joined here to learn how to shave or to ask for help with an aspect that was troubling us.

Some of us joined to take part in the growing community of men and women refusing to shave with plastic gizmos or to communicate with others who were like us and would not call us crazy for needing umpteen brushes, hones, razors or soaps

Some of us joined to help others who were troubled by things that also troubled us when we started shaving with a DE or straight.

Maybe it was a combination of reasons including show and tell and suggestions on new products that are not sold at our local supermarket

Whatever the reason welcome to SRP and I am very happy your once a week adventure with a straight is going well. As for giving new guys advice, building someone's skill and confidence is not done by bragging about your own skill

I have never felt anyone on here was using scare tactics. Advice from experience is always more valuable then advice from inexperience. Just ask a nine fingered woods hop teacher about safety when using the saw.

Jim

I appreciate everyone's posts on this site, I think I learn a little from every one I read. It's not rocket science to get an acceptable shave . If I wanted a great non cartridge shave I would get a de. For me I enjoy , I guess you would call it the hobby aspect, I like to hone and experiment. I like to take apart ( don't like it so much when I break though) and fix or personalize my gear. That's where in my opinion these gentlemen and ladies shine . The details to feed my passion can seem like it's posted to overwealm but to me it's a blessing to get good answers and different perspectives

Since there is no one way to do ANYTHING, suggesting that there is only a one proven way to nirvana is contradictory to human nature (unless you are a follower and not an explorer). Any time I'm told this is THE WAY I either dig in my heels and get stubborn as a one year old, or run like hell from that false prophet.

All roads lead to the best shave you can have at that point in time. For some it is an easy road, but I believe it is, for most, the road that I am on. Daily moments of tweaking the process I've been using, discovering a slightly new way to so what I've been doing. But remember, human nature as it is means that no two of us are on the same road. Which leads me to cry BS any time someone says , "I have the way, the way is as I say". Ask Stalin, Hitler, Attila the Hun, any number of assassinated Caesars and maybe your domineering mother -in-law and they will tell you how well they did.

Paraphrasing Lynn, Go forth and have fun!

Is nothing more than Shaving guys,Is no magic Bullits,no perfect lathers,no secrets to prep,wash your face, lather and shave.
Is very simple.