Thread: Greetings from Oregon

Your friend gave you a nice selection for experimenting. Start in the middle and see where it goes? I would suggest sticking to 1 to learn with until you get comfortable using it. The more variables you throw into the mix the harder it will be for us or your friend to resolve the problems you have along the way. I would say skin irritation is going to be the first thing to over come. The amount of pressure you use and the angle of the blade is what your going to have to concentrate on most at first. Do watch some vids and read up on other fellows problems with irritation. Learn the strop. That's about all I can say focus on for beginners. A little patience goes a long way and you can do this and I suspect your going to love it :<0)

The 2 key things you need to master right out of the gate is, first, and the most obvious is shaving. Start with the easiest parts, cheeks. Shave those spots only for the first couple weeks until you're comfortable. Then expand from there until you feel comfortable doing the rest of your face.

The 2nd key thing is stropping. If you can't properly maintain that edge, your going to become frustrated because the razor will become dull and cease to shave properly.

There's plenty of guys in Oregon. If you need help from a mentor hands on, check the members list, under community, at the top to find some that lives close to you for help.

I won't kid you and say that there isn't some skill that will need to be fostered in order to get good shaves with a SR. But as you read through the site, keep in mind that this group would make striking a match sound fairly complicated. Somewhere in the middle is where its at. You're gonna make some mistakes. Its inevitable. So don't sweat it when you do. Set reasonable and attainable short-term goals. And accept that your shaves will be sub-par for a while during the learning phase. With a little persistence you'll be up and running.

Thanks guys, yeah there is certainly a lot to read and learn but as a man with many hobbies I know that it always sound a lot harder in the beginning.

I guess what I have questions about most is actually post treatment, assuming that a lot of the overall comfort (so long as you got a good shave) will be in the aftercare. I have never been a high maintenance guy so I haven't looked into it much. Would you recommend witch hazel followed by a treatment?

OK, ok, now that all the boring stuff is out of the way I will share with the razor porn. I know little about the set, but he got them from a friend and wanted me to see if I could get him some more info, value, age, material etc.. I dont actually plan to use those. So they are a Harrison Bros, 7 day set. Pretty neat little kit. pics attached

And the only other shave porn I own. Is a cool set my girlfriend had made for me from a guy on Etsy as a birthday present last year. Hot Shave scuttle, with a soap dish and Badger hair brush

Hot rinse to get lather remnants off my face, then a cold rinse, then rub it over with an alum block & pat dry. Works for me, but everybody has their own post shave routine

Hi and welcome. Can't give valuations on the site but looks like a nice set that would come up well with a little restoration. As for the history cant help but better pics showing all the tang markings would help others.

Best place to start with irritation is a good quality soap. Lite pressure while shaving and learning what your face can and cant handle. After I use alum, witch hazel and aftershave but depending on your face depends what is best for you. Try not to change more than 1 thing at a time as it makes it hard to tell what's working and what isn't.

Hello, and welome. Just take your time, and enjoy the new journey you are embarking on !!

Thank you, no worries with the evaluation, it was just something I was doing on the side for him. I was able to find out enough to tell him what he wanted to know which was if it was a really valuable item, or if he should put it into rotation for use. It is very neat, and now in rotation

I have bought some witch hazel, and I think you are spot on. I always thought I must just have really sensitive skin, but as I try more and different things I am coming to the conclusion that it is mostly in what you are using and how you are using it. I did a bunch more reading on different ideals and personal opinions on after care and I think the Witch Hazel will be great. Only time will tell though.

If you show where in Oregon you are fellow straight razor shavers might contact you. Any and all interaction with a variety of shavers only broadens your understanding of the field since no two of us are alike in our view points and methods. I just might be down the road from you. I am in Forest Grove and available almost, literally, all the time. One of the perks of retirement.