Thread: A Newb after 4 shaves. ":-Dx

Some of you may remember Utopian's generous gift of lending me, a stranger and newb here if you can imagine, several of his collection through the mail. I just wanted to say after having them 13 days I'm only on a 5th shave. One, on a Sunday morning, I backslid to the "bag 'O razors" type. Didn't want to risk going to church with blood and cuts on my face on Halloween weekend. I could shave everyday but choose only to shave every other. I've always been like this. Even with the "bag 'O razors" I used before it was an every other day event. Sometimes I'd press 3 days if I didn't have a need to shave. Fortunately I'm not one with a dark 5 o'clock shadow. I doubt there's anyone newbier but if there is there's a lot of good advice here from the folks. Listen and take it all in. Several thoughts at this point.

* It's a challenge and that makes it interesting. My worse cut, a deep one, happened in the first 5 minutes and that was on my index finger when I was re-positioning the SR it caught it right between the tip and the first joint. An hour after staunching the bleeding I got back on the horse and proceeded. It might have been a blessing in that it gave me more respect for the edge. So far I've only had small nicks here and there which for the most part stopped bleeding before I was done.

* It's not really fun yet. I suspect it will become more pleasurable. It's taking me near an hour. I can't always afford that time but as you say it gets faster. But I'm holding myself back at a respectable newb trot.

* I still have thoughts, as I mentioned in another post, of using a combination of the SR and the modern style multi blade. Others say if I hang in there I'll get more comfortable and feel just as much at ease as with the SR as with the "bag" type. I suspect there's real truth to that. Just not there yet.

* I watched a video on stropping. I respect the information but frankly it seems like it so complicated to do it right. Angles, type directions, pastes, no pastes, grits and on and on!! My gosh I felt like I needed a BS in stropping just to attempt it without ruining an edge. I got to thinking I can still remember that old piece of strap leather Mr. Pond, the old fashioned barber of my youth, 1950's, (first haircuts 50cents) that he'd just slap that razor back and forth maybe 10 times. I'd look at that leather and it looked like an old piece of grizzled bacon but when he put that hot cream on the back of my young neck to cut a straight line I knew that razor was sharp. And I didn't squirm an iota! I didn't realize he was putting so much thought into it. Or was he? He just seemed to be slapping it like he was playing an old upright bass. lol

So that's where I am. All your good advice was read carefully and taken to point. Thanks. I'll check in from time to time just to let you know I've not dropped out of school.

All the best to all that advised me! Jack ":-Dx